Building an Acrylic Aquarium

by Brad Newton

Building your own Acrylic tank is a rewarding, cost saving, and
enjoyable project. If you have basic carpentry & power tool skills
you should have no trouble building your own beautiful Acrylic
tank.


The tools required are as follows:
A fixed base router preferably one with at least !."# $%
& &' collet(
A )*flute, straight cut router bit &' or larger dia+eter,
and !.)#' cutting length or +ore is preferred( &' shank
is also a plus, since these bits get very hot when cutting
acrylic.
A fixed straight edge at least )' longer than your longest
Acrylic piece(
)*, ,la+ps
) %-, holding jigs these will be detailed in the article(
.oor panel or si+ilar flat work surface
/yringe or solvent bottle get a couple, they can fail at a
bad ti+e(
0eld1n 2 /olvent ce+ent get a pint, better to have too
+uch than not enough(
Optional as per application:
A )*flute straight cut router bit with flush cut bearing for
tri++ing down tank edges for a +ore finished look(
$olesaws if drilling for plu+bing is re3uired(
4igsaw & plastic jigsaw blades for larger cutouts(
,ircular saw with la+inate blade for cutting down stock(
.rill with bits for s+aller holes, or starting a path for a
jigsaw run(
Before we begin...
5his is a rather ti+e consu+ing project as far as locating a
plastic source, getting the sea+ing process down and
asse+bling the tank. %lan on at least a weekend to practice
with Acrylic edge routing and sea+ing, and +ore ti+e if you6re
not satisfied with the results.
5he first thing to do when deciding to atte+pt this project is
co+ing up with the desired tank si7e. 5his will deter+ine the
a+ount & thickness of +aterial re3uired.
8eep in +ind, a taller tank will re3uire thicker and +uch +ore
expensive( +aterial, and keeping waste to a +ini+u+ is a
+ajor concern. 5ry and design your tank to acco+odate full
29x:9 sheets. ;ou should get a graph tablet and try and see
how +uch tank you can get into two or three sheets. I can get
a !<= gallon tank, including two overflow boxes out of )
sheets, it just takes so+e planning. If ti+e per+its, I can give
you +easure+ents to +axi+i7e your sheets, just e+ail.
>inding a plastic supplier can be a rather challenging event.
?nfortunately, pricing can fluctuate dra+atically fro+ one
source to another. ;ou really need to call around, and a large
city with several suppliers usually yields the best results. Be
sure to have the+ include the cutting in their prices. Again, a
well thought out plan will also keep the cuts to a +ini+u+.
All Acrylic used for A3uariu+s should be ,ell*,ast. .o not use
@xtruded for anything taller than !)' tanks
Basic thickness guidelines are as follows and only applies to
tanks : feet or less in lengthA
Aquarium Height Sheet Thickness
1 to 12 inches 1/4 inch
12 - 18 inches 3/8 inch
18 - 24 inches 1/2 inch
24 - 30 inches 3/4 inch
5hese are just guidelines and have been used by +ost of the
co++ercial tank builders, the Acrylic +anufacturers
reco++end thicker sheet, but the above reco++endations
have been 'field*tested' over ti+e and have proved reliable.
1bviously, if +oney isn6t an issue get the next thickest si7e, it
surely won6t hurt.
5his article will only apply to s3uare or rectangle tanks to keep
things as si+ple as possible. 5he basic tank layout is as
followsA
5he side panels are sandwiched between the front and back
panels and the four panels rest on the botto+ piece. 5he top
section is typically one piece resting on the four panels with
cutouts for the lids. It can also consist of a center brace and
peri+eter bracing although this is best left to +ore
experienced builders(.
0hen getting your cut sheet together to sub+it to your plastic
shop, keep these things in +indA
All cuts +ade at the acrylic shop will re+ove aprox. !B:'
fro+ the piece the width of their saw blade(, take this
into account when getting your cutsheet together.
5he front,back, and side panels will all be the sa+e
height. 8eep in +ind, the final height will include the top
& botto+ sheet thickness added to the height of the
vertical panels.
5he botto+ and top panels should be !B2' longer than
the length of the front & back panels to allow for
sea+ing(
5he botto+ & top piece should be also be a !B2' longer
than the width.
5he desired tank width +inus ) x the sheet thickness will
give you the length for the side panels.
;ou C?/5 allow !B!D' extra on each side that will be
edge routered. 5his will give you the desired final
di+ension after your edge prep.
5he following edges need to be router prepped for sea+ingA
Sheet Action
Top &
Bottom
No router prep
Front & Back
Router prep top & bottom edges
only
Sides Router prep all 4 edges
5o keep it si+ple, a tank "=' long, !:' high, and !#' wide
would re3uire the followingA
EB:' Acrylic ,ell*,ast sheet
5he front, back and side panels will all be !".)#' high F
!B:' for router prep on both edges(. 5his +akes the final
height !:', since you add ) x the sheet thickness ) x
EB:'G."#'( for the top & botto+ panels.
5he botto+ and top panels will be "=.)#' long and !#.)#'
wide
5he side panels will be ) x EB:' ."#'( +inus !#' G
!2.)#' F !B:' for router prep on re+aining two edges(
$opefully this +akes sense. 1nce you lay it on paper and see
the following pictures it should beco+e clear.
0hen you order your plastic, let the+ know you6re building a
fish tank and need the cuts to be very accurate. Hike pieces
should be within !B!D' of each other. Bring a tape +easure
with you to the shop and verify the cuts. .on6t accept short
cuts. If the piece is a bit long that6s 18I you can router it down
later. All shops have a scrap bin. you C?/5 get scrap to
practice with. 5hey +ay charge for scrap but it6s still +oney
well spent. If it6s free, get as +uch as they6ll let you take.
5he key to successful tank building is sea+ preparation &
solvent application. If you have wavy, uneven edges you won6t
get a 3uality build. 5he best way for an occasional tank builder
to achieve 3uality edges is with a reliable straight edge and a
3uality router. If you have access to a router table or +ore
professional e3uip+ent, even better.
Het9s get started.
Preparing your individual sheets:
$ere6s the router with the straight*cut flush bit installed. I used
this for all +y edge prep and to 'flush*cut' the finished product.

