DIY Acrylic Fish Tank

Building a fish tank is a way to have your own design that is not typically available from aquarium retailers. This can also save you money. Considerations that need to be made when constructing your tank include strength, size and the intended contents of the tank. These have a bearing on the materials that you use.

Things You'll Need

  • Acrylic Tube
  • Acrylic Sheet
  • Jigsaw
  • Solvent Cement or equivalent
  • Translucent Aquarium Sealant
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Instructions

    • 1

      Draw your intended construction with dimensions noted. Highlight all the key considerations that will be made as this will be your guide to building the tank and for the purchase of materials.

    • 2

      Purchase acrylic tube to form the walls of the tank. The tube's dimensions should be around 5 millimeters thickness and 500 millimeters diameter. The height of the tank you are building dictates how long the length of tube should be. A good initial size for a tank is around 500 millimeters. This merits consideration as the acrylic needs to be strong enough to support the height of the tank. For the base purchase a sheet of acrylic 10 millimeters thick.

    • 3

      Draw the shape of the base on the acrylic sheet's protective cover. With the jigsaw, carefully cut around the marked line to create your base.

    • 4

      Attach the walls of the tank to the base. Remove the protective sheet from one side of the base. Carefully place the end of the acrylic tube on top of the base acrylic sheet. Using a syringe tool, apply solvent between the edges of the acrylic tube and the base piece. Take care not to allow the solvent to drip, as this can set quickly and leave permanent scars on acrylic. It is a good idea to practice sealing acrylic joints before you try it on your tank.

    • 5

      Allow the solvent to set. This can take three or four hours. However it is a good idea to allow as long as possible for the joints to seal and dry.

    • 6

      File, sand and polish the edges. This is to ensure that they are not rough and sharp.

    • 7

      Apply the aquarium sealant around the interior joints of the tank. This should then be left for a few days to cure and dry. The longer that you wait before adding water, then the better the seals will hold.

    • 8

      Remove the remaining protective covering from the acrylic surfaces. Rinse the tank thoroughly. Fill the tank with water.