# Anyone ever made an acrylic tank?



## Andy Thurston (31 Jan 2015)

I'm thinking about making a huge tank for my clown loach, nothing special, std braced tank with a hood
Has anyone made an acrylic tank?
Are there any good guides for making them?
Any calculators for acrylic thickness etc
Anybody know the std sheet sizes for acrylic?


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## Dan-CR4 (31 Jan 2015)

I looked at making one, joey on youtube "The king of DIY" has videos, I saw it and thought of doing one, but got turned flat by the lady boss, she said no way will she allow me to turn my living room into a paddling pool 



please tell me you will go ahead and show my wife it can be done. it won't change her mind but its worth a try


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## kirk (31 Jan 2015)

What I do know is its probably easier and cheaper to use glass maybe even optiwhite. I'm basing this on the acrylics I've purchased for lids and diy clear inlet and outlets for our eheim. You will need to be good with a saw and patient.  or have it precision cut for you.  After messing around with acrylic replacing boat window for sea use( so they don't smash or pop out on a wave) I've grown to hate the stuff it scratches so easily. All that said it's the sense of achievement making something for yourself that none else has got. How big are you thinking?  I swear someone made a big one on here or maybe I dreamt it.   It would be pretty cool to build matching accessories ie light stand arms.


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## Mick.Dk (31 Jan 2015)

I've worked with acrylic tanks...........and doesn't anymore. I had a cylindric one at home.............gone, too. Never again.
- I have only one word for you: SCRATCHES !!!!


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## Andy Thurston (31 Jan 2015)

kirk said:


> What I do know is its probably easier and cheaper to use glass maybe even optiwhite. I'm basing this on the acrylics I've purchased for lids and diy clear inlet and outlets for our eheim. You will need to be good with a saw and patient.  or have it precision cut for you.  After messing around with acrylic replacing boat window for sea use( so they don't smash or pop out on a wave) I've grown to hate the stuff it scratches so easily. All that said it's the sense of achievement making something for yourself that none else has got. How big are you thinking?  I swear someone made a big one on here or maybe I dreamt it.   It would be pretty cool to build matching accessories ie light stand arms.


Just priced the acrylic  for the size i want 200x75x60cm just been quoted £1k by an online supplier but my work can probably get it much cheaper and i can cut it on the laser. That said a nd aquatics 72"x30"x24" with cabinet is £1007 so your probably right kirk much cheaper in glass but i might have to take a window out to get it in. 
Glass also makes drilling it for the custom filtration a much bigger pita but it can be done. 



Mick.Dk said:


> I've worked with acrylic tanks...........and doesn't anymore. I had a cylindric one at home.............gone, too. Never again.
> - I have only one word for you: SCRATCHES !!!!


I had a 35l acrylic tank and yes they can be bad for scratches but its much easier to polish acrylic than glass.
This still needs more thought but looks like glass is the better option


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## OllieNZ (31 Jan 2015)

Why not go plywood? Cheap, easy to drill and easy to build....


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## foxfish (31 Jan 2015)

Yep, plywood box, glass fibre inside, cut out for front (and sides if you want) silicon in an acrylic or glass panel (panels)
I have built loads of them up to 2,000 gallon.


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## matt (31 Jan 2015)

I built one about a year ago.
Still going strong no bowing,no scratches just need to be carefull when cleaning.

http://www.ukaps.org/forum/posts/339013/


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