How to make your own acrylic custom aquarium

Majority of aquariums available in the market are made from glass, but of course you can always decide to have your acrylic custom aquarium and it offers many advantages. Because of its strength and flexibility, acrylic aquariums is prefered by designers of large aquariums because it can be easily shaped and is much stronger than glass. And more importantly, it is easier to create your own acrylic aquarium because it takes lesser amount of special equipment and is easier to construct.

Materials and equipment

Before you begin your project, it is advisable to prepare all the materials and equipment you will need. Buy a 1/4 inch think acrylic sheet. Decide the size of the custom aquarium you want and carefully measure the sheets before you cut them. Buy an acrylic solvent to bond together the acrylic sheets using a syringe with 18-gauge needle. Keep a sandpaper, clamps and wood planks ready in assembling the tank.

Preparing the materials

Remove the protective film on edges of the acrylic sheet for proper bonding. Carefully sand the edges of the sheet but try to avoid rounding the edges then, with the use of a clean cloth, clean the areas that you will bond. Find an area where you want to assemble your aqurium and clear it from any obstacles. Lay down a blanket or sheet on a flat surface.

Assembling the aquarium

Using the acrylic solvent, bond together two pieces of the acrylic sheets to form a right angle with the vertical piece on top of the horizontal piece. The wood planks and the sheets can be used to keep the attached sheets together. Apply a generous amount of solvent into the joint, but be careful not to destroy the surface. Allow the solvent to stand for 24 hours to dry. Attach another sheet to complete your aquarium. Use the wood planks to support your project~{Now that you have two sides attached, get another sheet and attach it to the bonded section making use of the wood planks for support}~Add another sheet to the bonded section. To support the attached sheets, you can use the wood planks~With two sheets already attached, you can see that your aqurium is starting to take shape and attach another sheet}~Using the wood planks for support, attach another sheet to continue making your aquarium~{Now that you have two sides attached, get another sheet and attach it to the bonded section making use of the wood planks for support}~Attach another sheet to the two sides you earlier attached using the solvent. To support the attached sheets, you can use the wood planks~With two sheets already attached, you can see that your aqurium is starting to take shape and attach another sheet}. You can finish building your aquarium by repeating the process of attaching the sheets using the solvent.

Finishing touches

Allow at least 48 hours for the joints and solvent to dry before filling the tank with water to check for leaks. Apply solvent to any leaking areas and repeat this until all leaks are sealed. Wash the tank to remove any toxicity from the solvent. You can use decorations to beautify your custom aquarium.