DIY tank build-What you think of this Idea?

[Giga]

I'm just about done with my stand and about to venture into making my own tank. I seen so many ways for building a glass tank(well not that many). Anyway I'm not comfortable with raising the glass a little bit then siliconeing it place. Seam like there would be way to much stress on just the silicone and running into a problem down the road. SO I thought that this Idea might work. Placing a strip or acrylic or tempered glass inbetween and below the joint? Does this not sound safe? I'm no engineer but I thought it sounds like a good idea?

[nanoDude]

That's pretty much what the big manufacturers do with the bottom trim.

[Keelay]

Originally posted by nanoDude
That's pretty much what the big manufacturers do with the bottom trim.

You can buy the trim pieces (ABS plastic) from all-glass company. they come in all of their standard sizes. My only concern with the joint is the pressure in the horizontal direction on the bottom of the vertical panes. The plastic trim normally wraps the bottom of the glass making a good mechanical connection leaving the silicone only tp provide a seal.

In your design the silicone has to provide a seal and a mechanical connection. It still might work, that would be my concern. I'm no expert on this either...

Good luck!

[Indyws6]

Greetings All
Considering the mess that a tank failure would create, not to mention the financial implications (water damage, loss of livestock, damaged equipment, etc.), is it really a good idea to build your own tank? Unless you are skilled at it and have the knowledge and proper tools, I just wonder if it really makes sense. I also wonder how cost-effective it is once you add-up the glass, silicone, trim pieces, etc. vs. a purchased tank
I'm not trying to be a kill-joy, but well-made, warranted tanks are not that expensive in the grand scheme of things and the piece of mind is also worth something.
I like building things, but the tank is something I leave to the professionals unless, of course, it is something very small that wouldn't cause too much damage or expense if a failure occurred.

Just my 2 cents...

Take Care

[Giga]

If you want a custom tank then you have to build it yourself. Companies want about 300$ more then what I can do for myself. Building a tank is not that hard, just do some research, know what your getting into, have everything ready and at hand, have a helper or two, and so on. The tank i'm building is only 12" tall so i'm not so worried about it plus I was able to get my hand on a bunch of industrial silicone.

Plus i'm really good with building stuff, this is one of the tanks that I have built for my home



and this is a very simple mini salt water tank I built

[Giga]

sorry about the size I couldn't figure out how to resize these pictures for some reason

[Indyws6]

That's awesome! - you certainly have a handle on it. I love the small one - would really like to have something like that for my girlfriend

Take Care

[coralnut99]

The nano is a very cool I dea. I was thinking about essentially the same thing, but with the filter portion runninig across the back. If you up-size yours a bit and add a canopy, it makes a neat peninsula tank.

What dimensions are you thinking about?

I have an L-shaped tank rummaging around in my head right now to build next fall. I would have to take a home equity loan out to have it built for me.

As for peace-of-mind in having others build one, all I can say is that comfort level you get with a warrnty might not be all you think it is. If a new tank fails (realistically, very unlikely), store-bought or custom, the warranty only covers the tank. Consequential damages will most likely be something you'll be left to scourring the fine print of your homeowners' policy for.

I frequent a LFS that does a LOT of custom work. Last year they were installing a 300G in a fancy wall street high-rise office lobby. Shortly after filling the tank, one of the installers was standing in front of the tank to survey it. Sure enough the front panel blew right out and flattened him, sending 300G of SW all over the lobby and down the elevator shaft. I laughed too hard to ask about who paid for what. It should be obvious that if you go custom, you should ALWAYS ask for references.

I like the Vivarium (I think that'she term?) a lot. Very nicely done. Are the orchids real? I assume so, given the lighting. I had built one years ago, but had to take it down to narrow focus on the reefkeeping.

[Giga]

I love building thing(one of my true joys in life). I'll be building two tank both 27.5"x22"x12" one will be a reef tank and the other will be a planted tank. They will sit side by side so it should be SWEET! Yeah I have since taken(right word?) down the Vivarium because I only have so much room in my apartment and only want a single place with tanks. Yeah I have insurance so even if the tank fails, no worries. Plus it's only going to be 30 gallons so just some wet feet.

[coralnut99]

Those dimensions are great for a DIY project. The 12" height minimizes pressure issues, and you could use 1/4" glass all around. For comparison's sake, I built 3 tanks of similar dimensions, from old 45G tanks that I couldn't even give away. I merely removed the tempered bottoms and replaced it with a 1/4" glass panel, and bought a new panel for where the top opening was. One of the large viewing panels was removed altogether. With 2 inch bracing around the rim, the finished dimensions are 36" X 24" X 12". They all sit on stands with a plywood top, and a sheet of styrofoam between them. on Each tank I placed all the vertical panels on top of the bottom panel rather than beside it as you illustrated. Placing the panels in this fashion should alleviate the need to support the tank at its bottom edges.

[Giga]

this will be rimless, so 1/2" glass is a better choice

[nanoDude]

Originally posted by coralnut99
They all sit on stands with a plywood top, and a sheet of styrofoam between them. on Each tank I placed all the vertical panels on top of the bottom panel rather than beside it as you illustrated. Placing the panels in this fashion should alleviate the need to support the tank at its bottom edges. [/B]

Sounds like a neat setup. The only problem I can see is if the ply top it is sitting on warps and puts uneven pressure on the bottom pane of glass. This is the whole reason to elevate the lower pane and only support the edges. Having said that I have done it both ways and have never had a problem with either.

[coralnut99]

With the big footprint of those tanks I was worried about racking too. Honestly, the only reason I even put plywood under it was because the bottom wasn't tempered. The side rails that support the plywood are actually maple flooring strips I had left over from my living room floor. So I was really confident that would remain stable and keep the plywood deck likewise since the plywood is screwed to the rails. The plywood is 5/8" and the rails are 3 1/2" wide maple planks. 2 years + and they still look steady as a rock, thankfully.