DIY 160g +/- Tank

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if they they ever get around to contacting you back. get enough to do the cube and this big tank...

get more experience with the cube then build the big. sell the one you like the least on craigslist.
 
They just replied to my e-mail. He didn't say how many he has but he did say they still have them. No, I just have to figure out how many to get. Wish I had some experienced tank builder chiming in here. Not that I don't trust you guys or anything but...... LOL
 
Well, I just talked to the guy. He has 180 of these sheets. Thats the good news. The bad news is they are milk white not clear. Bummer. Oh well, still good for a sump.
 
acrylic doesnt have to be thicker, but it does need bracing for teh bigger tanks. I think glass is pretty easy to deal with, as long as you have a decent cutter.
 
just rip a bunch of em in half and you have like so its like 15.5x32 for a 50gal sump and then you have a ton of overflow space... or for those that need smaller 15.5x16 for a 25 wtih soemwhere neare 6 gal extra.
 
kurtyboh said:
acrylic doesnt have to be thicker, but it does need bracing for teh bigger tanks. I think glass is pretty easy to deal with, as long as you have a decent cutter.
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i think thats why ive had such a hard time cutting all my glass and any time ive touched it its broken. thats what i get for using a harbor freight glass cutter i guess.
 
i want to partition a rubbermaid sump. it's a 50 gallon one that's 52" x 31" x 12" tall, and i don't know what material i can find that's strong enough to span 31" and not bow.
 
A little late to this thread, but for what it's worth, I'll add something. The seams on the bottom would be of no concern, since the tank would have to sit on a solid base so the entire base of the tank is supported. The concern for me would be the back joints, and the mitered joints. Using a table saw leaves a rough edge that probably doesn't weld well. As well they need to be precise to get a good weld. All this is of no consequence now, but perhaps still of interest. For a number of reasons, glass can be easier to work with with.
 
@doug i was thinking it had something to do with your sump, but didnt realize you had a 31" in span in there!... a near perfect find for ya.
 
BillD said:
A little late to this thread, but for what it's worth, I'll add something. The seams on the bottom would be of no concern, since the tank would have to sit on a solid base so the entire base of the tank is supported. The concern for me would be the back joints, and the mitered joints. Using a table saw leaves a rough edge that probably doesn't weld well. As well they need to be precise to get a good weld. All this is of no consequence now, but perhaps still of interest. For a number of reasons, glass can be easier to work with with.
Click to expand...
i would think some companies would just heat a single piece and bend it to shape, instead of dealing with all of those seams....
 
@ Bill D and Mr._X. I agree that elliminating the seems would be preferable but I was trying to figure a way to do it using these sheets since they were only $10 each. I have herd that after cutting the acrylic with a table saw you can heat the eadge with a torch to get the perfectly smooth edge needed for a good weld. Haven't tried it yet but will when I build the sump.

Also to Mr._X, the guy said the edges were rounded so if you need exactly 31" it may not work. I figured I would have to cut a 1/2" or so off of each edge to get a true 90. I PMed the guys contact info to you. He is retired so I am sure he would have the time to ship you some.
 
Another thought I had as far as the miterred joints in the display side was to bend a piece that was a couple inches wide and line the inside of the joint. Similar to the double layer I was thinking of for the back seems. In the back they I could hide them with the overflows but in the front they would be visable. My hopes was that if the weld was done right, they double layer may disapear once water was in the tank. Again, it is pretty much just a thought excersise now because the panels can't be used anyway.

If I were to go to the expens of buying clear acrylic, I would not go with this design for sure. LOL
 
rdnelson99 said:
Another thought I had as far as the miterred joints in the display side was to bend a piece that was a couple inches wide and line the inside of the joint. Similar to the double layer I was thinking of for the back seems. In the back they I could hide them with the overflows but in the front they would be visable. My hopes was that if the weld was done right, they double layer may disapear once water was in the tank. Again, it is pretty much just a thought excersise now because the panels can't be used anyway.

If I were to go to the expens of buying clear acrylic, I would not go with this design for sure. LOL
Click to expand...

Yeah but I'm sure one sheet of clear acrylic can't be too expensive. You could always do the idea I previously stated which was making the back 3 panels milky white and the front clear
 
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