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DIY CUSTOM TANK


HowardofNOVA

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Well as it says, I've built everything else, why not an opened end glass box???

 

After looking at the product that Glasscages designs,How hard can it be?

 

My goal down the road it too put a 300g in wall tank, so this could be a good lesson! For now, I was looking for 30"x30"x24" glass tank, not available unless I go custom, next is a 36"x24"x24", again n/a. Johnny at BRK has a great price for a 36"x18"x24, but just too narrow for for what I want to do, a tank viewable on a 3 sides. So here I am!

GOAL: Build a 36"x24"x24" glass tank

PLAN:

#1 Need to know a supplier of Glass In area if anyone has any ideas?

#2 Anyone knows anyone who works with glass or has built a GLASS tank themselves?

#3 Glue recommendations or products NOT TO USE?

TOP/BOTTOM FRAME; 1" Alluminun Frame welded/soldered

SETUP: Also plan on drilling 2-1 1/2" bulkheads for overflows with return coming with Mag18 split between DIY Downdraft Skimmer and through Seaswirl

2-1" bulkheads for close loop with Mag9.5 with return coming up in through bottom like Craig did with his 180g.

Appreciate your comments!

Howard

 

Post 2300

Jacob not permitted on this post!

:wig:

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Glass Distributors.

Use 1/2" glass w/polished edges

Use 100% silicone.

Have plenty of paper towels on hand

Read the chapter on tank building in Martin Moe's book "beginner to breeder"

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Great Chip!

Do you have this book?

You MAY get a call?

:D

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Here is a pretty detailed thread on how to build a tank. Now, he is building an acrylic tank, but, other than the gluing, most of the the info should be useful to you:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...threadid=390652

 

A detailed thread: Step-by-Step: Drilling Holes in Your Glass Tank for Bulkheads

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...threadid=603816

 

Also, a note on Mags: I would not recommend them for a closed loop. I had 2 closed loops with Mag 9.5s, and burned up 4 Mags in less than a year. They have real problems when run externally. Danner was very good about replacing them, but you will be out of a pump for 3 weeks. I have been running a Mag internally (in the water) for almost 2 years, and have not had any troubles. The Eheims I bought to replace the Mags on the close loops have given me no trouble - well worth the money.

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I want to do, a tank viewable on a 3 sides. So here I am!

Howard

 

Post 2300

Jacob not permitted on this post!

:wig:

oh well, unless you have a magic wynd, here I am. :bounce:

 

I see you liked my 55G set up,, viewable on all 3 sides. although mine is now viewable on all 4 sides :biggrin: , just one step ahead of you... just one :wink:

 

one more thing. POST 2330....

Howard left eating dust. :smokin:

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Howard,

If it was me, I would drill as large a hole (3x) as you can for the intake of your close loop and plumb down to size right at the pump. (what's it close to anyway?)

This way, the draw from the intake of the closed loop will not be as strong and should reduce the risk of sucking of fish into it.

 

I have the (MM) book. Sonya and I glued a tank 60"x24" about 15 years ago.

Dusty swam in it as a test before she let me put in the living room.

It lasted almost 9 years before the bottom side bowed and developed a leak.

It also had no top brace, not even a euro brace. I'd do that part diffently next time. :biggrin:

BTW,

Did you know that fish are the only others licensed to sell insurance? :biggrin:

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Thanks Chip!

 

Raf mentioned that their is a Glass Shop near Montgomery Airpark possibly called Airpark Glass if anyone near their could check them out for polished custom cut glass prices. Suppose to have a tank on display their?

 

Heard about another guy around Southern MD as well?

 

More to follow, hopefully with finished product soon!

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Make sure the edges are machine polished. From what I understand, glasscages doesn't machine polish their edges and that's most likely what resulted in chips in my seams.

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Guest mikesroth

Howard,

 

If you have access to the CMAS boards, there is a guy up there that just made a couple of glass tanks. He could probably point you to a couple of vendors, and give you some things to watch out for.

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Mike,

Is he listed in the DIY Section or some place else?

 

Is anyone else interested in this?

 

I looking to do in early June, I need to get my tank up and running by late June before Mike leaves for school!

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I ditto what Chip says. I have Moe's book if you want to borrow it. I can bring it to the meeting maybe. I am in Springfield.

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Thanks, will PM you if I do, I'm hoping to meet with Chip soon if his calendar opens up and maybe look at his? I'm going to be pretty busy until next month so trying to get things aligned up so when I'm ready can move quickly, figure I need to find all sources now in case of delivery times!

Howard

 

PS, nice to meet you Raf this weekend and thanks for the directions to Congressional Aquarium and Tropical Fish Store in MD great stores!

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Thanks Mike for Link:

 

Found that Maryland Glass and Mirror handles (regular) glass, Phone: 410.727.1050 Toll free: 800.352.3380

Fax: 410.727.1080 near Baltimore

 

Priced as follows for my 36"wx24"dx24"h tank:

Thickness 3-3'x2' 2-2'x2'

1/4"..........$40.00....$30.00

3/8"..........$85.14....$60.60

1/2"..........$138.00..$71.00 each piece with 3-7days for p/u for Standard Clear Glass cut and polished

 

So glass cost is for 1/4" would be about $180.00 plus MD Taxes I'm sure

Glue: What type?

