First go at DIY acrylic tank

[guserto4]

I've been practicing my hand at building small boxes and 'tanks' and I think the first real one was a success. It's a 15g 12x12x24" tank I'll use for quarantine.

It has a closed loop with a small pump so I could QT softies without fear of a powerhead liquifying anything. I anticipate a direct line in from the DT for filling, and I have a standpipe that will be for flushing. I want to eventually build a few more like it for QT, the next I think will be a 12x12x12.

After a little Krylon fusion we get the final look:

Just thought I'd share

 

[Member No. 1]

Love the all white sterile hospital look!
With that said... I want one! How much?

 

[guserto4]

More than it should have been! 1/2" sides so with bulkheads and all that probably ~$130.

 

[Member No. 1]

More than it should have been! 1/2" sides so with bulkheads and all that probably ~$130.

So before others chime in an I'm sure they will, I do want one same size, same colors, same features. Please put me first on the waiting list. I'll pm you shortly with my phone number and we can work out details.
Thanks!

 

[guserto4]

Try and build it yourself, that's the best part of this hobby! I'm looking at a DIY controller, LEDs, everything. The best part of this hobby is the amount of DIY projects that come out of it.

 

[teishokue]

What did you fuse the acrylics with?

 

[SpikeDangles]

Awesome! I want to try my hand at working with acrylic. Did it take long before you were able to build this awesome QT tank?

 

[guserto4]

I used Weldon 4 which has the consistency of water- through capillary action it moves into the seam and, when ya do it right, fills in the whole way. That sits for 24-48 hours to cure. I had one tiny weep bc I didn't clean the edges as well as I should have and there were tiny grooves from the saw cut. So now I need to use either Weldon 16 or 40, both of which are increasingly gel like and act more like a bead of silicone (but still chemically bond). I practiced on some scrap pieces, but this is my first tank. I think it's all about the prep work. Get those edges smooth and the Weldon part is easy. I'm hooked, I want to build more!

 

[BS87]

Very nice. I really want to get into acrylic stuff (Want to build a 24x24x12 and a sump), but initial start-up cost of buying the acrylic is keeping me away for now.. Might just go with 18x18x12 and scavenge glass from the $/gallon petco sale

 

[stinkyreef]

One thing I used to do was once I had my pieces cut, maybe 1/8" larger over all, I would clamp the piece down on a nice straight piece of MDF and use a laminate trim bit with bearing and router all the glue edges. That really made the difference. Nice work though!

 

[tkeracer619]

One thing I used to do was once I had my pieces cut, maybe 1/8" larger over all, I would clamp the piece down on a nice straight piece of MDF and use a laminate trim bit with bearing and router all the glue edges. That really made the difference. Nice work though!

This is correct. You don't want to make the tanks the actual size. The joints should all overhang a little so the solvent can do its work without letting air in. Then you route the edge away, sand, and polish.

I like it, what kind of saw and blade did you use?