# DIY Optiwhite Build. Advice needed!



## Quetzalcoatl (11 Apr 2012)

I wanted to have a go at making my own custom tank. Size will be 1000x500x400. It will be braceless and made from 12mm thick Optiwhite glass.

The thing is, I`m struggling to find anything online in regards to the best/safest way to align the pieces. I don`t know if it would be best to use the base as the foundation of the construction and bond the sides, front, and rear sections to this? Shown below.





Or offset the side sections away from the main base section fixing only the front and rear bottom faces to the main base section?   




Hopefully somebody with some experience in aquarium construction can point me in the right direction, or if anybody would be kind enough to check how their braceless tanks are configured I would be extremely grateful? 
Also. Is it necessary to have all edges polished and bevelled at the manufacturing stage?


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## hinch (11 Apr 2012)

I've always put all pieces ontop of the base using blocks and tape to keep it all together.  When I build tanks too I push the pieces quite tightly together squishing most of the silicone out and then i trim up the rest the result is an ada style "silicone free" tank.  However alot of other people also swear by leaving a 1mm gap between the pieces and splurging the silicone into the gap (alot of marine people do it this way) but I found it impossible to keep an even gap so just went for pushing together tightly.  Have never had a tank leak on me or break just have to be sure that when you push the panels together all the air bubbles are out of the silicone since you're squishing them and there's not actually much there at all.

hope that all makes sense i'm horrible at explaining it


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## Quetzalcoatl (12 Apr 2012)

Hi mate. Thanks for the advice. Very much appreciated!



> hope that all makes sense i'm horrible at explaining it


You did a good job, don`t worry it all makes perfect sense, however there is one thing I`m still unsure about. How do you manage to fit the side panels neatly as the way you describe the process of construction if all sections are sitting on the base then surely you would have to apply the silicone to the side sections and then slot them into posistion. Does this not cause a real mess? I`ve created an image to highlight the issue. The red represents the silicone.





Do you request that the edges are bevelled when having your glass manufactured. I`ve seen a few images of ADA style tanks on the net but cannot tell if all edges are done or if its just the inside sealing faces?
One last thing, is 12mm necessary for this size tank 1000x500x400 or would I be ok reducing it if cost becomes an issue?


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## Aqua sobriquet (12 Apr 2012)

Some info and pics that may be of interest?

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/c ... p?sid=2697

Looking at the pictures the end pieces go onto the base first then the front and back panels are added.


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## Iain Sutherland (12 Apr 2012)

i have an optiwhite from TGM and all sides sit around the base not on top if that makes sense.  I think this gives a cleaner look to the finish?? i cant imagine mine with sides on top of the base...
Good luck mate, ill watch with interest, been considering a diy upgrade for the marine.


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## Aqua sobriquet (12 Apr 2012)

In the pictures it looks like the end panels are on top of the base. I expect the front and back panels would then be applied. This would give a very clean looking front and back but the ends would show the joins along the bottom and up the sides. An alternative would be to butt all the side panels against the base starting with the end ones, this would then only show vertical joins on the end panels. Which is best strength wise I have no idea! :?


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## Quetzalcoatl (12 Apr 2012)

> Some info and pics that may be of interest?
> 
> http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/c ... p?sid=2697



Interesting link that mate. Thanks very much! £230.00 for a 1000x500x500 10mm drilled, polished, bevelled, delivered!   Makes you wonder if DIY is worth the time and effort? It will be very interesting to see how much the glass alone will cost for this little project I have in mind?



> i have an optiwhite from TGM and all sides sit around the base not on top if that makes sense





> Looking at the pictures the end pieces go onto the base first then the front and back panels are added.





> I've always put all pieces ontop of the base using blocks and tape to keep it all together



I`m quickly coming to the conclusion that there is NO correct way to go about this, and it`s more about ease of construction, and general aesthetics!


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## hinch (12 Apr 2012)

to put it in perspective glass for a 1000x500x500 will be about £80 and 2 tubes of silicone £10.

I get the glass unpolished/beveled. I use a sanding block with some fine paper on it (or wet and dry if I have some handy) to smooth off the sharpness of the join seams then a dremmel with a mini smooth grinding stone in to bevel the top edges.

as for your other questions you work by creating a side opened box. so fit one big panel then both end panels then the final big panel just pushes on the end with no mess this is because your end panels are smaller than the width of the base lets say you're using 10mm glass with a base short side of 100mm your end panels will be 80mm wide because the front and back panels are both 10mm thick.  Now if you plan on leaving a padding of silicone between the panels then you'll work to say a 78mm side end panel to allow for 10mm + 1mm padding at each side. personally I don't bother with padding as you actually don't need loads of silicone to make a good seal there's more than enough edge surface area to spread the pressure out on.

