Ever make your own tank?

i have! i was given an old old 55gal and thought "i wonder if i can make a different tank from this" well ive never cut glass, im 23 and was bored.. so i went out bought the cheapest glass scorer i could find and went to work taking apart this 25year old 55gal take.. the tank sticker inspected by jesus, i believe them. the tank was build like a brick! omg i dont recommend that to anyone! but it was taken apart and i found out the glass was 5/8" think after i already ordered my front and back glass for 1/4" thick but oh well, from this 55gal tank i got a bottom piece and the two sides free.. paid $45 for the front and back glass total... the tank is a nice 30" long 20" thick and 24" tall.. i sadly lost a lot of build photos...


two weeks later



after silicone, and glass i have maybe $60 into this 66ish gallon tank

 

also learned what happens when you try to cut glass thats tempered and inspected by jesus

 

So what do you guys think? It's going to be a rimless tank, the corners just haven't been taken off yet, will the 1/4" glass be strong enough? Here's a final photo, has a brace but it didn't stay on... Have to rethink that..
My DIY screen lid to let air out and fish in!

 

Nice DIY, I think it turned out great!

 

24" tall requires 1/2" thick glass the last time I checked. Anything 21" or taller does I believe. Anything with a length of 48 needs 1/2" as well. You'll need to seriously brace the top and make a custom, 1 piece rim for the bottom to brace that as well. IMO, you still might have a blowout from the pressure of a 24" talk tank. Looks like you did a fine job on the tank however. I'm pulling for you...hope it works out.

 

I give you credit! I would have never thought to recycle an older tank like that. Good luck. Hope it works out for you!

 

Very cool build, Tidus. 1/4" is definitely pushing it for the front and back glass. For the brace, rather than siliconing small pieces to the inside of the front and back glass, I'd get another piece of glass cut to the same width as the brace but a 1/2" shorter and silicone it flat against one side of the brace so that it sticks down into the tank. Maybe even have the second piece made with 3/8" glass to give it more surface area to contact with the inside of the front and back glass. I've built and rebuilt quite a few tanks, I've also had one blow out on me due to using too thin of glass. 30" long x 24" high is definitely pushing it. If it were me I would go thicker.

 

honestly if it blows out, im not out much and it was great fun so no real loss, and ive heard so many different things about the glass thickness its hard to keep up :-X

 

I hope it all works out for you

 

Cute tank. I once made a tank when I did freshwater out of a plastic jar animal crackers came in.