Building a custom tank

TheSkySearcher · Mar 23, 2026

Hello, and please excuse my long post (skip down to get to the point). First want to say, thank you for the warm welcome in my Meet & Greet thread! I've never had a better "welcome" than I have on this forum. So, I'm very excited to be a part of this community! I've been out of the hobby for around 15 years, but used to have a fully stocked 75g reef tank for around 5 years without a sump. It was challenging - and I had to use a hang on the back skimmer that was a PIA. Now I have the space and room to have the tank I've wanted all along, just not all the funds yet for a complete build. I wanted to do my research early, take my time, and build as I get the funds. I'm in no rush.

So, since I've been struggling to find a drilled tank around the size and price I want, I decided I'd like to build my own tank and stand since I'm a DIY'r anyways. The cost of buying what I want new, is out of the picture. My current goal will be the following...

I'd like to build a tank that's roughly 6 feet long, 2 foot depth, and somewhere between 24"-28" in height. It will be roughly around 200 gallons. It will be another fully stocked reef tank. This time around, I want a drilled tank so I can have a proper sump (I plan to use my old 75g tank as my sump). I have experience in machining, tool & die, and know how to fix anything that breaks around the house.., BUT, I have zero experience in building tanks. So at the moment, are there any videos or articles anyone can suggest to help get me started? I've seen some tank build videos, but everyone's is a different size and material. Not sure what my best options will be for the size I'm looking to build.

It's a ways away, but I'll also be looking for recommendations on drilled holes (how many, how big, spaced where, etc..) as well as my best plumbing options for setting up the tank & sump as a whole.

Thanks in advanced. Looking forward to your recommendations!

vandy · Mar 23, 2026

Using glass from other tanks thats people are selling for cheap on marketplace is always the best bet. On my current build, I found a 2x4' tank and 7x2' tank for less than $150 total. A little elbow grease, and I was able to break down the tanks and re-use the glass. Check my build thread here. Its still in progress though, plans are a peninsula build with a steel stand and plywood bottom and back

As for some references, Australian Aquarist is my favorite DIY tank builder on youtube, but Aquarium Domain also puts out tons of DIY tank videos. The DIY section on monsterfishkeepers is choked full of threads of people making plywood aquariums. its a pretty documented subject there.

If you're looking to make it out of 100% glass, i'd recommend watching Reef Aquaria Design on youtube. They have some vids where they show off their tank making process for some of their clients.

TheSkySearcher · Mar 23, 2026

vandy said:
Using glass from other tanks thats people are selling for cheap on marketplace is always the best bet. On my current build, I found a 2x4' tank and 7x2' tank for less than $150 total. A little elbow grease, and I was able to break down the tanks and re-use the glass. Check my build thread here. Its still in progress though, plans are a peninsula build with a steel stand and plywood bottom and back

As for some references, Australian Aquarist is my favorite DIY tank builder on youtube, but Aquarium Domain also puts out tons of DIY tank videos. The DIY section on monsterfishkeepers is choked full of threads of people making plywood aquariums. its a pretty documented subject there.

If you're looking to make it out of 100% glass, i'd recommend watching Reef Aquaria Design on youtube. They have some vids where they show off their tank making process for some of their clients.

This is perfect, Thank you! That's enough channels to keep me busy