I use a straight edge and +easure fro+ +y router cut point to
shave off between !BE) * !B!D'. If you have a co+bo s3uare you
can save this +easure+ent for 3uick reference. I cla+p the
straight edge down and +ake an initial pass with the router, you
want to run the router in the direction that the blade will go
against the direction of travel, otherwise the router will take off
and run. 5ry and use a 3uicker router speed !:,=== J%C F( and
a steady pass speed. %ractice a bit with this. ;ou should get a
clean edge. If you run your nail across the edge and it has a bit
of s+all ridges like a nail file( then you need to increase your bit
speed and possibly +ake a 3uicker pass. $ere6s the difference
between a shop cut edge right( and a routered edge

1nce you feel confident with your routing skills then you can
+ove on to your J@AH pieces. 0hen +aking the initial pass be
sure to only take off a +ini+al a+ount !BE)' is good(. If your
pieces aren6t 3uite true you +ay have to +ake several passes to
get a solid straight edge. 5his is where +ost of your ti+e is
spent.
If you have two like pieces, stack the+ and route the+ together
as in the photo below, you6ll get a +uch closer fit that way. ;ou
should keep the protective paper on the sheets until the sea+ing
process.

0hen routing a long piece it6s a good idea to brace your straight
edge in the +iddle as shown to prevent any bowing along the
way.

1nce you get all your pieces edge routed you can perfor+ any
additional cutsBholes that +ay be re3uired. 0hen cutting holes or
other cutouts, you need to keep the cutting blades, holesaws or
bits water*cooled as you go. $ere6s a typical bulkhead cutting
procedureA
>irst, +ark your cutout with the bulkhead washer as a guide.

>or larger holes you can use a jigsaw with blades +ade for
cutting plastic(. ;ou can start the jigsaw run with a few s+all
holes then wiggle the drill back and forth to cut a path between
the holes to +ake a slot for the jigsaw blade to fit into.

1nce you start your jigsaw cut, be sure to have a spray bottle
handy and keep the blade wet as you go.

0hen using a holesaw, drill into the plastic about !B!D' and then
flip the sheet over and drill out the hole fro+ this side. If you drill
fro+ one side only you +ay get so+e chipping when the holesaw
breaks through, giving you a tough surface for a water tight
bulkhead. ;ou should +ake the cuts in several tries letting the
bit cool down & spray away the plastic shaving then start again.
5he holesaw gets extre+ely hot and trying to cut too +uch will
cause the holesaw to +elt into the plastic creating big proble+s,
trust +e on this one. Be sure to spray plenty of water as you drill
to keep the holesaw as cool as possible.

Cake sure the bulkhead fits without any binding.

0hen cutting out lids and other openings for your top, it6s best to
use a router and a straight edge. ;ou can also use a jigsaw as
shown below. Acrylic isn6t a very good choice as a lid, they tend
to warp and sag, especially with the added heat fro+ tank
lighting. !B2' glass is a good choice for a lid, if you want it to
hinge, just run a bead of silicone between two panes of glass.

