Build you own tank

[webworm]

I've been thinking about a new tank with the following dimensions

120x45x45cm.

Having contacted a couple of tank builders prices are coming back at ~£270 plus shipping of £50-70.

Over the weekend I go in touch with my local glass supplier, and they've quoted £150 for 10mm float glass cut with cleaned edges, one of the 120x45cm panels being optiwhite.

I'd just need to put it together

So some questions

1 - Any thoughts on the price quoted for just the glass ?
2 - Sides around the base, or sides resting on the base ?

Cheers

Stuart

 

[alto]

do you already have the clamps etc?

You might want to practise with some smaller tank sizes rather than beginning with a 120cm tank

 

[Aqua360]

personally I'd just save a bit longer and pay for it to be professionally done...but that's just me, I've heard of plenty of people sealing their own tanks together; though as mentioned above, this likely involves clamps etc and other equipment that the average person like myself wouldn't own or have access to

 

[zozo]

Sides around the base is the strongest and easiest way of working around it if glass is cut in straight angles.. Thus first put the tank together with only tape holding it up, to check if all is straight. Then glass preperation takes the most of the time and care..

The kitting part is where your skills need to be.. The tank needs to be done with in the skinning time of the kit, the kit i used (Bison Glass) has 12 minutes.

So the total tank has to done in 12 minutes all around.. On this you will have only one go and no error marging..

With the base inside it also is very easy to check for traped airbubles in the seam, if you see any apply little pressure to push them out, if you can't than glass was probably greasy at that spot. (Housten we have a problem)

Make sure you have a mate helping you who knowes what he is doing.. First walk through the prosedure. There is no time to explain things during essambly.. Again as said 12 minutes, no time for thinking, no coffee, no explaining, no time for swapping kit tubes from the gun, everything and everybody needs to be ready and prepared.

The bigger the tank the shorter the time..

Succes..

 

[id_joker]

 

[id_joker]

Sides around the base is the strongest....and looks much better

 

[xim]

Sides around the base is the strongest....and looks much better

Yeah, but the video shows "sides on the base" which is weaker and doesn't look as good.

Placing a sheet of glass vertically on one another generally doesn't allow proper thickness
of the adhesive needed to perform its best. That's why sides on the base design is weaker
than sides around the base.

The better looking part of sides around the base doesn't need explanation

 

[zozo]

Here is the video with the sides around the base. This is also the way i did my 90x35x35 cm tank. I still used the masking tape as in the above video to get a nicer seam because i didn't trust my own kitting spills to much to do it without... Again pulling out the masking tape also takes time of which you just have limited. The more hands working on the project knowing what their doing the faster it is done.

 

[MrAqua]

I would ask a professional to construct it, might cost a bit more, but worth it in the end. A friend of mine skipped the professional stage when getting his own...Some days after he set it up it cracked and had to pay plenty for the damage caused by the water to the landlord... Just saying.

Good luck with it eithef way!