To keep the insides and outsides tidy ie not get silicone smeared all over the place use masking tape to mask around. so if you're glass is 10mm thick then you want a ring of masking tape on your base say 12mm in from the edge all the way around. this allows for your glass and 2mm of internal silicone.   Again I don't bother though as I cut off the internal silicone to give the silicone free look.

Here's the last one I made up before it had been cleaned this was its initial water test 24 hours after building.


20120123_144252 by hinchles, on Flickr


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## hinch (12 Apr 2012)

also silicone onto the flat pieces not the edges. so put it on the base and the front/back panels


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## Quetzalcoatl (12 Apr 2012)

That is some saving? Definately will be worth the effort then. Will search for local glass suppliers and get some quotes together  

I see where you are coming from, it`s now becoming clear. I run a bead of silicone around the perimeter of the base section on the top face. I run a bead of silicone down the width of the front section and fix into posistion. I then posistion the sides which do not have any silicone on, then add silicone to the back panel as I did the front and locate that into posistion last. 
Do you use any 90deg Angle clamps, or any clamps for that matter?  Could you recommend a decent silicone to use?

My interpretation of the assembly construction. Is this right?




How many tanks have you made Hinch. Did it take you long to perfect the art. That one in the picture looks sweet!   Will I be ok using 10mm for a tank this size?
I`m making my own ADA inspired cabinet too, just tweaking the final designs and seeking reassurances on the structure. I reckon I`ll be saving a fair bit this way. Had to really, only way I`d have got the wife to agree to it!


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## somethingfishy (12 Apr 2012)

Cant wait to see the results of your work ... please lots of pics


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## hinch (12 Apr 2012)

think i've made about 10 now so not many and far from perfect I still spend a stupid amount of time cleaning up silicone cos i've slipped up or messed up etc but certainly getting better.

I don't use any clamps etc just use tape to hold everything in place but you can use joiners 90 degree corner clams to hold everything nice and square.

The way I do it is kinda like this:

Silicone on base along both short edges and one long edge creating a big C shape.
lone up the inside of both short sides of the big panel.
Insert big panel and immediately (feels like you need 4 hands for this bit so a helper or a handy stack of books works in your favour) put one of the end panels on and tape the 2 together.
Then put on the other end panel
then silicone both inside short edges of the final big panel silione the final strip on the base and push it all into place.

Just so happens I wrote up a guide a few weeks/months ago about doing it http://www.keepingtropicalfish.co.uk/?p=215

Silione wise I use http://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Aqua ... 9%20AQUATR but there are others that are equally as good so long as its 100% pure silicone and doesn't have any of those silly anti fungals in etc

The tank in the picture is 60cm x 30cm x 30cm took about 30 minutes to put together about 2 hours to clean up  I was intending to use it as a little planted tank but a friend needed a tank for his daughters terrapins as her old one sprung a leak so it got donated.  Cost me £20 for the glass (normal float) and used less than 1/4 a tube of silicone.

Conveniently there's a guy on some reef forums I reed who's just built his own optiwhite tank very similar forum name to you too.  He's  got loads of pictures and step by step.  Only difference is he uses the silicone fillet/sandwich style which I've mentioned but don't use myself. http://www.ultimatereef.net/forums/show ... p?t=530699


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## Aqua sobriquet (12 Apr 2012)

Check out the tank build video on this page!

http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=20973

See, it'll only take you about 2 minutes!


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## Quetzalcoatl (12 Apr 2012)

> Just so happens I wrote up a guide a few weeks/months ago about doing it http://www.keepingtropicalfish.co.uk/?p=215



No way....I had read this article a few days ago when I first started researching. It was actually this that made up my mind to have a go at doing my own. No lie? 

Really impressed with the nano tank and cabinet build. The attention to detail is superb and all the technical stuff in there! Wow. A man after my own heart! I really enjoyed reading it. Thanks.

P.S Is that your scape on the blog?


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## Quetzalcoatl (12 Apr 2012)

> Check out the tank build video on this page!
> 
> http://ukaps.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=20973
> 
> See, it'll only take you about 2 minutes!



  This video does make it look like an absolute doddle! The speed which he applies the silicone is mental.  I am not so naive to think it will be this straight forward though, my 5 min DIY jobs usually turn into 5 hour jobs. Definitely food for thought though. Cheers pal. 

I`m getting excited about this project now. Seeing more and more self builds is building my confidence no end. I had finally finished my design for the cabinet but after more research I have found "supposed" original technical drawings for official ADA cabinets. Back to the drawing board I think?


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## hinch (13 Apr 2012)

hah next time I build a tank I'll try to get the missus to video it for me it'll be a dodgy camera phone video though as I don't actually have a proper video camera.

as for scapes I don't have any up at the moment really just a cutting  growing tank i'm in the middle of decorating/rebuilding half the house so everything has been emptied and moved out of the way for the builders  i'll be putting together a little one after it all though but most likely just a crypt heavy simple build


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