Things You'll Need
- Pencil Paper Ruler Fast-bonding acrylic solvent Solvent application bottle Acrylic panels
Instructions
Drafting Plans
Think about the desired size and shape of your aquarium, and take measurements of the area where you want to put it to make sure that you're thinking within practical guidelines.
Draw a detailed diagram of your tank. Use a ruler to keep your lines straight, and clearly label the length of each individual acrylic panel. Make sure your design is geometrically sound by comparing the total measurement for each side of the tank to the measurement of the opposite side and confirming that they are equal.
Create a separate set of measurements for the floor of the tank, once you've finished your diagram. To make your tank more stable and somewhat easier to construct, it is helpful to cut the bottom panel with an extra 1/8 inch on all sides. The shape and proportions of the diagram for the bottom panel should match the rest of your diagram, but the extra 1/8 inch should be added to all measurements.
Buying Acrylic
Look for an affordable source of acrylic panels. Ideally, you should look for a supplier in your area so that you can maximize savings by picking up all of your acrylic pieces. Acrylic panels are relatively heavy and may cost quite a bit to ship. It is also important to find a supplier that will cut each of your panels to size, because professional acrylics vendors can typically complete this step much faster and with better results than most do-it-yourself builders with common tools.
Make sure that the vendor you choose has exactly what you need. You'll need cell-cast acrylic for all watertight applications. Clear acrylic is traditional for aquariums, but if you want a colored tint, check to see if your supplier has the right shade in cell-cast acrylic. You'll also need the right thickness; vertical tank walls under 12 inches call for panels of 1/4 inch thick acrylic, 12- to 18-inch walls require 3/8 inch thick panels, 18- to 24-inch walls need 1/2 inch panels, and tanks up to 30 inches tall need 3/4-inch thick panels.
Place your order, providing the vendor with all of the custom cut dimensions you need, and pick up your panels.
Constructing the Aquarium
Lay out and account for all of your acrylic panels and supplies. Make sure you have a large, flat, clean and stable surface to work on.
Peel the protective paper off the acrylic panel that will be the back of the aquarium. Lie it flat on your work surface.
Pour a small amount of the acrylic solvent solution into a small, squeezable application bottle. These are sold everywhere acrylic solvents are sold.
Choose one of the side wall panels of the aquarium to affix to the back panel first. On the end you intend to attach to the back panel, peel the protective paper back a few inches so that it won't be in the way.
Make a solid line of acrylic solvent along the entire edge of the back panel where you intend to affix the first side panel. Keep the line roughly 1/8 inch from the edge of the panel. After you've applied the solvent, work quickly but carefully to lay the connecting edge of the side wall panel onto the wet strip of solvent. If it needs minor adjustment once you've set it down, work quickly, because the solvent will be working quickly too. Once the wall is where you want it, hold it for several minutes while the solvent hardens.
Once the solvent has hardened substantially, move the two-piece construction so that the side wall panel can lean against a wall if it needs to. Allow the solvent to cure for about four hours. You will need to wait for a number of hours between every solvent application.
Repeat steps four through six with the other side wall panel.
Peel the paper off the front panel and lay it flat on your work surface. Make two lines of solvent on this panel---one on each side that will be connecting with the side wall panels. Lift the three-panel construction you made in the previous steps and carefully lay it in place, with the side walls covering both lines of solvent. Make minor adjustments quickly, then leave the four-panel construction to cure for about four more hours.
Stand the four-panel construction upright on your work surface. Peel the paper off the bottom panel of the aquarium. Spread a line of solvent along the top edge of all four of the acrylic panels, making sure that you haven't left any gaps. Quickly but carefully set the bottom panel onto the wet solvent, accounting for the extra 1/8 inch you should have on all sides. Again, make any necessary straightening adjustments quickly, then leave the aquarium to cure for four more hours before moving it.
Allow the solvent bonds to cure even more over the course of the next several days. Wait at least one week before filling it with water. If possible, it is best to wait a full month before putting the solvent seals under pressure from the water.