How to Build Floor Aquariums

A floor aquarium can be both an attractive piece of furniture and an asset to your tropical fish hobby. By building the tank on the floor, you can avoid investing in a traditional aquarium stand while customizing the aquarium to meet your needs. Finishing your tank with wood trim will complete the custom look.
However, there are a few consideration. Your floor must be level, or you will need to build supports to keep the tank level. Also, consider the shape. The aquarium should be tall enough so that the proportions compliment the room and furnishings but not too tall to perform maintenance comfortably.

Things You'll Need

  • Precut glass for 5 sides: the 2 end pieces should fit in the longer front and back pieces.
  • Precut glass for braces: 1 each measuring from front to back for the bottom and top and 3 inches wide.
  • Silicone sealer, nontoxic
  • Emery cloth
  • Razorblades
  • Glass cleaner that doesn't leave a residue
  • Duct tape
  • Wood trim: 4 pieces cut the length of the aquarium and four pieces the width of the aquarium with mitered edges
  • Hammer
  • Finishing nails
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Instructions

  1. Preparation

    • 1

      Either cut, or have cut, glass for the aquarium's front, back, sides and bottom and for the braces. If your tank is more than 36 inches wide, use more than two braces.

    • 2

      Sand the imperfections from the edges with the emery cloth, but don't round the edges.

    • 3

      Clean the edges thoroughly with a nontoxic glass cleaner and dry.

    • 4

      Lay the pieces on a flat, surface that won't scratch them. Putting a sheet under the bottom piece will work.

    Assembly

    • 5

      Make hinges on all sides of the bottom piece of glass with the duct tape.

    • 6

      Place one end piece on the outside of the bottom piece and secure with duct tape. Have a someone help hold the piece in place.

    • 7

      Run a 1/4-inch bead of silicone sealer along the edge of the end piece and place on top of the bottom piece. Secure it with the duct tape hinge. Use more duct tape as needed.

    • 8

      Repeat this process with all sides and edges. When all the pieces are together, run a bead of sealer on all of the inside seams and smooth out any air bubbles.

    • 9

      Attach the top and bottom braces with silicone sealer. Don't skimp with the braces. The bottom of the tank will take all the weight, so it's better to add more braces if you're not sure the one will suffice. The top brace will support your lighting unit and you don't want to risk it falling into the tank because of insufficient bracing.

    • 10

      Let dry for 48 hours and trim the excess sealer with the razor blade.

    • 11

      Fill with water to check for leaks. Drain and dry completely to reseal any leaks with the silicone sealer.

    Finishing

    • 12

      Layout the pieces of the wood trim and assemble with finishing nails.

    • 13

      Place the assembled frames on the aquarium's top and bottom and secure with silicone. Let dry completely

    • 14

      Place the tank in the prepared area. Level and make adjustments as needed.

    • 15

      Fill with water.