Basketball backboard + Plywood = Aquarium?

[Pofke13LT]

So I asked my old boss if he has any spare acrylic backboards and he said hes got a bunch of tempered glass backboards. They are 3ftx4ft 1/2" thick. I was thinking maybe I could use a single backboard for the front pane and plywood the rest. Of course I need to figure out how to plug the four rim holes... Would this even work or should I just wait patiently for an acrylic one to show up.

 

[mellowvision]

I wouldn't waste your time. Plugging the holes isn't going to be perfect, and then you've spent so much energy making something with plugged holes in the face.

 

[Lobo.]

.5" tempered glass basketball backboards sounds like the perfect material to make an aquarium out of, they are designed to hold a load and take a beating without breaking... the same cannot be said about plywood, plywood can soak up water, rot and also would be difficult to attach the glass to as silicone probably wouldnt afix to it very securely

if you got ahold of enough tempered glass to make the four walls and the bottom of the aquarium, you could probably plug the holes fairly easily with smaller panes of glass/acrylic put over the holes on the inside of the aquarium with silicone to hold them in place, the pressure of the water would keep them from leaking so long as the patches were thick enough to hold back whatever amount of water you have in the aquarium

I think that it could be an awesome project, just dont underestimate the weight of a few hundred gallons of water (its a lot)

 

[SubRosa]

Won't work. The 1/2" glass isn't thick enough for a 3' high water column on a tank 4' wide, and being tempered you can't cut it down. If you disagree feel free to try, I don't live under you!

 

[stoneyredneck]

What if you put the holes at the top of the tank, and just never fill it that high? That should help the .5" glass support the weight. Obviously not as much water, but you would stand a better chance of it staying together.

 

[Arakkis]

two words: fiberglass+ epoxy
it's not gonna be pretty though i have built something along those lines and it took 6 months to complete

 

[Pofke13LT]

Won't work. The 1/2" glass isn't thick enough for a 3' high water column on a tank 4' wide, and being tempered you can't cut it down. If you disagree feel free to try, I don't live under you!

Thank you, thats exactly what I wanted to know. I think by the time I get my hands on some free acrylic we will be house shopping so I guess I will stick to just drawing up blueprints for now. Thanks guys!:thm: