Nice work, very nice. Wish I had the space to develop those kinda skills. And I appreciate the enginuity in using 2 panes of glass to reduce cost and make assembly cleaner and easier.
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Tank i built this weekend
- Thread starter glasman
- Start date
Ah-ha! So you create a sort of bottom jig and strengthen the bottom at the same time using low coast plate, very clever.
Do you find it necessary to use silicone in the middle of the two halves or just a bead around the perimeter of the two sandwiched halve squished? Or do you not use any silicone between the halves and rely only on the vertical panels contact seals with both halves?
Wow this means your aquariums incorporate both a standard (capped) bottom and a floating bottom design making them both very strong and without any need for bottom bracing.
Do you find it necessary to use silicone in the middle of the two halves or just a bead around the perimeter of the two sandwiched halve squished? Or do you not use any silicone between the halves and rely only on the vertical panels contact seals with both halves?
Wow this means your aquariums incorporate both a standard (capped) bottom and a floating bottom design making them both very strong and without any need for bottom bracing.
I simply put a dime size dot of silicone in each corner between the 2 pieces to hold them together. I used to do a thin bead around the perimeter about 1/2" in from the edge, but after awhile i deemed it unnecessary.
I could see where that would make bringing up the two long sides and gluing glued to the bottom jig without help and then gluing a a center cross brace to hold them in place for the end panels, again without help. I say this because its the way I had to rebuild my 1/2" thick 244 tank. If is wasn't for the center brace keeping the two large sides in place, I don't know how I could have brought all 5 panels together at once.
I cured one end at a time first using the center brace to support the sides, then flipped it up[ side down to do the bottom. Worked great for one person mostly but obviously too time consuming, your bottom really makes it much easier and faster.
I cured one end at a time first using the center brace to support the sides, then flipped it up[ side down to do the bottom. Worked great for one person mostly but obviously too time consuming, your bottom really makes it much easier and faster.
After fighting with building a few with a single bottom, i figured out this easy way to do it. I can build any of my tanks less than 8 ft long by myself, so i dont have to make my wife help. She hates the silicone smell.
I always water test for 24 hours sitting on cardboard in my garage, so that if there are any slow leaks they will show up on the cardboard. I usually drain them when the buyer arrives so that they see they hold. I dont test anything under 55 gallons anymore because ive got my design pretty perfected. Ive built just over 300 now.
