How to Build a Saltwater Aquariums

Prepare the Glass for Your Aquarium

• 1

  Determine how large you want your aquarium to be. Aquariums are usually based on how many gallons of water they hold. If you are unsure of how big a 30 gallon aquarium is, compared to a 50 gallon aquarium (for example), then you should take a trip to your local pet store and look at different sizes so that you will know what size aquarium will best compliment the space you have available.

• 2

  Calculate how thick the glass should be. You can use the conversion calculator in the Resources section at the bottom of this page to determine how thick the glass should be for the aquarium you are building. The thickness of the glass is a balance. If you make your glass too thick, you will spend more money than is necessary on your aquarium. If you order glass that is too thin, it could crack or burst under the pressure of the water. Use a glass thickness calculator to determine what thickness you require.

• 3

  Order the glass pieces. You will need to order 5 pieces of glass. One for the bottom of the saltwater aquarium, one for the front side, one for the back side, and two pieces to make the ends of the aquarium. If you are unsure of what size to order each piece, make note of some common aquarium measurements when you are looking at sample aquariums in the pet store (Step 1). A typical size would be something like 14” high by 48” long by 14” deep.

• 4

  When your glass arrives, the edges will be rough from the cutting process. Use your emery cloth or some silicone carbide sandpaper to sand the edges down. You will probably never make them perfect, but as long as you can take down any sharp edges, that will be great.

• 5

  Using a splash of acetone on a paper town, wipe down all of the edges of the glass where it will be joined to other pieces. This will clean away any dust that may have gathered on your glass and provide a clean surface for your adhesives to bond.

• 6

  Lay your pieces of glass out in your work area. Using a washable, felt tip marker, right on each piece to identify it as the bottom, front back, left or right side. Also mark which side is inside and outside of the glass, and which is the top (up) and bottom (down). Don’t worry, when you finish building your saltwater aquarium, you will no longer be able to see this writing.

Building the Aquarium

• 7

  Once your glass has been prepared, as detailed in the section above, you are ready to build your saltwater aquarium. The first thing you will want to do after laying out your glass is to prepare some duct tape. What you want to do is cut several strips that are a couple of inches wide and 5-6 inches long. You will use a lot of these, so go ahead and cut 15 to 20 strips in advance. Hang them to the edge of your table or counter top by lightly touching one end to the surface, leaving the rest of the tape strip to hang freely.

• 8

  Take the piece of glass that is designated to be the bottom of your aquarium and place it (inside portion facing up) onto your table, countertop, or non-working surface. Remember, we’re working with glass, so it is important that you use a clean, non-abrasive surface. Inspect the glass surface to make sure it is clean. You will be joining the other pieces on top of this one, so the edges should be clean for the adhesive. Wipe them off with a paper towel splashed with Acetone if the glass is dirty.

• 9

  Place 8 strips of your duct tape under the bottom piece of glass, with the sticky side facing up. That is two strips for each side of the pane. Just left one edge of the glass, slide the two strips under the glass, placed at even intervals. Set the glass down, then lift the next side, again, sliding two strips of tape underneath. Continue all the way around the pane. Afterwards, press down firmly to secure the take to the underside of the glass. Half of each strip will be secured under the aquarium, with the other half free to be taped onto another piece of glass.

• 10

  With the tape ready to go, identify the side of the bottom piece that will be the front of the aquarium. Using a non-toxic silicon sealant, place a bead of the sealant running all the way down the edge of the glass, where the front glass piece will be located.

• 11

  Take the front piece of glass and place it on top of the silicon sealant. Press down firmly from to top to squeeze out any air bubbles and to help the joint form a tight bond. While you hold down on the glass, reach down to the two tape strips that are located on that side of aquarium, and tape the remaining half of the tape strip to the front side of the saltwater aquarium. This will help hold the pane in place while the sealant dries. Do not attempt to wipe away any sealant that has squeezed out of the edge. It is better to let it dry and trim it with a razor later.

• 12

  Repeat Steps 4 and 5 on the right side of the aquarium, the back side and the left side. However, this time you will need to put a bead of sealant not only on the bottom pane of glass, but also on one of the sides, so that the sides are joined to both the bottom and each other. It may help if you have an assistant while building the aquarium. The assistant can hold one piece of glass in place while you install the next one.

• 13

  With the aquarium roughly constructed, return to your silicon sealant. Run a bead of the sealant all the way across the areas where a joint forms between two pieces of glass. This means you will be putting the sealant all the way around the inside bottom edge of the aquarium, and down each of the inside corners.

• 14

  Use your finger to rub the sealant over the joint. This will help force it into any small crevices that require sealant to prevent a small leak. When you are finished, allow the sealant to sit and dry for 24 hours.

• 15

  After the sealant has dried, give your saltwater aquarium a stress test. Fill the aquarium with water, and allow it to sit for a minimum of 24 hours. Periodically check the outside of the aquarium for any slow leaks that may appear. If you do have a leak, drain and dry the aquarium, and patch the leak with your silicon sealant.