Help Me Custom Build A Tank Please

Fool · Nov 29, 2008

So my neighbor gave me a ten gallon fish tank. I bought 2 Oscars woops. found a broken 55 gallon fish tank and repaired it. put them in there. Bought 2 more Oscars, woops. Buying a tank is out of the question. Raw materials and supplies are readily available. construction plans, dimensions, specifications are what i need. I want a 210 gallon fish tank. Need all the help i can get guys
FOOL

jb12288 · Nov 29, 2008

I would use 1/2" thick glass or acrylic, glass is cheaper but acrylic. Have your glass cutter cut your glass to your exact dimensions, it cannot be more than 3/16" off I think. you need LOTS of aquarium sealant, you can get this at your LFS. There is a lot to building a custom tank, you can google it and get plenty of results.

I have never built my one aquarium, but I hope to. HERE is a link for a DIY tank.

rabbut · Nov 30, 2008

I admire your adventurousness, a 120g is difficult for someone with tank building experience, let alone a tank building "newbie"

What dimentions are you after. Glass thickness and bracing are all dimention dependant :good:

On a 120g, you will need bracing of some kind, unless you have access to 25mm glass and/or it is going to be fairly shallow...

What equipment do you plan to run. Filtration and lighting will also affect bracing, and may influence "extras" like wieres for sumps...

All the best
Rabbut

Fool · Nov 30, 2008

Ok, so i built my template today for my 240 gallon fresh water fish tank and WOWWWWW. where did my living room go. Dimensions 96x24x25Tall. The whole eight feet long is just too much. Instead Now i would like to build the same tank but make it only six feet long 24 inches wide and 25 inches tall. I need some help. First How thick of glass do i need for these dimensions, second how many gallons would this tank be so i can buy right sized filters, heaters, air pumps ect. Also any other fore thought or insight would help ideas on building a fish tank stand would also be appreciated. Need to order glass ASAP get back to me quick

FOOL

jb12288 · Nov 30, 2008

That is 187 US gallons. I used still go for 1/2-3/4" thick glass I would have two braces on each side. A brace from my knowledge is just a piece of glass on top that goes the width of the tank. My 100 US gallon tank has one in the middle. For the filter I would go for a canister filter, the Fluval FX5 would do the job wonderfully. As for lighting a 72" fixture would do good, I have two of the Odyssea brand lighting and am very satisfied with quality and price. You will want two 300 watt heaters for a tank that size.

You will want to check with other people about my idea of bracing since I have never built a tank.

rabbut · Dec 1, 2008

You will need 8mm float, though 10mm would be better IMO. You want top and bottom braces due to the pressures involved on a 187g :good:

Run a 3" piece of glass along the bottom front and back panes, and across the top of the same panes. There are four braces usualy required, 2 across the middle off-center, at 2ft intervals usualy, and side panes, though this can differ according to lighting. If you are using halides, you need to think about how many and what wattage. EI freshwater tanks will require them, due to deapth, though HO T5 lamps will be fine for any low-light set-ups. T8 will be fine if you aren't growing plants :good:

If you are fitting exturnal filters and/or heaters, you will need to cut holes into the baraces to facilitate the pipes going into and out from the tank.

HTH
Rabbut

BigC · Dec 1, 2008

For what its worth, 4 threads already started on the exact same topic.
You need 12mm glass with braces for a higher safety coeficient.
16mm is the best option though.
The price of such would be huge.
BigC (Glasscutter)

rabbut · Dec 1, 2008

That concerns me BigC, as my 4ft tank is 26" high and built in 8mm polished float... :unsure:

Is length a factor past a point also? If length is important, shurely bracing can prevent bowing and stress fractures? I'm not noticing any bowing on mine or any of the other builds arround the same sizes that I have done in similar sizes and glass thickness :unsure:

If length is a factor, where is the cut-in. I don't have the space for anything over 4ft long or taller than 2-ish-ft ATM, for my "on the side" projects, but after uni, space and market-place allowing, I would be interested custom tank building on a larger scale. A profession, probibly not, but as a continuing "on the side" job...

All the best
Rabbut

BigC · Dec 2, 2008

Hi Rabbut.
He could in actual fact get away with 10mm braced like you said but the safety coefiencient would be rather low which is why I suggested 12mm, but for absolute certainty then 16mm would be better. Depends where he lives really, his house decor, does he live in an upstairs flat!!!! I myself personally always go for the highest safety aspect as I know what its like to have a tank burst.
There are tank calcs out there and I myself work to one, for instance for that size of tank with 12mm plate glass the the SC is 2.27 and for 16mm plate glass the SC is almost doubled at 4.04 (higher being better.
Some may say, you dont need that thickness and would argue the fact, but I would always err on the side of caution.
Regards
BigC

Rooster · Dec 3, 2008

Dont waste your breath guys... :crazy:

bloke is a plank !

Fool · Dec 5, 2008

BigC said:
Hi Rabbut.
He could in actual fact get away with 10mm braced like you said but the safety coefiencient would be rather low which is why I suggested 12mm, but for absolute certainty then 16mm would be better. Depends where he lives really, his house decor, does he live in an upstairs flat!!!! I myself personally always go for the highest safety aspect as I know what its like to have a tank burst.
There are tank calcs out there and I myself work to one, for instance for that size of tank with 12mm plate glass the the SC is 2.27 and for 16mm plate glass the SC is almost doubled at 4.04 (higher being better.
Some may say, you dont need that thickness and would argue the fact, but I would always err on the side of caution.
Regards
BigC

Appreciate it...

Hawkins · Dec 7, 2008

take all the fish back to the shop and get some neon tetras. you obviously arent prepared to give them Oscars the best living condition, so why bother at all?!