If you have any internal integrated overflows, here6s a good way
to +ake your overflow teeth. I use a !B2' straight cut router bit
and a couple straight edges. $ere6s the setup. It allows for exact
depth control and I like to keep &' of acrylic between each notch
and go down !.)#' into the sheet.

Solvent seaming:
Now, let6s address the issue of solvent sea+ing. It6s a bit tricky, but
once you get the hang of it it6s a very efficient and strong way to
bond all but the very largest of a3uaria. In fact, solvent sea+ing is
used for acrylic as thick as !.#' in the industryK
5he basics of solvent sea+ing are thisA
5he solvent needs to be applied on a hori7ontal plane to insure
proper flow of the thin solvent into the sea+.
5he solvent actually pulls into the sea+ through capillary action
and will +elt or weld the pieces of plastic together, the solvent
evaporates leaving a very strong and clear sea+, if perfor+ed
properly.
5he edges and the space between the pieces to be bonded need
to be very even. If the edges are poorly prepped or the gap
between pieces isn6t consistant you6ll end up with a lot of
bubbles and gaps, not at all acceptable for a water tight fixture.
5he following tools are needed for solvent sea+ingA
A can of 0eld1n 2
A solvent bottle with needle
A tube of 0eld1n !D
I don6t reco++end using the 01!DI it6s not very strong and is hard
to apply without +aking a +ess. Also, I prefer using a plastic syringe
with a )# gauge needle. 5hey6re very cheap at a vet supply and I
usually get about 2 syringes and : needles at a ti+e L M# ?/(.
5hey6re easier for +e to control and also easier to extract the
0eld1n2 fro+ the can. ;ou6ll see +e using the syringes for this
article.

I use the 'pins +ethod' for sea+ing +y tanks, it6s a great way to get
flawless sea+s, and with so+e practice you should get good results.
5he 'pins' +ethod is as followsA
!. ;ou insert pins between the panels to be sea+ed at even
intervals, this keeps a fairly even gap between your two pieces,
very i+portant for good joints.
). 5he gap needs to be large enough to allow good solvent flow
but not too large as to cause the solvent to flow out of the joint
and create wasteful & har+ful puddling.
E. I use ball head pins fro+ 0alCart si7e !" * ! !B!D', they work
well for this application.
2. ;ou +ay also need to add shi+s under the lower acrylic piece to
keep all the pins snugged up, this insures the gap is even. -@J;
IC%1J5AN5KKK
#. 5he pins keep a gap to allow a good a+ount of solvent into the
joint, this lets the solvent +elt the acrylic, you then re+ove the
pins fro+ the gap and the 'softened'acrylic will +elt together. I
know it probably sounds co+plex, but it really isn6t with a bit of
practice.
D. ;ou have a rather s+all ti+e table to re+ove the pins once the
solvent is applied, I like to keep it about E= seconds. If you go
too long, the solvent will have already started welding the
plastic, and the pins will be hard to re+ove and will leave air
pockets where the pins used to be.
". 5he best way to do this I6ve found, is have a helper on hand. I
run the solvent, +aking sure to get a gap free solvent run, and
after E= seconds have gone by, the helper starts re+oving the
pins at the sa+e rate that I6+ applying the solvent. >or short
sea+s you can do it all yourself, but it6s far better in +y
experience to take your ti+e on long sea+s and use a helper
rather than trying to apply the solvent and hurry back to
re+ove the pins. It9s just too +uch for one person to do.
:. I +entioned having the pieces overlap a bit. ;ou want at least a
!B!D' overhanging edge on your botto+ piece for the +elted
puddle fillet( of acrylic to set on, this seals in the edge keeping
air out of the sea+, very i+portant for 3uality sea+s.
<. ;ou want to peal back or re+ove part of the protective paper in
the area of the sea+, I like to keep the paper about !B2 * !B)'
away fro+ the sea+ing area.
$ere6s a pic of so+e pieces ready for sea+ing, if you notice the pins
are about D' apart, and they all fit snug so no shi+s are needed in
this case

0hen you have the pins under the sheet it has a tendancy to roll on
the pins, you +ay want a helper to hold the sheet as you apply the
solvent. 0ith practice, you6ll know what your li+its are. >or larger
sheets, I6ve designed so+e holding jigs as shown. 5hey6re +ade fro+
!' %-, and I don6t glue any pieces together, you just +ake the
vertical piece as long as the sheet you6re trying to hold, and
interchange the vertical piece as needed per piece si7e. 5he double
elbows on top can turn to hold the piece tightly and it works well to
keep the pieces at <= degree angles.


