It's been a while since I've had a cute tank, so last December I decided to build a new one. Once it was done, it sat and waited for me to continue with the project, while I spent my time trying to figure out what I wanted to do.
I saw a similar tank on
www.reefvideos.com, which was my primary motivation.
Wanting a tank in the foyer of my home,it had to be tied into the main reef as well. That way I don't need any more equipment nor worry about parameters as both tanks will remain stable.
I ordered some 3/8" acrylic and used some 1/4" as well just because this isn't a huge tank. I've not verified this yet, but it appears to hold about 20g based on some math and some guessing.
Its dimensions are 24" long, 16" deep, and 18" tall. I made the front panel 6" tall before it slopes back. The top opening is 6.5" wide - I wanted it wider, but as I planned and glued it, I didn't remember to take into account the thickness of the acrylic.
The front angled panel needed to be heated and bent or cut. I decided to go with the cut thinking it would be more accurate. After more sketching and real-life layout, I decided the cut had to be 38 degrees. I made the cut on my tablesaw on the bottom edge as well as the top. I got it pretty darn close.
When gluing, I knew that front seam would be a pain and I was right. It looked like all was going well using the pin method, but when I removed the pins some Weld-On ran down the interior front panel. ARGH.
Plowing forward, I just finished gluing everything, and then decided to try out a scratch removal kit that I had on hand. Amazingly, it did a pretty decent job. It isn't perfect and is just a hair hazy, but it's clear and that's good enough for me.
I wanted the stand to be stone and metal. I found the legs at Ikea for $5 each, and the stone is the sink cut-out from a marble countertop. Perfect!
I drilled the holes in the tank, which I have to say was the biggest hurdle for me for some time. I just couldn't make up my mind how I wanted to drain the water from the tank, but I decided to just
git 'er dun.
I painted the PVC black with Krylon Fusion spray paint. It's safe to use.
