How to Build a Fish Tank Aquarium

Fish tanks add peaceful decor to any room. Many people enjoy having fish as pets, but fish tanks can be expensive. Making a tank is a less expensive way to keep fish. Builders can make their tanks to their own specifications and choose the materials that they want to use. It takes several days to finish building a tank, but once it is done, builders will have a beautiful tank to showcase their fish. The following directions are for a 25-gallon tank.

Things You'll Need

  • 2 sheets of 1/4 inch thick 36 X 24 inch glass
  • 2 sheets of 1/4 inch thick 12 X 24 inch glass
  • 1 sheet of 1/4 inch thick 12 X 36 inch glass
  • Non-toxic 100% silicone sealant
  • Roll of strong tape with wide width
  • Plastic or rubber corner trim
  • Razor blades
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Instructions

  1. Front, Back, and Bottom

    • 1

      Place the 12 X 36 inch piece of glass on a clean surface. The side that will be on the inside of the tank should be face down.

    • 2

      Stick the tape along the two longer sides of the glass. Make sure that the tape has several inches of the width hanging over the edge of the glass.

    • 3

      Turn the glass over and place one sheet of the 36 X 24 inch pane of glass on top of the sticky part of the tape, making a 90-degree angle with the bottom sheet. Line up the two edges of the glass.

    • 4

      Fill in the area between the two pieces of glass with the sealant. The bottom and front of the tank is now down. Fold the tape up to hold the panes of glass together while the sealant dries.

    • 5

      Place the other 36 X 24 inch pane of glass on top of the other piece of tape and connect the two pieces with sealant. Fold the tape up and allow the project to dry for 24 hours.

    The Sides

    • 6

      Lift one end of the tank's bottom and place tape on the piece of the glass, sticky side up. Make sure that the tape hangs over the edge of the glass, like before. Do this to the other side as well.

    • 7

      Take the last two pieces of glass, which are the sides, and line up the edges. Fill the space between the bottom and sides with sealant on the inside of the tank.

    • 8

      Tape the side piece to the front and back panes and fill in the edges with sealant on the inside of the tank. Do this for the other side as well. Allow to dry for 24 hours.

    Last Touches

    • 9

      Turn the tank upside down and put sealant around the four outer edges of the bottom.

    • 10

      Cut trim using the razor blade to fit around the edges of the bottom. Place the trim around the bottom. It will cover the sealant and tape. Allow it to dry for six hours.

    • 11

      Turn the tank over and place the sealant around the four outer edges. Cut the trim to the proper lengths and place them over the sealant. Allow the project to dry for 24 hours.

    • 12

      Fill the tank with water and watch for any leaks. Seal the leaks with sealant if needed.

    • 13

      If there are no leaks, fill the tank with fresh water. Allow the water to become room temperature before adding fish.