DIY Aquarium 4x2x2

Hey,

I have just found a way of overcoming my tight budget. Build a free aquarium! I just found out that a mate who drives trucks for a joinery can also get glass from them. So I can get wood and glass all cut to size for $0!

Before I start on this I would like some input from you guys.

First off lets change to the metric system. So this tank will be 120cmx60cmx60cm. I have decided to use 12mm glass for the tank and 15mm glass for the base. As it is free I have no reason not to vear towards thicker glass. As far as I know the glass is tempered although this will need to be verified.

The 4 sides will all be joined on to the base, not via the sides. I read a lot of confronting documents about this and simply decided on the afore mentioned out of personal preference. If any of you think this is a bad idea please say so.

The long side pieces will be joined onto the short side pieces, see the diagram. This also seemed logical.

Now I need help about a few things.

What adhesive works best? I have read in every DIY document that basic 100% Silicon is used. Is this just normal silicon I can buy from the hardware shop? How do I make sure it is safe for fish? Do I need any other forms of adhesive?

All the tanks I have seen use some form of bracing on the corners/edges of the outside of the tank from top to bottom. That is long strips of metal or even plastic black border. How are these attached? Is it simply a matter of applying more silicon? What other ways are there of strengthening a tank?

I plan to put a glass plate on top from one side to the other as a brace. Any idea on how big this should be? I was thinking one peice about 40cm so I have 40cm on either side. Also should this be joined to the outside edges (on top) or the inside edges (inside)?

Also, about a sump. I'm not yet sure whether the glass will be tempered or not but if it is will it be impossible to add a sump? If not I was thinking about adding the necessary holes now rather than later. Until I put a sump in I could simply use a plug. If I did do this, what are the best postition for the hole/s?

Please help.

Colt

What is the best size for the hole and where should I drill it? I'm thinking back right corner. Sound ok? No idea about radius. Any suggestions?

Colt

He what would be the minimum thickness for tempered/toughened glass?

More worried about the silicon sticking than the glass breaking. 10mm gives more area for the silicon to stick to so what do you think?

Oh yeah sorry. What I meant is that the glass might not be 10mm glass. It could only be 5mm! Thing is, it wont be standard plate glass either. It will probably be what you find inside doors and windows, the very big ones where it is illegal to put plate glass in for safety reasons. As such I have no idea how much weight this kind of glass can hold. I have read that fully tempered glass can withstand almost 10x the pressure of standard glass. Hmmmm.

I might end up having to use it for a sump only and buying a tank seperatly. The stand is where the real expense lies and I can still get any wood for that.

Colt