Home Made 42 gallon cube log
- Thread starter snailrider
- Start date
Thanks, it was a bit of a pain. I had some glass that was 22 x 22 square. So the four sides was a piece of cake, but I had to trim the bottom piece 3/4 of an inch so it would fit inside the sides.
I had a friend help me when it came to sealing and assembling the glass. I taped where the silicone (ge silicone 1) was to end, and started to add panel by panel holding each panel steady as not to disturb the joints. After it was all in place, ran a bead on all of the inside, and smoothed by spitting on finger then running over corners.
I had purchased some tank moulding and then just cut to fit and glued on.
I am very pleased with my first tank build. No leaks, seems strong enough, and boy it is heavy.
I had a friend help me when it came to sealing and assembling the glass. I taped where the silicone (ge silicone 1) was to end, and started to add panel by panel holding each panel steady as not to disturb the joints. After it was all in place, ran a bead on all of the inside, and smoothed by spitting on finger then running over corners.
I had purchased some tank moulding and then just cut to fit and glued on.
I am very pleased with my first tank build. No leaks, seems strong enough, and boy it is heavy.
very sweet work on the tank itself-
I might be inspired and do something like yours with some acrylic pieces.
I might be inspired and do something like yours with some acrylic pieces.
Isn't the bottom panel supposed to be the big piece and the sides fit on top of the bottom piece? I have never built a tank nor do I know the requirements for building them correctly, just looking at my tank and that is the way it is built.
"Where do you purchase tank moulding? What is man made rock?"
Careyberrie, I bought the molding from some company in Michigan, I have lots left over, and is good for glass thickness from about 5/16th to 1/2 inch thick. Man made rock is rock I made with concrete etc. Did not come from the ocean, no reefs plundered.
@MotionInSilver-Thanks, it was very rewarding in the end. Acrylic is a different can of worms to work with, I made some boat windows years ago, and that was enough.
Ace, on smaller tanks they use the floating bottom. My ten gallon is that way, and my 29 also. On larger tanks, I suppose the water weight would blow out the seams if you did a floating bottom, but then again, the 225 gallon I had was built on top the bottom piece and it broke.
I did not take chance on this tank. I used the floating bottom and then added more glass underneath to bring the weight bearing on to the bottom panel, and less stress on the seams.
I added a couple more pics with the water clear. Amonia is dropping finally. I only have a couple small pieces of Live Rock, to seed, but did add some live sand and the fluval which was on my other salt tank.
Hopefully I can add my fish in a couple weeks. :goldfish:
I will use the sump from the other tank and should be fine.
Careyberrie, I bought the molding from some company in Michigan, I have lots left over, and is good for glass thickness from about 5/16th to 1/2 inch thick. Man made rock is rock I made with concrete etc. Did not come from the ocean, no reefs plundered.
@MotionInSilver-Thanks, it was very rewarding in the end. Acrylic is a different can of worms to work with, I made some boat windows years ago, and that was enough.
Ace, on smaller tanks they use the floating bottom. My ten gallon is that way, and my 29 also. On larger tanks, I suppose the water weight would blow out the seams if you did a floating bottom, but then again, the 225 gallon I had was built on top the bottom piece and it broke.
I did not take chance on this tank. I used the floating bottom and then added more glass underneath to bring the weight bearing on to the bottom panel, and less stress on the seams.
I added a couple more pics with the water clear. Amonia is dropping finally. I only have a couple small pieces of Live Rock, to seed, but did add some live sand and the fluval which was on my other salt tank.
Hopefully I can add my fish in a couple weeks. :goldfish:
I will use the sump from the other tank and should be fine.
Wow! Now that is some of the best looking "man made" rock I have ever seen. Blows away all the GARF pictures I have seen. Great job!
Thanks Ace, come Christmas it will be two years of experimenting to get to this point. I don't know if you followed how I got started, but I originally was going with stainless wire topiaries, to hold the live rock. Then I read about making it with concrete and wow, I was off to the races.
My very first piece is in my 55. I cast it on Christmas 2 years ago. My next batch, is doing well with corals etc, was put in the tank two weeks after coming out of the mold, made that following Feb. And my paired clowns went in right after, and I still have them.
mmlr is da bomb, and fun too.
Very nice. Can you give us some info on this rock making ? Where to find the kit(if one). Or where we can find diy forums on it ?