How to Build a Marine Holding Tank

Holding tanks allow the hobbyist to keep fish until the permanent aquarium or display tank is ready to accept them. Holding tanks can also be used to house fish and invertebrate animals such as crabs, corals or anemones, during periods of quarantine or medication. As temporary tanks, they are basic in design and made of either acrylic or glass. Glass provides greater rigidity than acrylic and does not require extra structural support along the top of the tank that acrylic does.

Things You'll Need

  • 1 piece of 0.31-inch thick glass, 47.24-inch-by-15.6-inch
  • 2 pieces of 0.31-inch thick glass, 47.24 inch-by-17.72 inch
  • 2 pieces of 0.31-inch thick glass, 15.6 inch-by-17.72 inch
  • 3 10 oz. tubes of nontoxic, 100-percent silicone
  • 1 roll of masking tape
  • Work bench
  • Clean cloth
  • Warm water
  • Bowel
  • Five thick towels
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Clean each piece of glass using a cloth and warm water. Lay each piece on a towel on a clean and flat workbench.

    • 2

      Squeeze a continuous bead of silicone along the edge of both long sides of the base piece of glass: the 47.24-inch-by-15.6-inch piece.

    • 3

      Squeeze a continuous bead of silicone along one long edge of the front pane: one of the 47.24-inch-by-17.72-inch piece. Repeat this process for the pane that will form the back wall of the holding tank. This edge will form the bottom edge of the tank wall.

    • 4

      Squeeze a continuous bead of silicone along both sides (the 17.72-inch sides) and one of the 15.6-inch sides: the edge that will form the bottom edge of the pane. Repeat this process for the second pane of this size.

    • 5

      Seat the front pane of glass on top of the base pane. Hold this pane with one hand and fit one of the side panes to both the bottom and front panes. Secure the front pane to the side pane using three strips of masking tape on the outside of the tank. The tape needs to secure the two panes tightly enough for the silicon beads to form a tight, continuous seal.

    • 6

      Fit the second side pane to both the bottom and front panes and secure it to the front pane with three strips of masking tape, on the outside of the tank. This step simply repeats Step 5 for the other sidewall of the tank.

    • 7

      Seat the back pane on top of the base pane and secure to both side panes with three pieces of masking tape on each side, on the outside of the tank.

    • 8

      Do not move or touch the aquarium at this point. Leave the silicone beads dry for 24 hours before removing the tape. The tank structure will keep itself squared during the drying process, provided it is not moved.