DIY Acrylic Aquarium?? Anyone built one?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
L8braker

L8braker

Gambusia
MFK Member
Feb 13, 2011
163
15
18
AVL, NC
Hey guys have any of you tried to make your own aquariums? I deal with US Plastics already who carries up to 1" acrylic. They stock 8ft x 4ft and can cut the sides. I thought about making a 8x4x2. It doesn't look that hard and I can probably find Pre-made 24" overflow boxes. Is the 1" strong enough or over kill? I will brace the top with 1" sticks and 1/4" thick by 12" wide sheets over them.

Thanks!!! :headbang2
 
1" will be about what you want. You won't need extra braces if you bond the seams correctly. The top cross bracing is a smart idea. I'd make it the same thickness as the sides, though.
 
Cool thanks Matt!

Never built a tank before so I am a little leary. Shouldn't be too hard though from what I see. Also I just read that silicone was a waste of time since it won't bond to acrylic.... Any truth to that? I was gonna run a bead around the inside just as backup.

I figure 8x4 will house my Australian Horn for awhile.
 
Things sometimes don't "seem" that hard till you try, you better do alot of reading up before you spend all that money on cast acrylic sheet. You might want to try with a sump first to get the hang of bonding the joints. I had a 10' long acrylic tank I bought used and it did'nt seem like it would be all that hard to sand and buff out all the scratches, well about 50 hrs later and with all the right stuff (power buffers, sand paper, buffing compounds) I will never do that again. It's sure possible if you are good with tools and your hands.
 
Silicone is worthless on acrylic. And get some practice on the bonding. It can be difficult to bond the pieces without getting little air bubbles in there. Air is exactly what you want to avoid when bonding.
 
Will be building an 8-10ft tank for gray bamboos this summer. Will do a thread when that time comes.
 
Deano, you should come up to central wisconsin to give me a hand when the time comes this summer!
 
FLESHY;4989023; said:
Deano, you should come up to central wisconsin to give me a hand when the time comes this summer!
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thanks for the invatation BUT I don't ever want to work with acrylic again unless I have lots of room and a really big table and a good tablesaw (Powermatic #66) with a big table around it and of course router, bits, wooden squares blah blah blah. I was a cabinet maker by trade before what I am doing now and wood can be sanded again and some mistakes can be hid but not acrylic:eek:
 
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