Building custom glass aquarium

[Brad_95]

Hey guys, I’m going to be building a 200g custom aquarium with some glass I got from a buddy of mine that owns his own glass shop. I already have most of the materials needed to build it as well as a custom made aluminum bottom frame.

but as far as holding the glass up at a right angle, I’m looking for some right angle clamps but I’m not too sure on which ones to get. does anyone have any knowledge or experience with this that would know which ones would work best for 1/2” thickness? Thanks.

 

[Brad_95]

Bump

 

[saltwaternoob]

I would just make a frame out of wood then put the glass inside

 

[AlexG]

Just about any corner clamps will work. I would look at the video on custom aquariums website "How Aquariums are made" it shows their method with clamps, spacers, and tape.

 

[Grill]

I've built a few tanks with aluminum rails. I've always used joining plates. Covers the seams nicely and are extremely strong. Gives the tanks an modern industrial look. Inside the tank I use pencil tile were the seams meet to give a stronger seal. Here's a few pics...

Hope this helps.

 

[stefanm]

Do you mean to hold the glass whilst the silicone sets? I just use tape for that and remove after 5-6 hours.

 

[Grill]

Sorry, I misunderstood your question. For holding the glass together I use these... Corner Grips - 2 Pack from Menards. You can also get them on Amazon but they are but they are twice as much. Corner Grips - 2 Pack

 

[Brad_95]

Just about any corner clamps will work. I would look at the video on custom aquariums website "How Aquariums are made" it shows their method with clamps, spacers, and tape.

Yea that’s the video I saw earlier, it’s pretty intuitive.

 

[Brad_95]

I've built a few tanks with aluminum rails. I've always used joining plates. Covers the seams nicely and are extremely strong. Gives the tanks an modern industrial look. Inside the tank I use pencil tile were the seams meet to give a stronger seal. Here's a few pics...

Hope this helps.

That’s an awesome build! Yea so my buddy took over his family’s glass shop a while back and he’s only charging me wholesale on the glass so I’m pretty much paying pennies on the dollar for it and our other friend is a metalworker so we’re building a welded/riveted frame for the bottom, and I’m still going back and forth with doing a eurobrace for the top.

 

[lapin]

I use these
https://www.harborfreight.com/corner-clamp-with-quick-release-38661.html

 

[Brad_95]

Also, for any of you guys, what do you use for spacers between the glass panels? I was thinking of using the small silicone spacers that you can get that people typically put on the bottoms of furniture/lamps to prevent scuff marks and just put those along the edges and silicone around them? I’m open to any ideas.

 

[Grill]

I used round tooth-picks and tape initially to hold the panes apart. When doing the final silicone I used tile spacers. I don't remember what size I used but they were very durable for the 1/2" glass. Aquarium manufactures use what are called buttons something like these.

 

[Brad_95]

I used round tooth-picks and tape initially to hold the panes apart. When doing the final silicone I used tile spacers. I don't remember what size I used but they were very durable for the 1/2" glass. Aquarium manufactures use what are called buttons something like these.

I used round tooth-picks and tape initially to hold the panes apart. When doing the final silicone I used tile spacers. I don't remember what size I used but they were very durable for the 1/2" glass. Aquarium manufactures use what are called buttons something like these.

ah gotcha, I’ve been looking for those. I know custom aquariums use something like those. But for spacers wise, do I just put one at each end of the glass panel and silicone around it and just leave it there permanently? I’d assume with the tooth picks you would pull them out at some point.

 

[Grill]

The tank I had was 7ft. long. So I used the tile spacers on the corners, then a spacer maybe every foot. I had to cut the spacers down to size. Once in place I removed the tooth-picks and began to silicone.

 

[Brad_95]

The tank I had was 7ft. long. So I used the tile spacers on the corners, then a spacer maybe every foot. I had to cut the spacers down to size. Once in place I removed the tooth-picks and began to silicone.

Awesome, thanks. I might try to use the 2mm silicone beads at each edge and run a tooth pick the lengths of each joint to make sure even spacing and then just silicone the entire joint, and leave the silicone buttons in there. Since there’s only going to be two (top and bottom). And from watching the custom aquariums video it seems as though it doesn’t affect the structural integrity of the tank.

 

[Brad_95]

Does anyone have a preference over the GE SCS1200 versus the momentive RTV 100 series silicone?

 

[Brad_95]

Just thought I’d update you all on progress. Almost finished building out the stand for the tank. I ended up scoring a lightly used 180g tank from a friend of mine for free. I still have to add some extra cross bracing and skin the stand. But this is where I’m at now.