Knucklehead
Guest
so im gonna jump in and try and build my own tank
48L X 30D X 25H approx 150 gallons...
i found these plans, everything looks pretty straight foward except the wooden dowels, maybe someone can make me understand this better.. thanks
Lay bottom, front, back and side pieces out on a large flat surface.
Cut the 1/4 inch dowels slightly shorter than the length of the bottom. Place the dowels under the bottom piece of glass. It is important that the weight of the aquarium is supported by the front, back and sides. There should never be any support under the bottom glass as this could fracture it.
Run a bead of silicone along all edges of the bottom glass. (these are the edges that will seal with the front, back, and side glass)
Carefully place all pieces in place surrounding the bottom piece. All contacting surfaces should have a bead of silicone.
Use tape or clamps to hold the pieces in the correct position. When using silicone you will have plenty of time to make adjustments. Silicone can become a gooy sticky mess so you should keep the material and work area as clean as possible.
Once all pieces are correctly positioned, let the aquarium set for 24 hours.
After the silicone has cured, it is time to add the glass to the top. This piece of glass makes the sides stronger so the glass does not bow when the tank is filled.
Let the tank cure in a warm room for 72 hours before you fill it with fresh water. If there are any leaks you can apply an additional bead of silicone to the inside seam.
48L X 30D X 25H approx 150 gallons...
i found these plans, everything looks pretty straight foward except the wooden dowels, maybe someone can make me understand this better.. thanks
Lay bottom, front, back and side pieces out on a large flat surface.
Cut the 1/4 inch dowels slightly shorter than the length of the bottom. Place the dowels under the bottom piece of glass. It is important that the weight of the aquarium is supported by the front, back and sides. There should never be any support under the bottom glass as this could fracture it.
Run a bead of silicone along all edges of the bottom glass. (these are the edges that will seal with the front, back, and side glass)
Carefully place all pieces in place surrounding the bottom piece. All contacting surfaces should have a bead of silicone.
Use tape or clamps to hold the pieces in the correct position. When using silicone you will have plenty of time to make adjustments. Silicone can become a gooy sticky mess so you should keep the material and work area as clean as possible.
Once all pieces are correctly positioned, let the aquarium set for 24 hours.
After the silicone has cured, it is time to add the glass to the top. This piece of glass makes the sides stronger so the glass does not bow when the tank is filled.
Let the tank cure in a warm room for 72 hours before you fill it with fresh water. If there are any leaks you can apply an additional bead of silicone to the inside seam.