DIY?

[PheonixKingZ]

Hello forum members!!

I have some “DIY” Thing is use in the hobby, and I was wondering if you guys wanted to share some of yours! Here are mine....

Clean milk jugs for small water changes/evaporation....

Plastic Cups for “Skimming” the surface of biofilm...

A small medication squeezer (very scientific..) that I use for my water conditioner...

Now almost all of these are commonly used in the hobby, I just wanted to share mine, and see yours!

 

[FishGuest5123]

My husband knows that whenever he can’t find something in the kitchen that I have turned it into a diy for my tanks. Things like strainers, Turkey blasters, coffee filters, meat thermometer, and the list goes on. Lol!

 

[PheonixKingZ]

All of those are very good DIY things for a tank!!

 

[FishGuest5123]

All of those are very good DIY things for a tank!!

The good thing is that my husband let’s me keep them after I’ve used them in a tank. He never wants them back. Lol

 

[PheonixKingZ]

It’s like a piece of candy. 2 kids are fighting over it, 1 licks it really good, then says “Now do you want it?” Same concept!

 

[Back in the fold]

DIY and makeshift items are a staple of aquarium hobbyists. You can always improvise something. I think a lot of people buy stuff because of a belief that store bought is superior in some way or that an aquarium has to look like it came from the pages of House Beautiful. Weird cobbled together lights and funky stands are great. They reflect your personality. Milk jugs are my favorite thing. I also buy spring water that comes in two gallon containers. I cut the top off lengthwise and I have a temporary Betta tank. Pantyhose and coffee filters? Gotta have that stuff. Judging by this thread, I think PheonixKingZ is ready to build his own tank.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I would love to build my own tank, that would be awesome! But I don’t have the equipment....

 

[Colin_T]

I made a wave maker out of a rectangular icecream container, 2 round lids off Chinese food containers, some airline, a plastic airline tap and a water pump. It worked really well but I had to slow the flow rate down to two loads of water per minute because the tank started to sway from left to right if it did more than that.

I cut the rectangular container down so it was a V shape with one side slightly longer than the other. I glued the round lids onto each end. I used a small power head to pump water around the tank and ran a bit of airline from the pump to the wave maker. I put the tap on the end of the airline and had water dripping into the plastic container. I had a small weight on one side and when there was enough water in the container, it tipped into the tank and the fish and corals got washed around like in the ocean. The small lead weight stopped the container tipping over before it was full.

The whole thing sat on top of a piece of coverglass and dumped water into the tank at one end.

Nowadays you can buy pumps with timers and they do the same thing.

 

[Colin_T]

would love to build my own tank, that would be awesome! But I don’t have the equipment...

The only things you need to make a tank is a silicon gun, some silicon, some sticky tape, and a flat surface. You might also need a sanding block (piece of wood about 4 inches long x 3 inches wide x 1-2 inch high) and some fine sand paper. Also some single sided razor blades to clean up the excess silicon after the tank is built.

The sand paper and sanding block is to smooth the glass edges down so you don't cut yourself.

You buy the glass cut to size and smooth the edges off. Put the bottom sheet of glass on some newspaper.
Run a bead of silicon along the bottom edge and side of the back and side pieces of glass. Put the back and one side onto the bottom piece and push them together so the silicon squeezes out a bit.
Use some sticky tape to tape the corners on the outside.
Put some silicon on the other side piece and put that in place and use tape to hold it steady.
Silicon the front piece and put in place and use more tape to stop it moving.

Leave the tank for at least 24 hours before moving it. Then you can remove the tape and put the tank on its side.
Run some silicon along the edge of one of the support strips and put it a bit below the top edge of the tank. Leave it for 24 hours and turn the tank over and put the other support strip in place. Wait another 24 hours then stand the tank up and glue the cross members on. Wait a couple more days and the tank is ready to fill.

If you are making a big tank (4x2x2ft or bigger), leave it to dry for at least 7 days after you have finished all of the gluing.

 

[Back in the fold]

I would love to build my own tank, that would be awesome! But I don’t have the equipment....

What Colin said.

 

[FishGuest5123]

The only things you need to make a tank is a silicon gun, some silicon, some sticky tape, and a flat surface. You might also need a sanding block (piece of wood about 4 inches long x 3 inches wide x 1-2 inch high) and some fine sand paper. Also some single sided razor blades to clean up the excess silicon after the tank is built.

The sand paper and sanding block is to smooth the glass edges down so you don't cut yourself.

You buy the glass cut to size and smooth the edges off. Put the bottom sheet of glass on some newspaper.
Run a bead of silicon along the bottom edge and side of the back and side pieces of glass. Put the back and one side onto the bottom piece and push them together so the silicon squeezes out a bit.
Use some sticky tape to tape the corners on the outside.
Put some silicon on the other side piece and put that in place and use tape to hold it steady.
Silicon the front piece and put in place and use more tape to stop it moving.

Leave the tank for at least 24 hours before moving it. Then you can remove the tape and put the tank on its side.
Run some silicon along the edge of one of the support strips and put it a bit below the top edge of the tank. Leave it for 24 hours and turn the tank over and put the other support strip in place. Wait another 24 hours then stand the tank up and glue the cross members on. Wait a couple more days and the tank is ready to fill.

If you are making a big tank (4x2x2ft or bigger), leave it to dry for at least 7 days after you have finished all of the gluing.

I’m headed to Home Depot. Gonna make a big glassed in pond in my dining room. Can someone keep my husband distracted for 7 days. Oh, and is anyone interested in buying a really nice dining room set?

 

[Back in the fold]

I’m headed to Home Depot. Gonna make a big glassed in pond in my dining room. Can someone keep my husband do strayed for 7 days. Oh, and is anyone interested in buying a really nice dining room set?

Yeah Baby! Now you're talkin' !

 

[Kritastrophe]

I’ve seen tables where it’s a fish tank under a glass table top. I think that would be a magical addiction er addition to your living room. Sell it hard! Ha ha.

 

[Colin_T]

I’ve seen tables where it’s a fish tank under a glass table top.

They are easy enough to do, it's just an aquarium on a stand that has columns/ legs to support a glass top. However, they are a pain in the blank to clean and maintain, and the fish usually stress out because they are so low to the ground. Ahhh feet, feet coming at us.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

That is very informative @Colin_T!! Any specific type of glass I need to get?