Resources for building a custom tank?

SamMule

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Messages
1,360
Reaction score
1,257
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My old RSM 250 is getting pretty overcrowded...
20221217_091102.jpg

Been throwing around the idea of upgrading, but nobody seems to offer what I'm looking for. (Large AIO with an integrated hood.)
I'm pretty handy, so I got to thinking. Why not build my own?
Anyone have any good advice or links for building a QUALITY custom tank?
Looking for glass source and tank assembly tips mostly.

Thanks!
 

TheBear78

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 27, 2022
Messages
493
Reaction score
380
Location
United Kingdom
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
The AIO aspect of an aquarium is simply a set of dividers, sometimes made of acrylic, mounted inside a tank. If I was looking for a custom AIO I would have a serious look at an undrilled tank and then just glue in custom dividers. The weir comb and return "hole" areas would be the trickiest but still low risk compared to building the whole thing.
I'm not sure about the hood aspect but I think that's an easy part compared to the glass.
 
OP
OP
SamMule

SamMule

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Messages
1,360
Reaction score
1,257
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yeah, I get that and have considered it, but with doing a full custom, I can build to whatever dimensions I want. It can't be that difficult!
 

ISpeakForTheSeas

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 22, 2021
Messages
5,935
Reaction score
7,130
Location
United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I've never built a tank myself, but these are the recommendations I've seen as I've looked into it.

Glass source: most people just recommend that you reach out to your local glass shop, as they are often going to be one of if not the cheapest option for the glass. There are a few places you can buy glass online from, but the shipping cost and chances of the glass breaking/getting scratched or chipped during transit can be a bit much.

Tank assembly tips:
The thread below only has two posts, but it's got some good points on assembling the glass.
You inject the silicone into the gap left by the spacers. You'll need/want some kind of caulk gun (automatic caulk guns are used by the professionals because they are easier and more consistent, but they're really not necessary for hobbyists building one, normal-sized tank). Line the tank seams with painter's tape prior to applying the silicone to help prevent excess silicone on the glass, and run either the back of a spoon or a finger tip over the silicone in the seams to push the excess onto the tape and clean up the look of the silicone in the seams - remove the tape before the silicone dries (in theory, this should give you the cleanest looking lines).

If the tank is big enough and you don't want to spend a fortune on super thick glass so you can build it to be rimless (which probably wouldn't be safe regardless), it will need to be braced (crossbracing, eurobracing, and/or some combination of the two). It's been a long time since I've looked into proper bracing, but, if I recall correctly, the tank should be crossbraced in the center (with at least one brace at the top of the tank - I'm not sure if it should go inside the tank or on top of it though - and some people like to brace the bottom too) if it's going to be four or more feet long, two crossbraces dividing the tank into thirds at six or more feet long, three dividing it into quarters at 8 feet or more, etc. Basically brace it to divide the tank into two foot sections.

That said, eurobracing the top of the tank (like with the crossbracing, some people say to brace the inside, others the outside - I have no idea which is best, but people feel very strongly both ways) and the bottom (inside) the tank is a great way to add an extra layer of strength to the tank, and I would recommend it if the tank is big enough to need a brace, or if you just want a little extra confidence your DIY build will hold. Also, in addition to acting a splashguard, a good eurobrace - in my opinion - looks way better than just a tank with crossbracing, so I'd personally use both types of bracing for both aesthetics and peace of mind if the tank is going to be big enough to really need bracing.

Some more info for the glass:
You basically either want to do the standard plate/float glass or a low-iron glass (like Starphire glass). The low-iron is slightly clearer and more expensive, but some people say it scratches more easily and some people think some kinds may yellow with age (I have not seen any empirical evidence to back either of these cons, these are just what I’ve seen people say). Standard plate/float glass (called annealed glass) is slightly less clear (many people note that they can’t tell the difference unless they see the two side by side), but it is cheaper, known to be the most scratch resistant material used in the hobby, and it for sure won’t yellow over time.

If crystal clear viewing is your top priority, and you’re not too concerned about scratching - go with the low-iron. If not going over budget (or not going over too far) is your priority - go with the standard annealed glass.

You do not want to use heat-strengthened or tempered glass (they’re both stronger than normal glass, but they both are less clear than normal glass too, and the way tempered glass breaks makes it considered a bit of a safety hazard for anything larger than nano aquaria).

Also, with regards to tank material thickness, most recommendations I’ve seen say to use the same thickness for either glass or acrylic, because while acrylic is stronger, it also bends more - so the extra thickness for the acrylic is basically to keep it from bowing out of proportion and busting a seam that way.

A couple random notes here:
- If you were to go with acrylic for the tank, you’d want to use cell cast acrylic.
- Here’s a simple but useful glass thickness calculator for aquariums (it’s generally recommended if this is one of your first DIY tank attempts that you exceed a safety factor of 3.8, so I’d say to probably set 4.0-4.5 at a minimum as your safety factor in the input box - the calculator may recommend a thicker, more expensive glass as a result, but the thicker glass, the safer it is):
* The glass thickness calculator linked above (like every other one I’ve seen) gives the value for an unbraced, rimless tank - bracing raises the safety factor.
** Safety factor is basically just a number to describe how likely a tank is to fail under normal conditions (i.e. assuming the tank is properly built, on a level stand, etc.) - the higher the number, the safer it is.
Hope this helps!
 
Back
Top