Guppy Wall idea

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R

rickkoehler

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 20, 2006
22
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Western NY
Allright folks, I've got an idea that my daughter would like for me to build to put in her bedroom. She's really taken with fancy tail guppies and other small fish, (she's only 10) and she wants a large tank but she doesn't have a lot of room in her bedroom. I've been to GARF and the calculator says I need 3/8" acrylic to make a tank that's 42" long, 18" tall, but only 6" deep. The back wall will be 2" taller than the tank, allowing it to be screwed to the studs in the wall. The whole thing can be built from two 24 x 48" sheets.

I know filtration and oxygen are going to be big issues with a tank like this, but what else am I missing? Thanks in advance for the help. BTW, this will most likely be a project for this coming winter.

Rick
 
if your saying that the tank with be held up by screwes in a wall, that might be a little bit of a problem. thats about 20gallons and that weights a lot im not sure a few screwes would hold
 
I'm planning on using 3x 5/16" stainless lag bolts into the wall studs. I know that I'm looking at about 220 lbs once I have the tank, water, gravel, and fish. Still, over three studs it sin't that bad.
 
Any chance you could make the back out of 1/2". I agree with you, three studs and lag bolts will hold the weight, but it's the three holes in the 3/8" plastic that bothers me. The extra 1/8" with large SS washers (like fender washers) may give your daughter and you a better memory of this venture.

You could build-in a filter on one side and the air pump on the other, just paint the plexy from the inside to hide them.

There is someone on the net that builds picture frame aquariums, you may get some ideas there.

Make sure you let her help and good luck to both of you...keep us posted.
 
I agree that's a lot of stress to have on the acryllic. I would go super thick on the back or get a premade one. Tenecor makes a cool looking model, kinda pricey though.
Maybe you could rig some sort of shelf system under it to help support the weight.
 
Make the back outta wood. It will be alot cheaper and be more sturdy. If it is up against a wall it won't matter anyways.

Chad
 
If yow screw a 2x4 into the wall under the tank like a ledge I think It would have a better chance of success.
Can you put a canister filter in the room behind it and plumb through the wall?If not maybe sponge filters would be a good way to minimize external clutter
 
You have to seal it with a pool sealer or some kind of marine paint.:thumbsup: Look around and you will see that alot of other people use wood to make fish tanks.

Chad
 
ebay has the ''plasma tanks'' for around 200
 
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