0hen you load your solvent into your syringe or bottle, it6s a good
idea to turn the needle upright and expel any air in the
bottleBsyringe before running a sea+l. 5his will keep bubble buildup
to a +ini+u+.
It6s best to keep your needle on the lip of the lower piece as you run
your solvent and try to keep the needle ahead of the solvent. It can
get clogged if you6re pushing the needle into the sea+.
5ry to keep your needle flowing 3uickly down the sea+. If you have
a spot that won6t fill you +ay have to go to the inside of the sea+
to get the sea+ filled, but good joint prep and pinningBshi++ing
should eli+inate trouble spots.
Je+e+ber to allow E= seconds, then start re+oving pins. 5he
acrylic piece +ay +ove on youI just gently +ove it back into place
and try to keep fro+ spreading the +elted plastic around too +uch.
%ractice again is key hereK
1nce you6ve sea+ed a section, let it be for E * 2 hours before
+oving it. 5his is -@J; IC%1J5AN5K
,lear, bubble*free joints are what you6re striving fo., 8eep
practicing until your results are bubble*free, solid and clear. It6s not
always possible to eli+inate all bubbling, but your joints need to be
solid fro+ edge to edge. A couple pin hole bubbles here & there
aren6t a proble+, but a cluster of bubbles or gaps could cause a
failure down the road. ;ou6ll know when your sea+s are right after
working with acrylic for awhile.
Assembling the pieces:
1nce you6re confident with your prep and sea+ing skills, it6s ti+e
to asse+ble your tank. $ere6s the order that I useA
!. /ea+ the sides to the back panel
). /ea+ the sides to the front panel
E. /ea+ the sides, front, and back to the top panel
2. /ea+ the asse+bled pieces to the botto+ panel
5his pic shows the two sides up for sea+ing. 5he side closest has
already been sea+ed with an extra top support for +y overflow.
Notice the weight I put atop the %-, jig ** you need it for taller
panels. 5his tank is !<= gallons.

1nce the sides are sea+ed to the back panel, wait 2 hours and
flip the tank over carefully, with a helper( and sea+ the sides to
the front. Notice the jig is now used to hold the center of the
back panel fro+ sagging. 4ust re+ove the two %-, elbows and
it6s the perfect height.

0ait 2 hours, put the asse+bed sides on the top panel and
sea+. Note the use of shi+s in this pic.

0ait 2 hours, flip the tank over and sea+ the botto+

If you have an overflow to install, you can do so after the tank is
asse+bled. Cost overflows +ount internally, but in +y
application I needed one on the outside to integrate with another
tank, retaining tankspace. I didn6t take a pic of the asse+bly, but
to +ount this you have to put the tank on end and keep the
sea+s hori7ontal.


/ince you6ll have a bit of Acrylic overlap on the sections that
were sea+ed, it6s a good finishing touch to use a flush*cut router
bit, like the one shown on +y router in the first pic. Be sure to
keep the protective paper on and run the router against all the
protruding edges to get a good, flush finish around all corners.
Be sure to keep the router steady and flat against the plastic. If
you haven6t used a flush*cut bit it6s best to practice on so+e
scrap plastic or wood first. 1ne last note, all outside corners will
be very sharp and should be sanded down a bit to
round the corners. 4ust use a power pal+ sander
and )== grit paper and just round the corner edge
down a bit ** just enough to take out the sharpness
of the edge. ;ou +ay also want to do the sa+e on
the lip edges around the lid openings, as it can
really get sharp when doing tank +aintanance and
a3uascaping.
5he picture to the right is the other tank
co+pleted. It6s !!= gallons with a center brace & peri+eter
bracing rather than a one*piece top.

$ere6s a couple pics of the co+pleted tanks. /ee, it can be done.

Getting the final inspection:
Be sure to let the tank cure at least a week prior to filling it with
water. 5he longer you can wait, the better. I wait a +onth. Be
sure your stand has a full support underneath such as a piece of
plywood.

I know it6s a rather involved project. >eel free to e+ail if you
have any 3uestions. $opefully +ost issues have been adressed in
this article. $ave fun building your new tank. N
.isclai+erA By building this .I; project you agree not to hold the author or
the owners of this 0eb site responsible for any injury or bodily har+ you
+ay cause to yourself or others. Always wear safety glasses when working
with tools and keep che+icals and power tools away fro+ children. Jead and
understand all safety instructions pertaining to e3uip+ent prior to use.
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