CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

here's a bright idea! (i'm sure someone's already tried this, and either won or died trying )...... how hard would it be to make your own 240g tank? would you end up saving trillions of dollars , or would you be in for a nasty shock when you turn your living room into a wading pool for toddlers?

has anyone done this? what tools would you need? what kinda tips do you have to share? oh, and what kinda materials (what type of glass, how thick, what kind of sealant......?)

- Cristian "wannabe oscar enthusiast for cheap" Lita.

making a 240g tank would be hard work..

yeah, i'm kinda gathering that.... i'm looking at the other section to do with fish hardware, and it seems like a very tough job!

so, instead of 240g, how about 4000 gallons! some guy did it, wow! that's dedication. he says that he goes scuba diving just to clean it http://www.mr4000.com/

The mr 4000 gal tank is impressive and makes a good point obvious - you DON'T need to make a typical glass tank.


For me to build 4 - 300+ gallon tanks is costing about
(rounded costs)
8 sheets of 3/4" plywood - $140
8 sheets of 5/8" glass 72"x24"- $275 (thicker then I need but safe)
2 gallons of blue fish/aquarium safe epoxy paint - $80
case of 100% silicon - $60
screws - $15
------------
roughly $550- 570.00 so under $145 each not bad for a 300 gallon tank compared to buying a 300 glass for $800+

I did mine the easy lazy wasteful way though so they can be made cheaper.
but
The left over materials from making my tanks will also be enough to make a 120 gallon in addition to the 4 300's.
I'll also have extra paint,silicon and screws left so any future tanks will be cheaper


me and webhead1 (another member here) just built a 110 gallon tank for just under $75.00 building it the same way - but it's white on the inside.

what kind of sealant

100% silicon - not the stuff with mold or mildew inhibitors <-- they kill fish! I buy the cheap normal construction store 100% silicon since it's less then 1/3 of the cost of all-glass "aquarium" silicon

what kinda tips do you have to share?

If you decide to go with glass pay to have it cut and to have the edges ground , it costs a little more but thick glass is a pain to cut at home and takes expensive tools and paying to have the edges ground will save you alot of cuts and alot of time,especially if your new to working with glass

for some decient ideas on what you need to make your own tank(s) check out
garf's tank calculator it's a good site for general information.

you can also see where height will affect the cost of the tank your attempting to build,due to different thickness's of glass suggested.

P.S. a plywood tank is ALOT lighter then a glass tank if you ever need to move it later


moveing this to the tank hardware section - you'll probally get more input there

thanks for all your help, stilllearnin, but i think i'm gunna take the easy way out and go buy one!

You can take advantage of someone else's lack of interest in the hobby by checking your local classified ads. I just bought a 55 gallon tank with iron stand(room for a 40L on the bottom), undergravel filter, 2 power heads, heater, hood, flouresent lights, and nasty multi-colored gravel, all for only $150! Just make sure it's only been used for fish(not reptiles, ect..) and make sure it doesn't leak and you'll be all set.

This is an old link, but found it surfing the site. I think with ppl
paying upwards of $500.00 for a tank, I thought I would re open the thread. The truth is, it is very easy to make a tank. anyone who is interrested, drop me a line, and I will pass on the how to's of it. Most companies that deal with windows, (I own one such business) have to pay to dispose of the old glass. So you can, if you approach most companies, get the glass for free. The silicon, well just buy the cheapest 100% silcon you can find, so if you can find a 9x5 1950's sealed unit, in about 8 hours,and for 20 bucks, plus the glass cost if any, instant 110 gallon tank. Just a thought for those thrifty O's owners.

heres a website i found the other day they have really cheap tanks

http://www.aquariumcity.net/Aquatic_products/Rectangular.htm

people looking for cheap tanks,check out http://www.glasscages.com/ good prices and nice people