Building own tank

[toughguy80]

Hi all,
I'm thinknig about putting together my own acrylic tank. Can anyone direct me to a site/store that sells acrylic? I was thinking a home depot type store would probably have it, but if anyone knows of a cheaper place I'd be greatful. Thanks.

 

[agent707]

May I suggest that before you just "go out and buy some acrylic"... that you reserch and plan out what you want to do... and see if this is going to be something you really want to try and do.
1) What's your budget
2) What size tank are you planning on building
3) Do you have the tools/workspace to do this
No, a Home depot "type" store isn't going to have what you need.
Not saying you can't do it, you can. It's just not as cheap as you may think. I'll say it like this, you can "Buy" a glass tank cheaper or for the same amount as you can "build" an acrylic one.
i.e. a 4x8 sheet of 1/2" acrylic is going to run you about ~$400 + shipping.

 

[agent707]

This may interest you
... though I don't think his prices are really accurate (by that I mean I think he is quoting way too low). I haven't seen any for the prices he's listed. None the less, should be helpful.
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[EDIT]
OK, Here ya go. Little bit cheaper here. (I guess the first place I found was really high)
http://freckleface.com/shopsite_sc/s...inchthick.html
Depending on what size you want to build... you may be looking at 2 - 4x8 sheets.
That's still going to be about $500 + shipped (guessing).
Good luck!

 

[rustyj]

Originally Posted by Agent707
This may interest you
... though I don't think his prices are really accurate. I haven't seen any for the prices he's listed. None the less, should be helpful.

I have researched building my own tank and acrylic is very expensive. A 4*8 sheet of 3/4 (high quality) acrylic is over $500 and that is from an acrylic wholesaler. You can go online and search for acrylic manufactures and see who distributes for them but if you are going to go over 22" than you will have to use some very thick sheets and the price is exponential when it comes to increading thickness in acrylic.

 

[psusocr1]

i disagree some peopel are unlucky and cant find cheap sheets but some people can. i get thick acrylic sheets for pretty cheap, so it can be done you just have to find the right place. But if you want to order acrylic good luck as stated above shipping is crazy on acrylic sheets so thats probably not evan an option. Also weld-on is somethign you want to work with before you jump into a tank. you want to get used ot using it and how quickly it sets, also the different types of weld-on apply,dry and act differently.
hoever glass sheets are very cheap to buy

 

[unbreakabl]

no not really i could sell acrylic sheets 1/2 in thick 12x18 for 10 bucks. and i would ship it for 13 bucks

 

[rustyj]

I am not referring to acrylic that you get from a store, I am talking about aquarium grade high strength acrylic wiht the proper strength and clarity you would want for a real tank. You dont want to put a whole bunch of work on a tank with cheap acrylic that will scratch easily and doesnt have the best visual qualities you are looking for when using acrylic instead of glass. I have researched this quite a bit and althought the assembly (with the right space and tools) is not hard, the raw materials really are quite expensive especially if you are looking to build higher than 22"

 

[toughguy80]

Well thanks for all the input guys. This tank would still be awhile down the road. I'm still in the research phase. Looking at the pricing I think I might go with glass or failing that, just buy one. When the time comes I'll be looking to build/buy a 250G. I have the space and the tools, was just trying to get an idea of cost and where the material is available. Thanks again.

 

[psusocr1]

RustyJ I am not referring to acrylic that you get from a store, I am talking about aquarium grade high strength acrylic wiht the proper strength and clarity you would want for a real tank.
thats the same stuff im talking about.. i have about 10 shops near me that carry it in whatever thickness you need up to an inch. however as is aid theres only one shop with reasonable prices.

 

[agent707]

Originally Posted by toughguy80
When the time comes I'll be looking to build/buy a 250G.
You can build a 96"er with that capacity with about 2 ½ sheets... so it is doable for not a huge amount. I agree that unless you can buy locally (for a good price) you’re going to pay a lot for the stuff.
I wouldn’t go less than ¾” myself too. Especially with that much water.
I’ve been working on a webpage with info on it to help with planning. It’s a work in progress, so take it for what it’s worth.
Agent's Aquarium info page
Hope it helps.

 

[rustyj]

Originally Posted by Agent707
You can build a 96"er with that capacity with about 2 ½ sheets... so it is doable for not a huge amount. I agree that unless you can buy locally (for a good price) you’re going to pay a lot for the stuff.
I wouldn’t go less than ¾” myself too. Especially with that much water.
I’ve been working on a webpage with info on it to help with planning. It’s a work in progress, so take it for what it’s worth.
Agent's Aquarium info page
Hope it helps.

Nice site Agent, you can also go to Cyro.com, they manufacture acrylic and other plastics, it has a great calculator for aquariums to tell you exactly what thickness you need for specific demensions. From there I was able to see who their vendors were and called the one here in CT. Price for one sheet was around $550.00 and cutting would be nominal ($15-$20 additional) I was looking to build a 350 gal tank over 30" tall though so that make a big difference. If you stay long and wide and less than 22" tall you can use 1/2in which is around $360 + or -. Good luck, let us know how it comes out.
Rusty

 

[sebae09]

Glasscages.com