Could you make your own acrylic sheet for an aquarium?

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Sep 24, 2017
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Sorry I’m trying to be nicer. In other words just spend the money. If strength is not your strongest pay someone to bring it down stairs. Maybe you don’t need a 10’ tank get a 6-8’ tank. Hell I doubt you would find ANYBODY to make you a 10 feet by 3 feet by 3 inch thick acrylic unless your a stash house with tons of money. Why the hell would you need 3” thick acrylic for anything other than building shamus home. Even then 3” is rediculous.
because I want to be on the safe side and acrylic isn't as strong as glass either and big fish tend to hit the glass on occasion
 

Dloks

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because I want to be on the safe side and acrylic isn't as strong as glass either and big fish tend to hit the glass on occasion
Bro... do you even know what you’re saying before you type it? I also want my own theme park but a ticket to Disneyland is more realistic. What kind of fish do you plan on keeping in the tank for 3” thick acrylic a .50 BMG or a 20x102mm Vulcan? I can guarantee you acrylic is a ton stronger than glass. And ANY-FISH busting a glass tank is a dead fish. Any fish busting a acrylic tank is pretty much Jesus himself. I’m more than sure you can build a dam in the middle of the Amazon River with 3” acrylic. I should report you for posting false information like that, potentially having other new members read your comment!
 
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Sep 24, 2017
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Bro... do you even know what you’re saying before you type it? I also want my own theme park but a ticket to Disneyland is more realistic. What kind of fish do you plan on keeping in the tank for 3” thick acrylic a .50 BMG or a 20x102mm Vulcan? I can guarantee you acrylic is a ton stronger than glass. And ANY-FISH busting a glass tank is a dead fish. Any fish busting a acrylic tank is pretty much Jesus himself. I’m more than sure you can build a dam in the middle of the Amazon River with 3” acrylic. I should report you for posting false information like that, potentially having other new members read your comment!
I was planning on temensis or a dovii, and no glass is stronger than acrylic by volume for tensile stress, but acrylic is stronger in response to impact stress, I want to be on the safe side for peace of mind, though 2 inches would probably be fine
 
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KansasSunfish

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Ok, I just had to weigh in. Yes, you can make your own sheet acrylic. No it’s not worth it. I tried it once. Turned out terrible and cost me maybe ten times as much to make my own as to buy the comproable 24 by 24 by quarter inch sheet. It wasn’t perfectly flat, it wasn’t perfectly clear, and it wasn’t just bubbles inside but also weird swirling, looking through it was like a see through fun house mirror. Oh, and did I mention the fumes created don’t just stink, they will KILL you! I wore my $250 chemical mask from work, and although I didn’t smell anything I had a massive headache for days. Also, i has the shop door open and the next day every fly in the shop was dead on the floor. This is ABSOLUTELY not worth trying. The risk and cost is far too high.

One more note. Three inch acrylic is typically multiple sheets laminated. Also, unless you own a zoo, find other ways to use your money.
 
Sep 24, 2017
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Ok, I just had to weigh in. Yes, you can make your own sheet acrylic. No it’s not worth it. I tried it once. Turned out terrible and cost me maybe ten times as much to make my own as to buy the comproable 24 by 24 by quarter inch sheet. It wasn’t perfectly flat, it wasn’t perfectly clear, and it wasn’t just bubbles inside but also weird swirling, looking through it was like a see through fun house mirror. Oh, and did I mention the fumes created don’t just stink, they will KILL you! I wore my $250 chemical mask from work, and although I didn’t smell anything I had a massive headache for days. Also, i has the shop door open and the next day every fly in the shop was dead on the floor. This is ABSOLUTELY not worth trying. The risk and cost is far too high.

One more note. Three inch acrylic is typically multiple sheets laminated. Also, unless you own a zoo, find other ways to use your money.
yeah it's good to hear from someone who tried it, only reason I thought of it was because getting a 10 foot by 3 foot acrylic panel into my house would not be easy (due to the size, not the weight).
 

Lepisosteus

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Why are threads like this not immediately deleted? I don’t shine in to much info on this site anymore due to this exact reason. I completely agree with Dloks Dloks
I should have filmed the inside of the factory where we had our acrylic manufacturered for our potential stingray breeding project and to become a custom acrylic aquarium company. For now we are staying small scale with the majority of business being generated from word of mouth and minor advertisements on free sites. I can tell you a custom 10x3 sheet of 1.5” material you would be looking at around $2500.
I can’t believe this question needed to be asked, especially knowing the ease at which acrylic can be acquired. Google maps “plastic shop”, pick up the phone and call the first 3 company’s that show up. I could almost guarantee all of them could supply the acrylic or point you in the right direction on who to contact. A 3” thick acrylic sheet for a 10x3 window is around 1.75-1.5” more than needed. Building a 10x3 tank with 1.25-1.5” material is more than most builders would use. 1” is even doable.
As for glass being stronger than acrylic, consider the point of failure within an aquarium. I have never seen an aquarium fail due to the panel cracking from outwards pressure. Now consider the bonding strength between two panels of glass joined by silicone to a molecularly bonded piece of acrylic. Which do you think will fail first?
 
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Lepisosteus

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Based off of you location of Pennsylvania I did the google maps myself and I immediately noticed at lest 10 companies that would have acrylic panels. Maybe not in the 10x3’ size of 3” you are looking for but guarantee 8x4 In up to 1” and the ability to order custom sheets, generally off a minimum order of 3000lbs.
 
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fishhead0103666

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Let’s let this thread die shall we?
 
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TwoHedWlf

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yeah it's good to hear from someone who tried it, only reason I thought of it was because getting a 10 foot by 3 foot acrylic panel into my house would not be easy (due to the size, not the weight).
Then get two 3X3 foot panels and a 3X4 panel in. Also the framing for those would decrease the thickness needed a bit, or increase your safety factor.
 
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