Build your own tank

[AGGJSW]

Has anyone every built their own large tank (300g) out of glass? If so, any pointers or websites you could recommend a person could go to for info; the dos-&-don'ts? I've got some experience building small aquariums (20g 'n such) but nothing as big as I'm wanting to go. And I don't want acrylic.

Thx!!!

 

[tom obrecht]

Might want to give Tipou a shout. His thread is also in this forum and glued his tank himself.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1698691

 

[Lightsluvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15681359#post15681359 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tom obrecht
Might want to give Tipou a shout. His thread is also in this forum and glued his tank himself.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1698691

I'm certain that tipou is a very feminine mademoiselle...

Tres bon!

and she did a great job on the "L" shaped tank...

LL

 

[tipou]

hihihi yes I'm a "she" (tipou is the name of one of my cats)

the tank was done by my boyfriend (with a little of my help)
but since it's our first DIY glass tank I'm not sure I want to give direction... maybe after I know that our tank doesn't leak hahaha

 

[AGGJSW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15682261#post15682261 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tipou
hihihi yes I'm a "she" (tipou is the name of one of my cats)

the tank was done by my boyfriend (with a little of my help)
but since it's our first DIY glass tank I'm not sure I want to give direction... maybe after I know that our tank doesn't leak hahaha

I'm hungry for any information, hints, advice, etc. The only thing I've heard is you don't want the glass to touch and use aquarium silicone (I want black). So, I'm assuming you put silicone on the edge of the glass then slide the two pieces together as close as possible WITHOUT touching. Then when dry, put a bead of silicone on the inside and you're done. Am I close?

 

[tipou]

you need little shim at every 14 inch
and then you put the silicone (lot of it) use the GE1200

then you glue the other glass by pressing it to the silicone (do not slide... it would remove the silicone

you make sure that you don't see the glass through the silicone and make sure they're no bubbles

then you take something (for example clamp) to hold the glass together and you wait for the silicone to dry

 

[biecacka]

what is the shim for?

 

[tipou]

it's little plastic shim, it will help you having the right amount of silicone

I'll send you a picture of the shim tonight if you want

 

[biecacka]

please do.
so are you shimming then putting the bead of silicone down?

 

[Lewy]

So do you leave the shims in after siliconing?

 

[EnderG60]

i was planning to build my 300g, but after pricing the glass and stainless angle iron i was going to use for the frame it came to about $1200. Considering the marineland 300g was only $1800 I decided to spend the extra money and get a manufactured tank drilled to my specs for the piece of mind.

 

[tipou]

you won't be able to remove the little shim... they will be between the two glass in all the silicone

here's what the shim look like:


and some of the clamp we use
[URL=[IMG]http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/1976/img2296m.jpg[/IMG]

go read here... lot of info on DIY glass tank

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/diytanksrefugiums/ss/diyaquarium.htm

also I forgot to tell you, you have to clean the glass with alchool before putting silicone

 

[AGGJSW]

Lots of good info. Thanx and everyone keep it coming

 

[AGGJSW]

Where did you get the shims from?

 

[tipou]

from a place where they cut glass

 

[AGGJSW]

Sooo, I just came from a glass company and after explaining to them what I was wanting to do he asked if I was going to use silicone or the UV glue. Apparently there is a "...liquid like water") you put on the seams then hit it with a UV light which hardens the weld. I understood it to be much like welding acrylic together. He said it make a very strong weld; one that if one of the panes would break the entire tank is trashed cause you can't undo the welds. Anyone got experience/knowledge of this? Good idea or bad? Whatcha think? He recommended still using silicone incase there was a small leak so it looks like this approach isn't 100% sealed 100% of the time.

 

[NanoReefWanabe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15718288#post15718288 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AGGJSW
Sooo, I just came from a glass company and after explaining to them what I was wanting to do he asked if I was going to use silicone or the UV glue. Apparently there is a "...liquid like water") you put on the seams then hit it with a UV light which hardens the weld. I understood it to be much like welding acrylic together. He said it make a very strong weld; one that if one of the panes would break the entire tank is trashed cause you can't undo the welds. Anyone got experience/knowledge of this? Good idea or bad? Whatcha think? He recommended still using silicone incase there was a small leak so it looks like this approach isn't 100% sealed 100% of the time.

AGE uses some sort of UV reactive glue to seal the PVC bottoms of their tanks on...if you can find a supplier for this magical fluid i am sure there are lots of people interested to know what it is and where to get it...

 

[kwats]

I found some UV glues for glass online but the manufacturer stats the water breaks the glue down so not to use it on fish tanks. You may get away with using the UV glue then siliconing the inside to make a water barrier but I dont think I would trust that.

 

[AGGJSW]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15730665#post15730665 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kwats
I found some UV glues for glass online but the manufacturer stats the water breaks the glue down so not to use it on fish tanks. You may get away with using the UV glue then siliconing the inside to make a water barrier but I dont think I would trust that.

I would plan on using the UV adhesive AND silicone plus top/bottom bracing. From what I can tell, that's how other tanks are built (except for the UV adhesive). And, like you, I feel if the silicone is done right the water won't get to the UV adhesive.