any tank builders on this site?

[justinl]

oh right the finish! I forgot that part. If you go with the acrylic Id suggest going through a plastics dealer. they're around, you just gotta look for them. You can order acrylic sheets cut to size and get the edges finished (as opposed to the rough "saw-cut" edges), just make sure you tell them that you're making an aquarium so the cuts have to be as near perfect as possible. You should be able to buy the weld-on solvent/glue (about 20$) from them as well.

But don' just go gluing randomly! search the net on how to do it properly and practice. The dealer should have a scrap bin where you can get pieces anywhere from cheap to free. the scraps will have rough edges so you'll need to smooth them out. I used the flat back edge of a knife, just run it along the glass edge so the smoothing is uniform.

also note that you can't just get any kind of plexiglass. You need to get cell-cast acrylic fot the tank. If your just making a refugium or something then it doesnt really matter.

I made a 60 gallon acrylic tank out of 3/8 thick acrylic and the five panes alone costed 250$.

[Chaotic Cricket]

Originally Posted by justinl

oh right the finish! I forgot that part. If you go with the acrylic Id suggest going through a plastics dealer. they're around, you just gotta look for them. You can order acrylic sheets cut to size and get the edges finished (as opposed to the rough "saw-cut" edges), just make sure you tell them that you're making an aquarium so the cuts have to be as near perfect as possible. You should be able to buy the weld-on solvent/glue (about 20$) from them as well.

But don' just go gluing randomly! search the net on how to do it properly and practice. The dealer should have a scrap bin where you can get pieces anywhere from cheap to free. the scraps will have rough edges so you'll need to smooth them out. I used the flat back edge of a knife, just run it along the glass edge so the smoothing is uniform.

also note that you can't just get any kind of plexiglass. You need to get cell-cast acrylic fot the tank. If your just making a refugium or something then it doesnt really matter.

I made a 60 gallon acrylic tank out of 3/8 thick acrylic and the five panes alone costed 250$.

Did you use any bracing of any sort with your tank? The 3/8 inch a friend of mine had seemed to bow a bit. Where did you purchase your acyrlic from if you don't mind me asking...pm is fine.

[justinl]

I put two braces accross the top so hopefully that should keep it from bowing. How big is your friend's tank and did he brace it?

Bracing is a cheap upgrade but if you have the money to blow, you could brace it and get thicker acrylic. Mind you, for a 6 gallon I don't think bowing would be a big problem. You could throw a brace on there just for kicks if you wanted.

I live in lower mainland BC, so I got my stuff from Industrial Plastics in Richmond... I don't know where you live. There is one in Port Coquitlam and Richmond.

[Chaotic Cricket]

Originally Posted by justinl

I put two braces accross the top so hopefully that should keep it from bowing. How big is your friend's tank and did he brace it?

Bracing is a cheap upgrade but if you have the money to blow, you could brace it and get thicker acrylic. Mind you, for a 6 gallon I don't think bowing would be a big problem. You could throw a brace on there just for kicks if you wanted.

I live in lower mainland BC, so I got my stuff from Industrial Plastics in Richmond... I don't know where you live. There is one in Port Coquitlam and Richmond.

It was a 47 gallon and no it was not not braced, I originally thought he had braced it but I was talking to him today about the new tank he is ordering from aquarium obsessed (i think they are states side??) and he said it was unbraced. I'm going to try to make mine out of 1/2 inch or greater, i know it costs more but i like the look...3/4 look incredible. Maybe go with a glass tank with a pvc bottom like my friends, looks quite nice...different but good.