Entry - HowTo Make A Glass Aquarium

Thanks aerialedge, I enjoyed your movie also.

To answer your question, I`m not sure about the special grade German silicone....sounds like a marketing ploy I asked a local tank builder that works out of a LFS here for tips before making this tank. He said normal aquarium safe 100% silicone is fine no matter what the brand. He makes hundreds of tanks a year. I watched him cut glass for about 30 mins....think I creeped him out a bit by just analyzing his techniques. Of course he could be lying in hopes that my tank will bust and I'll have to end up buying one from him....hmmmm. Naw he seemed legit

Think no matter what the silicone is, if you go over a certain length or height you may want to consider adding braces of some kind. The measurments are listed in the links provided in the YouTube descripion....can't recall them off hand. If you don't want braces on a bigger rimless tank then it'll require thicker glass and near perfect engineering.
hth.

 

I decided to turn the tank from this project into a detritus trap.

What will happen is water will come from the display overflow first into the trap where all the heavy particles will be forced into the wall, or first baffle, that looks like \ and trapped there until sucked out during water changes. There will also be another trap section made out of an old mesh filter sock but in a much more convenient and fail safe application than a sock. The water will then travel through some bulkheads and enter the next sump tank right in front of the skimmer inlet to be skimmed

I don`t enjoy using filter socks, but I do like to trap detritus so hopefully this setup will keep the majority of the detritus and big bits contained into a small area to be cleaned with ease during weekly water changes.

Here are some pics. It'll be a few weeks till I can get it installed..

 

Interesting, please keep us posted on how it works out.

 

Telgar: I will for sure. If it works out it'll be a super helpful part of my overall filtration. Expect some video's documenting it's use as well

 

I never knew what the bottom of the glass cutter was for.

 

Got to it late but this is a great video on making a tank. I've been kicking this idea around that i'm done buying assembled tanks. This really makes me want to take the plunge and go for it. Belated though it is Thank you for making this.

~Mox