Mr. Wiggles
Member
Hi there!
First off, I don’t have access to a shop and power tools so this build needed to be done without them. Furthermore I have no prior acrylic working skills, so if you don’t either then don’t be afraid to try this DIY!
I became interested in building a kreisel tank for raising shrimp zoe a few months ago, but I haven’t been satisfied with the results I have seen posted elsewhere. So I thought I would share my solution, and maybe it will inspire you to build this kreisel tank. My issues were that all of the examples I saw converted the aquarium into a dedicated kreisel tank, and I wanted more flexibility. Also joining the glass and plastic together seemed to not always work so well. What I built here is a simple acrylic inert that slides into a 5g tank for rearing the shrimp, but can be removed if I want to use the 5g for something else down the line.
Parts list:
1) Sheet of plexiglass
2) Scoring tool for plexiglass
3) Yard stick
4) Hack saw
5) Dremel tool, or a drill
6) Fine bridal fabric (mine came from JoAnne’s Fabric and cost $1)
7) Metal can, or a large pot of some kind (mine was about 6.5 or 7” in diameter)
8) 2-3 belts or tie downs
9) Weldon or some other solvent to adhere the acrylic together and some aquarium silicone
10) 5g aquarium, pump, hose barbs etc.
The measurements detailed below allow the flat side of the kreisel tank to be viewed from the short side of a 5g aquarium. Feel free to modify as you see fit.
To get started cut a strip 8”x18”, this will serve as the circular part of the kreisel tank. Make sure you make a nice straight score mark and snap the plexi well, as it will make your life much easier when it comes time for assembly. Then cut two pieces 7” x 10.25” from the sheet , these will serve as the side pieces.
Now measure the diameter of the can, and using the formula for circumference (C= 3.14*diameter) make sure the strip that was cut is about 2” less than the circumference. For me the circumference was about 20-21” so the 18” length was perfect.
To bend the acrylic put the can and the acrylic in the oven at about 250-275F. As the acrylic warms up start bending it around the metal can. The acrylic gets a little hazy in the oven, but it cools back to crystal clear. This process took me about 10-15 minutes. Before pulling the whole apparatus out, let everything get nice and warm before you set the shape. When you pull the can and the acrylic out of the oven quickly slide the belts or straps around the ends and pull it down very tight. Set this aside to cool.
Once it has cooled to room temp the shape has set, pull the belts off and you should have a perfectly circular shape. This was my first try, and you can see the top is slightly deformed, but it still worked great.
Next, position the cylinder on one of the flat parts and weld it down with the solvent. To weld the other side I stood the half- kreisel up and supported the middle with a stack of books. I then attached the other side and welded it down. Fill any gaps, and then check for leaks.
I used a post-it note to outline the square for the hole. Use the drill/dremel to make a small hole and then use the hack saw to cut the sides out. Then cut a section out of the bridal veil material, and adhere it with the aquarium silicone. Once the silicone has cured cut off the excess material.
I wanted a little loop to hold the hose barb for the Rio pump that creates the circular flow. I cut a small strip of acrylic and heated it in the oven. While it is still soft, bend it to fit around the barb and weld it on the kreisel.
All done, now to start raising some larvae!
Enjoy!
First off, I don’t have access to a shop and power tools so this build needed to be done without them. Furthermore I have no prior acrylic working skills, so if you don’t either then don’t be afraid to try this DIY!
I became interested in building a kreisel tank for raising shrimp zoe a few months ago, but I haven’t been satisfied with the results I have seen posted elsewhere. So I thought I would share my solution, and maybe it will inspire you to build this kreisel tank. My issues were that all of the examples I saw converted the aquarium into a dedicated kreisel tank, and I wanted more flexibility. Also joining the glass and plastic together seemed to not always work so well. What I built here is a simple acrylic inert that slides into a 5g tank for rearing the shrimp, but can be removed if I want to use the 5g for something else down the line.
Parts list:
1) Sheet of plexiglass
2) Scoring tool for plexiglass
3) Yard stick
4) Hack saw
5) Dremel tool, or a drill
6) Fine bridal fabric (mine came from JoAnne’s Fabric and cost $1)
7) Metal can, or a large pot of some kind (mine was about 6.5 or 7” in diameter)
8) 2-3 belts or tie downs
9) Weldon or some other solvent to adhere the acrylic together and some aquarium silicone
10) 5g aquarium, pump, hose barbs etc.
The measurements detailed below allow the flat side of the kreisel tank to be viewed from the short side of a 5g aquarium. Feel free to modify as you see fit.
To get started cut a strip 8”x18”, this will serve as the circular part of the kreisel tank. Make sure you make a nice straight score mark and snap the plexi well, as it will make your life much easier when it comes time for assembly. Then cut two pieces 7” x 10.25” from the sheet , these will serve as the side pieces.
Now measure the diameter of the can, and using the formula for circumference (C= 3.14*diameter) make sure the strip that was cut is about 2” less than the circumference. For me the circumference was about 20-21” so the 18” length was perfect.
To bend the acrylic put the can and the acrylic in the oven at about 250-275F. As the acrylic warms up start bending it around the metal can. The acrylic gets a little hazy in the oven, but it cools back to crystal clear. This process took me about 10-15 minutes. Before pulling the whole apparatus out, let everything get nice and warm before you set the shape. When you pull the can and the acrylic out of the oven quickly slide the belts or straps around the ends and pull it down very tight. Set this aside to cool.
Once it has cooled to room temp the shape has set, pull the belts off and you should have a perfectly circular shape. This was my first try, and you can see the top is slightly deformed, but it still worked great.
Next, position the cylinder on one of the flat parts and weld it down with the solvent. To weld the other side I stood the half- kreisel up and supported the middle with a stack of books. I then attached the other side and welded it down. Fill any gaps, and then check for leaks.
I used a post-it note to outline the square for the hole. Use the drill/dremel to make a small hole and then use the hack saw to cut the sides out. Then cut a section out of the bridal veil material, and adhere it with the aquarium silicone. Once the silicone has cured cut off the excess material.
I wanted a little loop to hold the hose barb for the Rio pump that creates the circular flow. I cut a small strip of acrylic and heated it in the oven. While it is still soft, bend it to fit around the barb and weld it on the kreisel.
All done, now to start raising some larvae!
Enjoy!
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