A fish tank is an excellent accessory for a house or even an office as it brings in a different kind of atmosphere to a room. The following are directions of making an aquarium or a fish tank that has a 25-30 gallon tank or less. The following requirements are needed:
- Two sheets of ¼ inch glass measuring 36 inches by 24 inches front and back
- Two ¼ inch sheets of glass measuring 12 inches by 24 inches for the sides
- One ¼ inch sheet of glass measuring 12 inches by 36 inches for the bottom
- Acetone
- Roll of duct tape
- Non-toxic 100% silicone sealant
- Paper towels
- Rubber or plastic corner trim
Tools
- One square
- Razor blades that are single-edged
- Emery cloth
- Felt tip marker
- Glass handling gloves
- Alcohol
- pH test strips
- Toxicity tests strips
The procedure
- Assemble all necessary items. Place the bottom piece, which can be pre-cut at the hardware store, on a soft and clean surface, the inside part facing down.
- Attach some lengths of duct tape on the outer surface of an entire long edge and ensure several inches of width is left hanging over the edge.
- Turn this glass carefully so that the sticky part with the overhanging tape is exposed.
- Place either the back or front piece aligned to the bottom piece of glass. Gently clean the area designated for joining with acetone and paper towels. Use a sealant that is non-toxic and fill in between the two glass parts.
- Raise this back or front part to an angle of 90o by using a square with a duct tape.
- Apply silicon sealant generously on the joint inside. Let it dry after 24 hours. If one has more that a single square, handle both back and front parts of the tank in taping the unit.
- The next step is assembling the sides where several lengths are placed below the tank, up side sticky due to exposure of a generous width of tape.
- Lay the tank side alongside the bottom piece and then line them up.
- Clean gently using acetone for residue removal or any oil transferred from the skin.
- Fill in the joints using sealant and raise the sides so that they join together with the back and front. Use duct tape to hold them in place. Run sealant generously and let it dry.
- The final step is to turn this assembled tank downside up run sealant on the edges of the bottom four sides, trim around the base, apply sealant and let it dry. Turn it on its up side and run sealant at the edges. Place trim on the sharp edges, seal and finish.
One can also add other decorations such as a wooden made ship, stones or a toy house so the fish can have places to hide and play around in.
Additional Reading Information on How To Build A Fish Tank:
- How To Build A Fish Tank
- How To Build A Fish Tank
- How To Build A Fish Tank
- How To Build A Fish Tank
- How To Build A Fish Tank
- Maintaining Your Fish Tank
- St Louis Children’s Aquarium