Things You'll Need
- For the frame:
- 2-by-4 stock lumber, 16 feet long
- 4-by-4 post, 12 feet long
- 1-inch thick plywood sheet, 6 feet by 2 feet
- Box of 3-inch-long, ¼-inch diameter galvanized wood screws
- Twelve 8-inch-long, ½-inch diameter galvanized carriage bolts
- Twenty-four ½-inch diameter hole fender washers
- Twelve ½-inch diameter lock washers
- Twelve ½-inch diameter acorn nuts
- Circular saw
- Belt sander
- Coarse, medium, fine and extra fine sanding belts
- Power drill
- ½-inch diameter drill bit
- ¼-inch diameter drill bit
- Countersink drill bit
- For the aquaria:
- 18-inch-high aquarium, 2 feet wide by 6 feet long
- Four pieces of 4-inch by 36-inch clear acrylic sheet
- Four pieces of 18-inch by 36-inch clear acrylic sheet
- Two pieces of 4-inch by 18-inch clear acrylic sheet
- 2-inch diamond hole saw
- 2-inch diameter, 12-inch-long clear acrylic tube
- Two 2-inch diameter PVC bulkhead fittings
- Aquarium-safe clear silicone caulk
- Four 2-inch by 2-inch by 4-inch flat-topped, glass paperweights
- Two submersible pumps
- Two 12-inch-long bubble curtain air stones
- Two 10-feet-long sections of clear air line
- 2 pounds of aquarium gems
- 2 pounds of polished river rocks
- Assorted large, flat, aquarium-safe rocks
Instructions
Building a Strong Frame
Cut the 2-by-4 into four pieces: two 6 feet long and two 2 feet long. Place the two shorter 2-by-4s between the two longer ones, on their 2-inch edges.
Drill 1/8-inch pilot holes into the 2-by-4s, through the center line of the 2-foot 4-by-4, as shown in the diagram. Countersink the holes. Secure the frame with 3-inch galvanized wood screws.
Cut the 4-by-4 into six pieces, each 2 feet long. Place the 4-by-4 posts inside the corners of the 2-by-4 frame. Drill two 1/2-inch diameter holes through the posts and through the frame, as shown in the diagram.
Working from the outside edge of the frame, slide a fender washer onto the first carriage bolt. Slide the bolt through the frame, then through the post. Add a second fender washer, then a lock washer, and tighten an acorn nut onto the end of the bolt. Repeat for all four posts.
Turn the frame right side up. Place the 1-inch thick, 2-by-6-inch plywood platform flush with the frame. Drill 1/8-inch pilot holes every 2 inches all the way around the platform, beginning in the corners. Countersink all the holes. Secure the platform to the frame using galvanized wood screws.
Building the Aquaria
Place the ready-made aquarium on the stand. Scribe a 2-inch diameter circle, centered 1 inch from the top edge of two of the 4-inch by 18-inch sheets of clear acrylic. Use a hole saw to carefully cut the circle out of each sheet of acrylic. Slip a bulkhead fitting into each hole, in the locations indicated on the diagram. Secure the fittings with a bead of clear silicone adhesive.
Use aquarium-safe silicone adhesive to assemble the two open bottom aquariums. Each will be 4 inches wide by 18 inches long by 36 inches tall when assembled. Top each open aquarium with a 4-inch by 18-inch sheet of clear acrylic. Leave the bottom of each aquarium open.
Point the threaded ends of the two bulkhead fittings toward the outside of each tube aquarium, facing each other. Attach the 2-inch clear plastic tube between the two open bottom aquariums by sliding each end onto the threaded portion of each bulkhead fitting.
Use clear silicone adhesive to secure two glass paperweights to the bottom of the tank, 1 foot from each end and 4 inches from the back of the tank. Secure two more paperweights 18 inches from the first two. All four should be aligned with each other, and the center two should be1 foot apart. Set each open-bottom aquarium on a pair of the paperweights and secure them with clear silicone adhesive.
Allow the adhesive to dry overnight. Place a submersible pump at each end of the bottom of the main tank. Attach an air line between the pump and a bubble curtain air stone. Place each bubble curtain air stone flat inside each tube aquarium. Place several handfuls of aquarium gems and aquarium-safe polished river rocks in the bottom of the tank. Stack several large, aquarium-safe rocks in each corner as well.
Fill the tank with water and allow it to sit for several days to allow any chemicals in your tap water to dissipate. Prime the pump and turn it on. Circulate the water for five to seven days before adding fish.