JohnnyD Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Does anyone see any possible problems posed by this method of DIY tank construction? Im pretty handy and am thinking about attempting making my next tank. The dimensions of the tanks I would be making are: 1) 45 gallon 36 1/4 x 12 5/8 x 23 3/4 or 2) 55 gallon 48 1/4 x 12 3/4 x 21 both would be made with 12mm thick, non-tempered glass. Here is a video of the method to be used, as well as an about.com article: about.com article Let me know what you guys think. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Rodriguez Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 It looks good. There are a few things I would look at though. 1. The silicone's adhesion strength. I would use thick glass if you are going to use the GE W&D silicone . That will give it more surface area to adhere to. GE didn't make their silicone to hold aquariums together. All Glass Aquarium silicone will work better but is expensive. I think DAP 100% silicone is supposed to have a stronger adhesion strength: http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B0002YOVFO I used to order these tubes at True Value hardware when I lived in Florida. I don't know if they have a location here though. 2. He pressed the two pieces of glass together. This isn't a good idea and it leads to cracking an chips due to the panes not having enough silicone between them. When you have two panes of glass being put together, you want to have around a 1/16 inch gap for the silicone. This allows flexing of the panes of glass. 3. He rested the side panes of glass on top of the bottom pane of glass. When you fill the tank, you will end up causing a shearing stress to the bead of silicone between these two panes. I've never been comfortable with this. I like to rest my side panes on the same surface as the bottom pane will set inside the sides panes. This will cause a stress by tension. I also think it looks better personally. 4. after he had filled the tank completely, I don't think I saw a piece of styrofoam or any other type of material to insulate the pressure that could be caused by either the table or the tank. Make sure you have a good flat surface when building the tank. by that I mean take a good straight edge and check the surface that you plan to build the tank on for flatness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyD Posted April 22, 2011 Author Share Posted April 22, 2011 It looks good. There are a few things I would look at though. 1. The silicone's adhesion strength. I would use thick glass if you are going to use the GE W&D silicone . That will give it more surface area to adhere to. GE didn't make their silicone to hold aquariums together. All Glass Aquarium silicone will work better but is expensive. I think DAP 100% silicone is supposed to have a stronger adhesion strength: http://www.amazon.co...e/dp/B0002YOVFO I used to order these tubes at True Value hardware when I lived in Florida. I don't know if they have a location here though. 2. He pressed the two pieces of glass together. This isn't a good idea and it leads to cracking an chips due to the panes not having enough silicone between them. When you have two panes of glass being put together, you want to have around a 1/16 inch gap for the silicone. This allows flexing of the panes of glass. 3. He rested the side panes of glass on top of the bottom pane of glass. When you fill the tank, you will end up causing a shearing stress to the bead of silicone between these two panes. I've never been comfortable with this. I like to rest my side panes on the same surface as the bottom pane will set inside the sides panes. This will cause a stress by tension. I also think it looks better personally. 4. after he had filled the tank completely, I don't think I saw a piece of styrofoam or any other type of material to insulate the pressure that could be caused by either the table or the tank. Make sure you have a good flat surface when building the tank. by that I mean take a good straight edge and check the surface that you plan to build the tank on for flatness. Thanks for the good points. it sounds like you have made a tank before. I am planning on using 12mm thick glass. I found a glass thickness calculator online for tanks and it said 12mm would be on the safe side. do the different silicones have adhesion strengths listed on them or is that something I would need to research online? i noticed he didnt have a piece of styrofoam under the tank as well. I will be using one especially since I will be making my own stand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Rodriguez Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Yep, here she is: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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