Frame/Edge Protectors top/bottom: Plastic angle or metal glued on?

Glue per case about $108. for (24) 10.4 oz tubes from Glasscages.

 

VS.

 

GLASSCAGES custom tank: $225.00 36"x24"x25"

 

or buy glass pieces off of them for $2.50 per sq ft plus go to TN to p/u!

Glue per case about $108. for (24) 10.4 oz tubes.

 

Decisions, decision, decisions!

 

Ok, unless otherwise, I'm going to try to contact Glasscages (DANG! Can't believe I said that!) to see when their next delivery schedule is in the area from the truck and will see about getting the 3'x2'x2' Glass for $225!

 

Sorry gang, but time and money just doesn't seem to make this work any other way!

 

ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS?

PLEASE!

:drink:

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Is that salvage glass? Moe recommends salvage glass to cut costs I think. I've heard good and bad about GC. If it arrives with no scratches or nicks, you're experience will be great. If you have any trouble along the way, forget it. But that was a year or so ago. Maybe they have improved.

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Just buy the gc tank, inspect the crap out of it before taking off the truck, and realize there is no customer service, and know that even their bad silicone job (if you get one, mine good) will probably be better than a newbie's.

 

Unless you just like all the work... I think DIY acrylic easier.

 

Thought about starfire/low iron glass?

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Another thing to consider (and I think even Moe says with today's aquarium manufacturers mass-producing tanks, it may be best and cheapest just to buy commercial) - if you do become handy with the glass handling and silicone goop, you may have dozens of requests in the future to build tanks for other folks. Working with glass and acrylic is a good skill to have nonetheless. If I had the workshop, I would definitely want to toy around with it myself. But, alas, I do not.

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Sonya and I glued our DIY tank together in about 30 minutes and it had 2 internal chambers (sides) for over flows which worked out great. Afterwards we ran a bead in each corner much like you would chalking a shower.

 

We used a genaric 100% silicone.

 

Like I said, it lasted 9 years before a seam started dribbling. That's longer than most people actually stay in the hobby or have been in the hobby so we were fine with it. :biggrin:

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Just buy the gc tank, inspect the crap out of it before taking off the truck, and realize there is no customer service, and know that even their bad silicone job (if you get one, mine good) will probably be better than a newbie's.

 

Yeah and then when you get it, don't put any water in it for 3 weeks since he doesn't cure it before sending it out the door (irresponsible!) and then when you do put water in it, watch the chips appear and have him put the phone on the desk and walk away instead of talking to you on the phone about his crappy manufacturing. Maybe you can have a woman call and he won't give her the time of day and ... if she's as lucky as my wife ... make her CRY be steamrolling her. Yeah, that would be great.

 

And then when it's all said and done, get another tank for more $$ elsewhere since you're SOL. But then -- maybe everything will just work out.

 

Hey you want a 180G GC tank? I'm selling one :) It's sitting on the deck. Actually I think I already have a buyer... I should PM him.

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Man did I pick a bad subject Yanek? :blush:

 

YES, I agree and wish I could find someone else to spend my hard earned $225 + on!

 

Johnny's deal on the 36x18x24 is very tempting for around $160 but just too narrow.

 

Doing it myself is very tempting, but worried won't have the time, worst yet, I WILL take the time and be away from doing the things I need to be doing, Getting my new career off selling insurance!

OK, Everyone contact me for (self

:o

censored) over the next 2 weeks,

then I can take a week off in early June and build tanks, what ya think? :cheers:

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Howard, I would just go with Glass Cages and inspect it as Doug noted. When I started in this hobby I researched building a glass sump to fit the space under my tank. I wish I had checked prices BEFORE I did all the leg work on building glass tanks. Building your own is more expensive in most cases unless you happen to work for a glass shop... or that's the conclusion I came to.

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I concur!

 

At the least money wise, your right on the nose!

 

Any QUALITY job is going to run $400-$600 plus, so I'll go on the cheap here with GC!

 

Now if they will only answer their phones!!!!!!

 

Thanks Gang for the feedback!

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Hi Howard it was nice meeting you, hopefully we will see each other many more times in the near future. The place you were looking for is here: http://www.airparkglass.com/index.html Good luck, I'm firm believer of DIY! Nothing better to see your own creations no matter how messed up they look in the end you have the satisfaction that was made by you and you alone! (like my stand and canopy, they are so messed up that even with the right dimmensions you won't be able to replicated - could that be sold as Art? Is a unique one of a kind piece that can never be replicated again ;))

 

Raf

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Thanks Raf, likewise, great Zoo Collection you have, will be awesome in about 6-12mo when your rainbow of colors will spread across your tank!

 

Will doublecheck with them on pricing but for all the hassle and little time I have at the moment,$might not happen on this go around. STILL NO ANSWER at GC? Wonder if Yanek finally put them under? :hammer:

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Also try to email GC, and have some patience. I got more from email than on the phone. Especially if Tom is on the road. Did we not mention the C.S. is a little under par? If you do get from them, fill the tank after the waiting period (all silicone needs to cure no matter who builds, and could be nil depending on when the tank is made at the shop), and before the 90 day guarantee from receiving expires. Then you will have no problem if mysterious chips appear.

 

Did you price the guys in MD on glueing together for you? May come out comparable, to GC, and then there is no debate.

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