Cat Tank?

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ThumbOfAnubis

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Nov 14, 2013
Messages
2
Location
OBX, NC (Emerald Isle)
Ok I have a unique tank design idea here.

It may be insane but hey it would be cool if

I can pull it off. Just to start off, the

hub & I are experienced carpenters,

furniture/cabinetmakers, science nerds &

love scrap & we have all the toys & gadgets

that go with said trades.We have worked with

acrylic & plexiglass a few times before but

not really in this capacity. This is where I

need ya'lls help,tips,tricks,advice or

anything :) I have included a couple of pics

here to help explain what I'm doing. The 1st

pic is of the overall design because this is

essentially a play structure for a cat who

btw does not care for the taste of fish.

It's going to be made out of cardboard &

wood frames & that part we got. Why you ask?

Cause we Can! lol We just love making crazy

fun stuff from scrap . But I digress. The

tank itself is not that large but a very

unusual shape. I couldn't seem to get the

program to produce a 3D drawing of the tank

so the second pic is of the top view of the

overall design but I can lay out the

dimensions for you in inches starting from

the back left corner traveling around the

tank in a clockwise direction (some pieces I

would like to try to make out of

waterproofed wood if I could due to cost. I

will mark these dimensions (W)) -
 
continue from top

- 24 x 25(W); 18 x 25; 24 x 12; 18 x 25; 24 x 25 (W); 18 x 25; 24 x 25; 6 x 12; 40 x 12; 6 x 12; 24 x 25; & 18 x 25. & then because every castle needs a secret passage I was thinking of setting cast acrylic tubes longways through the 2 back tanks in effect making a tunnel through the aquarium. This tube will be 9 to 10 inches Outer Diameter.
Some info that might help:
--The 12" pieces are set @ a 15" elevation on top of wood cabinet to accomodate a drawbridge & aquarium equipment. I would like to seam this piece to the 2 back tanks, Would that be possible?
--The back tanks would be set on a 2 inch solid stand
img_2721493_0_f5a7cc7931eba9607161666f94101e21.jpg
. & the whole setup would be 'box-framed' in wood with a flush lid with either air holes or heavy mesh. Haven't decided.
-- I have decided to go with cast acrylic for the tank walls. How thick do you think it should be? 1/4 or 1/2? Considering that cats are jumpers.
-- Any advice on how to seal the tunnels? & how thick of a wall should I go? Again thinking 1/4"
-- The measurements in this plan are subjective.This structure is designed to stand against a wall. I can go out from the wall another foot but would like to keep it as shallow as I can. I cannot go left or right lengthwise along the wall.
-- I have no desire to see any animal injured in this endeavour so this tank will mainly be a decoration tank full of lights & bubbles & a few goldfish.
Ok, I think that's everything. & yeah I know it's complicated but that's what makes it fun to me lol. Any advice that could be given on this subject would be much appreciated. & of course if you got a ? I'll do my best to clarify :). Thank You L & J PS Plz ignore the back middle 2 foot segment in pic 3 It belongs to another piece


 
Fabulous design if a little complex. I would make a scale mock up to iron out any crinkles in sheet cutting size and to confirm which panels are face panels and which are side panels.
Clamping it could present some problems. The silicone joint needs to be one continuous bead to ensure a watertight seal. Wet silicone doesn't really stick to dry silicone. Bead thickness between panels 2mm per linear metre length. Also no bubbles should be present as these are areas of weakness.
I used glazing packers to achieve uniform bead thickness. See attachment. Sheet weight will squeeze out the silicone.
I also used a secondary internal base panel at -2mm per side to prevent sliding as wet silicone is very slippery, this also provides a stronger joint similar to a stopped housing joint.

If you are both handy and enjoy DIY, construction and carpentry most of these problems will be nothing but fun, sleepless nights and extra coffee breaks. I have good knowledge of glass/building trades and some engineering experience.
This looks like a fun project with some definite head scratching in a few areas!
I used 12mm glass on my design, over engineered for piece of mind. Consider all up weight of water.

Best of luck, I am waiting and watching! If/when this is finished it will be a show stopper!

Attachment explained: the top and bottom arrows show packer lifting glass from base panel, the middle two arrows push panel outward. Tank stood on side.
 

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That looks like a fun thing for a cat. My cat is the reason I got my first tank. LOL I wanted something to keep him entertained and away from the snake vivarium. He love to lay in front of it and watch the fish. The fish always come to him and beg for food. The cat is very protective of his fish. When I clean the tanks or work on them, he cries and ties to push me away from them. He gets very upset and I have to lock him out of the room when I work on them. LOL He doesn't like fish flavored cat food either. He will not even eat tuna. I took the top off of the aquarium and he has never bothered the fish. He just watches them.
 
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