TODD BUILDS HIS 2500 GALLON CEMENT AQUARIUM FOR STINGRAYS IN THE BASEMENT
- Thread starter Anythingfish
- Start date
I have a question about a big tank
If you have time and you could help me please give me your email address
then I could send some pictures and ask my questions
If you have time and you could help me please give me your email address
then I could send some pictures and ask my questions
Questions about large tank construction from a Monster Fish Keeper member:
Note: I have edited the questions.
QUESTIONS:
How do you attach the glass/acrylic panels to the cement or metallic frame?
Is silicone the only sealant or is any other material used in addition to silicone?
Is using bolts and nuts necessary?
What is the process for securing the window panels in their frames; I need more details?
I want to make a custom plastic tank something like the one pictured below.
I would like information about how to do this.
Waiting to hear from you soon
Best regards
ANSWERS:
Silicone is easy to work with and adheres especially well to glass; however, it will bond adequately with most Acrylics and Plexiglas as well as cement and plywood. Select Silicone II as opposed to Silicone I. Recently GE has added an ingredient called Bio Seal which they claim helps prevent mildew. I have used this product with no ill effects; however to be safe use the paint over type, without Bio Seal, it is white in color and adheres quite well.
When an aquarium window mounted in a wood or cement frame, Silicone sealant is the only material needed to hold the window in place. There is no need for any other fasteners such as retainer bolts. In most cases and for anything above 24 in height I recommend inserting neoprene rubber shims. Press these small 1/4 thick circles or squares 3/8 or 1/2wide into the Silicone bead spaced every 4 to 6.
One or two days before you are ready to seal the window in place purchase the silicone and get lots of extra tubes. You want fresh Silicone with a long way out expiration date. It is hard to predict how many tubes of silicone you will need to seal the window in your aquarium. If your fish tank window is 6 feet, long by 30 inches tall and you plan to fill a 1-1/2 window retainer flange all around you might use as many as 12 tubes. There will be excess which squeezes out as you press the window into the frame but it is not reusable; get extra tubes and extra applicators. You are better off with several helpers. Return any unopened tubes to the store.
Constructing complex shaped plastic aquariums requires a great deal of knowledge and some specialized equipment. I am sure someone out there in fish hobbyist land can do it in their garage but it is not something I would recommend to anyone without an unlimited budget. I saw a 900-gallon bull nose aquarium for sale on Ebay last year. I do not know what it sold for but the starting price was $50,000. I think a little searching within the world of Google.com will turn up someone who will build you anything you want. The Seattle Aquarium just got a 40 long by what appeared to be a 12 high Acrylic window weighing many tons for one of their new exhibits. I would try asking public aquariums where they get their custom tanks.
Note: I have edited the questions.
QUESTIONS:
How do you attach the glass/acrylic panels to the cement or metallic frame?
Is silicone the only sealant or is any other material used in addition to silicone?
Is using bolts and nuts necessary?
What is the process for securing the window panels in their frames; I need more details?
I want to make a custom plastic tank something like the one pictured below.
I would like information about how to do this.
Waiting to hear from you soon
Best regards
ANSWERS:
Silicone is easy to work with and adheres especially well to glass; however, it will bond adequately with most Acrylics and Plexiglas as well as cement and plywood. Select Silicone II as opposed to Silicone I. Recently GE has added an ingredient called Bio Seal which they claim helps prevent mildew. I have used this product with no ill effects; however to be safe use the paint over type, without Bio Seal, it is white in color and adheres quite well.
When an aquarium window mounted in a wood or cement frame, Silicone sealant is the only material needed to hold the window in place. There is no need for any other fasteners such as retainer bolts. In most cases and for anything above 24 in height I recommend inserting neoprene rubber shims. Press these small 1/4 thick circles or squares 3/8 or 1/2wide into the Silicone bead spaced every 4 to 6.
One or two days before you are ready to seal the window in place purchase the silicone and get lots of extra tubes. You want fresh Silicone with a long way out expiration date. It is hard to predict how many tubes of silicone you will need to seal the window in your aquarium. If your fish tank window is 6 feet, long by 30 inches tall and you plan to fill a 1-1/2 window retainer flange all around you might use as many as 12 tubes. There will be excess which squeezes out as you press the window into the frame but it is not reusable; get extra tubes and extra applicators. You are better off with several helpers. Return any unopened tubes to the store.
Constructing complex shaped plastic aquariums requires a great deal of knowledge and some specialized equipment. I am sure someone out there in fish hobbyist land can do it in their garage but it is not something I would recommend to anyone without an unlimited budget. I saw a 900-gallon bull nose aquarium for sale on Ebay last year. I do not know what it sold for but the starting price was $50,000. I think a little searching within the world of Google.com will turn up someone who will build you anything you want. The Seattle Aquarium just got a 40 long by what appeared to be a 12 high Acrylic window weighing many tons for one of their new exhibits. I would try asking public aquariums where they get their custom tanks.
The total cost of the 16 foot long 2500 gallon concrete aquarium tank was about $8,500 US, including pump filter, two 3/4" thick Lucite windows each with a 30" by 72" opening, all concrete construction materials, labor, lights, covers and sand.JamieC77;593828; said:
A 160 gallon plastic aquarium was modified into a sump and housing for the bio tower. The main pump, a Performance Pro, 1/4 HP, 2.5 Amp model circulates close to 4,000 gallons per hour through the 2500 gallon aquarium. There are three 2" diameter pipe overflows feeding the sump and six 1" return pipes pushing water back in to the concrete aquarium.
We mixed all the cement by hand in 1 cubic foot mixers and built the tank in tight quarters. You might save on labor and materials if you build your monster aquarium outside where a truck can pour all the cement into the forms quickly.
I plan to replicate this feat. My intention is to build a 16' x 6' x 34" deep concrete tank with a 1-1/2 thick 8' x 32" (92" x 28" of visible acrylic) acrylic viewing window. The difference with my tank is that I also plan to make the actual tank 20' long and use the last 4' feet as the filter. The outside walls will be 4' high but the inside divider wall will only be 32" tall. This will be how high the water level is. My tank will use 4x1000w MH lights + 4x96w CF and will be planted. Why didn't you guys just use a 90 degree cut in the concrete to set the window in? You could have floated the window on something and siliconed the heck out of it. It seems that it would have been easier that way. Or am I missing something here?
