DIY acrylic tank help

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joey02

joey02

Piranha
MFK Member
May 22, 2007
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thekingofdiy.com
I have located some 12mm(1/2") acrylic sheets. They are each in 4x2' pieces.

I was thinking i could make a 4x4x2' tank. I could use a full 4x2 sheet for each of the 4 sides, but for the bottom, i was thinking i could combine two 4x2 sheets and make a 4x4 bottom. I would use another 1/2" strip of acrylic to join them on top of the seam they meet at.

Anyone think this is a bad idea?
 
Ramcharger;3366130; said:
I would try it the extra joiner sounds like good idea too. Leak test outside though loved your ply build too :)
Click to expand...

thanks, the plywood tank is still running, i'll update that soon.

I came across the acrylic sheets for about $6/sq ft, but i can probely talk him down some more. This thickness of acrylic at this price is great for around here. Glass at that thickness is $16/sq ft here.

I read a thread on a 600gallon tank on here that had 4 seperate bottom panels that were siliconed together, so thats where i got the idea.

The tank its self will be sitting on a DIY stand that i will buyild, that will have a thick plywood top, and a thich sheet of styrofoam on top of that. So the tank will be on a flat, level surface.

I was thinking of laying down two 4x2' sheets side by side to make a 4x4' piece and cement them together. then on top of the seam, running a 6-8" strip of 1/2" acrylic across the entire seam they meet at, and cementing it on. It sounds like it should work, but im not sure.

I should add, that i have never built an acrylic tank befor, but i have used it to make wet/dry's and drip trays, so i am familiar with cutting/drilling it, but not at this thickness.

I could also make something of a different size, but i want to have this as another stingray tank, that will last for a long while. I was thinking of also making a couple 110gals(4x2x2), but that wouldnt last me very long in terms of a stingray tank. I was thinking i could also make one of those for the sump-wet/dry for a 4x4x2.
 
Will work, but you won't get much strength from the butt joint alone unless you use Weld On 16. Both edges would need to be perfectly straight and perfectly smooth for something like Weld on 4 to work. I would definitely suggest using weld on 16 mixed with weld on 4 to create a runny syrup to bond your 6" wide joiner plate over the seam. (weld on 16 alone will skin too fast, and weld on 4 alone will have a hard time penetrating a 6" span.

Take a few practice runs, and read a bunch of articles. Do NOT believe anyone who tells you to just clamp the parts in place and run the solvent into the joint - the only advisable way to make strong acrylic joints is with the "pin" method, of seperating the joint with thin spacers, putting the solvent in and allowing it to soften the edges, then removing the pins.

Should be a cool tank. Don't forget some bracing around the top or it might be a bit unstable to move.
 
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