How to Build a Wall Aquarium
Glass aquariums can be purchased as a complete unit or you can build a custom aquarium yourself that can be mounted in a wall. A wall aquarium can look like a picture or piece of art that has been added to a wall. A wall aquarium will first need a location in the wall to install the finished product. You can build a wall aquarium by obtaining pieces of glass that match the measurements for the width, depth and height of the wall opening. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tape Measure
- Emery cloth
- Non-toxic marker
- Painters tape
- Silicone sealant
Instructions
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1
Measure the width and height of the opening in the wall with the tape measure. Double check the measurements with the pieces of glass.
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2
Clean the pieces of glass with the emery cloth and lay them on the floor or on a table. Mark the pieces with a non-toxic marker to help with the assembly.
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3
Place pieces of painters tape along the perimeter on the bottom piece of glass. Make sure the sticky side of the tape is facing up. These strips will be used to hold the glass together.
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4
Run a bead of silicone along the perimeter of the bottom piece of glass. Apply a bead of silicone along the vertical edges of the front and back pieces of glass.
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5
Set the back piece of glass on the sealant that is on the back side of the bottom piece of glass. Hold the piece of glass and then secure the painters tape.
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6
Hold the back piece in place and insert one of the end pieces of glass. Secure the painters tape and then apply two to three strips around the corners to hold the pieces together. Repeat this step for the other end piece of glass.
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Set the front piece of glass into position and secure it with the painters tape. Remove the excess sealant from the edges on the outside and inside of the glass with your finger.
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8
Apply a bead of sealant to the inside joints of the glass. A bead of sealant will be needed on the bottom edges and the side edges. Remove the excess sealant with your finger. Repeat this process for the outside joints.
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Let the sealant dry for at least 24 hours and then remove the painters tape. Lift the finished tank up and set it inside the wall to see how it will fit.
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Tips & Warnings
Apply trim pieces around the tank to provide a finished look for the wall and to cover any cut sections or drywall.
If the opening in the wall is not big enough you will need to expand it so the aquarium will fit.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit aquarium fish image by Daria Miroshnikova from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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acropora1981
May 30, 2010
This 'guide' is completely useless. It basically says, 'do woodworking or hire someone to do it for you'. Thanks for the 'advice'. A guide is something that provides specific steps to acheive something. Specific. Not general. The extent of your inwall advice here is 'Onece the wall is cut, leveled and braced, determine...'. Well, cutting, levelling and bracing is what your guide should be on, as that is what is involved in installing an aquarium in a wall.
