How to build a Plexi Glass/ Acrylic Aquarium
Building your own acrylic aquarium can save you hundreds of dollars and allow you the opportunity to customize your tank. Using acrylic instead of glass makes the entire tank far lighter without compromising strength. With two sheets of 4-foot-by-8-foot acrylic a 190 gallon tank can easily be assembled for about $360, at the time of publication. Compare this to the cost of buying a commercially produced tank for $1,725 or more.
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Things You'll Need
- 4-foot-by-8-foot-by-3/8-inch cell cast acrylic panels, 2
- Chemical bonding agent (Weld-on)
- Scrap wood
- 4 quick-release clamps
- Syringe
- Fixed router
- 2-flute, straight cut router bit
- Table saw with acrylic cutting blade
- Hole saw with 4-inch-diameter carbide blade
- 2 sawhorses
Instructions
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Cutting Acrylic to Size
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1
Mark of the following measures on both sides of the the 8-foot side of each acrylic panel: one mark at 3 feet and one at 5 feet 1 inch.
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2
Draw a line to connect the marks directly across from each other. These lines will be your cutting guides.
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3
Cut through the acrylic with the table saw. Push at a constant rate to avoid any chipping. Do not remove the protective paper. This will leave you with pieces of the following dimensions: two pieces measuring 4-foot by 3-foot, two pieces measuring 4-foot by 2-foot 1-inch and two pieces measuring 4-foot by 2-foot 11-inches.
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4
Mark off an area of 3 feet by 2 feet 1 inch on both 4-foot-by-2-foot-11-inch pieces. Follow the cutting instructions above and cut these to size.
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5
Route all of the raw edges of the acrylic panels with the 2-flute bit. Take off about 1/32 inch to leave a clean surface for bonding.
Assembling the Tank
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6
Place a 4-foot-by-2-foot-1-inch piece of acrylic flat in the center of your work area.
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Butt a 4-foot-by 3-foot piece against the 4-foot edge at a 90-degree angle.
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8
Clamp these two pieces in place by putting scrap wood on the outside edge of each and clamping them together with a quick-release clamp. Do this on both ends of the joint.
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9
Fill the syringe with an acrylic chemical bonding agent by inserting the needle end in the container and drawing it out.
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10
Place the syringe against one interior end of the joint at a 45-degree angle.
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Release the chemical bonding agent slowly as you drag the needle along the joint. The chemical will liquify the acrylic on both panels and then allow them to solidify with no gaps between them. Let this piece sit for three to four hours before moving it.
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12
Seam the 2-foot-1-inch-by-3-foot piece next. Follow the same procedure making sure to get to the very edge of the corner to ensure no leaky seams. Again wait three to four hours before moving.
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13
Attach the other 4-foot-by-3-foot piece next followed by the last 2-foot-1-inch-by-3-foot. Wait three to four hours between installations.
Preparing the Top
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14
Mark off a point 2 feet by 1 foot 1/2-inch from each 2-foot edge of the remaining 4-foot-by-2-foot-1-inch piece.
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15
Center the hole saw over this point and drill 1/16 inch into the acrylic.
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16
Flip the acrylic over and continue cutting until you are all the way through. Do this with both holes. This method prevent the chipping that can occur at the end of irregular cuts.
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17
Set the top up between two sawhorses and lower the rest of the tank down on top so the top fits perfectly between the walls of the tank. You may need a helper for this.
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18
Load the syringe with chemical bonding agent and bond the interior edges by reaching up through the holes in the top. Bond all four sides at the same time.
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19
Wait three to four hours for this final bond to cure; then flip the tank over.
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20
Remove all the protective paper covering from the tank.
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21
Fill the tank with water and check for leaks. If there are any leaks empty the tank, dry it out and reseal the leak with chemical bonding agent.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Obtain some scrap acrylic and practice cutting, routing and bonding. There is a bit of finesse and technique needed to get it right. It's better you learn on a cheap scrap piece than a $170 cell cast panel.
If there is a gap in the joints due to uneven routing a scrap piece of acrylic can be liquefied with the bonding agent and used to seal the hole.
Acrylic scratches much easier than glass so it is advised that the protective paper is left on until the last possible moment.
If the router did not leave enough acrylic exposed to the bonding agent, peel back the edge of the protective paper coating to assure a proper bond.
To make an even bond, or to help you work in a smaller area when bonding the sides, place pins every few inches between the bottom and side panels. Use the bonding agent between one set of pins and wait 30 seconds. Remove the pin and fill the next section. This is extremely effective if you have trouble maintaining a constant bead of bonding agent or if you have a particularly long tank.
