Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Pencil
- Silicone carbide sandpaper
- Liquid acetone
- Nontoxic silicone sealant
- Custom-cut glass panels
- Plastic silicone spreader
- Razor blade
Instructions
Design the Tank
Decide the dimensions of your aquarium. Take measurements of the area where you plan to keep the aquarium so that you know what your boundaries are. Draw a clear, simple diagram of the tank. Label all of the sides of the diagram with accurate measurements.
Enter the dimensions of the aquarium design into an online volume calculator (see Resources). Make sure that the aquarium volume is under 80 gallons. Aquariums larger than this may require special structural supports.
Create a list of each of the glass panels and their measurements, using the diagram as your guide. You'll need two identical side panels, two identical front and back panels and a bottom panel.
Go to a hardware or glass store where custom glass cutting is offered. Ask for five custom-sized panels of the appropriate thickness. For aquariums 12 inches tall or shorter, get 1/4-inch-thick plate glass. Use 1/2-inch-thick plate glass for tanks between 1 and 2 feet tall, and so on, adding another 1/4 inch of thickness for every foot of height. Give your list of panels to the person in charge of cutting glass and explain what you want; you'll pay a little extra for the cuts.
Assemble the Aquarium
Sand down the edges of each panel of glass using a piece of fine-grit silicone carbide sandpaper. Use a dry paper towel to wipe away most of the fine glass particles, then dampen another paper towel with acetone and wipe down the edges of all the panels.
Lay the bottom panel of the tank on a flat and stable surface, and position the other panels around it on the proper sides. Prepare your silicone compound for pumping.
Pump a thin, continuous line of silicone along the edge of one of the longer sides on the bottom panel. Working quickly, pick up the panel on that side and carefully set the edge down onto the wet line of silicone. Do not worry about excess silicone oozing out. Hold the panel carefully so that the connecting edge of the vertical panel is lying flat against the bottom panel. Hold it there for several minutes until the vertical panel can stand on its own without your help.
Pump a thin, continuous line of silicone along the edge of either of the shorter sides on the bottom panel. Immediately afterward, pump another thin line of silicone along the connecting edge of the first vertical panel you installed in the previous step. Pick up the side panel and carefully press it into place so that it is pressed against both lines of silicone. Hold it tightly to ensure that both connecting edges are flush with the panels you're affixing them to.
Use the same method described above to connect the other of the longer panels.
Use the same caulking method to connect the final panel. Note that you will need to make three lines of silicone to attach this panel.
Pump more silicone into each of the four vertical seams and each of the four bottom seams from the inside of the aquarium. Quickly use an arrow-shaped plastic silicone spreader to work the silicone into the corners while it is still wet. You will be able to squeegee off some of the excess silicone with this tool, too.
Let the silicone harden for at least 24 hours.
Cut away excess silicone using a razor blade, then clean the aquarium and put it on display.