How to make an aquarium at home with your hands?

Aquaristics every year is becoming an increasingly popular hobby in different countries around the world. Fish are very beautiful, watching them miraculously calms the mind and tends to a positive, creative way. The only problem is that the cost of the aquarium can be very high. And it's not just about some branded models!

Many fans have a question about how to make their own hands with an aquarium. In principle, nothing extraordinary in this. And you can be sure of this by reading our article.

Why engage in "amateur"?

There are several reasons for this, besides the dissatisfaction with the price of factory copies. Let's list them:

• Firstly, an experienced amateur aquarium may well not be satisfied with the quality, shape and other characteristics of what is being sold in stores.
• Secondly, you just might want to do something useful with your own hands.
• Thirdly, you want to "fill your hand" and deal with the sale of independently made aquariums.

In general, the reasons are understood. So how do you make an aquarium with your own hands? You have to start the business by choosing the right material.

Materials and stuff

A grade of glass should be given special attention. If you are thinking how to make an aquarium with your own hands for dolls (or for some similar decorative purposes), all this is not necessary to read: just take a more or less suitable glass and start gluing using the tips in the relevant part of the article. In case you need a fish house, keep reading.

It is generally accepted that the best grades of glass are M1 or M8. The best choice will be a variety of M1, but also this material is somewhat more expensive. Experts say that when choosing a variety, you should choose glass as good as M3, since taking risks in such a case is too dangerous: flooded neighbors are unlikely to be happy with your hobby.

Before you make your own hands aquarium for the first time, do not particularly experiment. You are well suited to ordinary display glass. When buying, be sure that there are no cracks, chips, bubbles and other defects on the material.

Do not forget that even before the purchase does not prevent you from pre-determined the thickness of the material. Let's give an example of a table by which you can "estimate" these parameters. At the junction of the values, you will see the required thickness of the glass.

Calculate the required volume

In general, before you make an aquarium with your own hands, it is desirable to at least roughly imagine its volume. To calculate it, you need a simple mathematical formula:

V = l * a * h

L is the desired length of the vessel.

A is its intended width.

H is its required height, respectively.

Simply multiplying all these parameters, you get the volume of the aquarium that you need. As you can see, nothing more complicated than a calculator to determine these values you will not need.

Stiffening rib

What is it and what are they for? Stiffeners are the same strips of the same glass that will protect your vessel from arching outwards. The thickness and length of them should be the same as that of the glass of the aquarium. The width of the stiffeners can be within five centimeters. If your aquarium is longer than half a meter, we strongly recommend that you take care of the presence of a special structural element, which should be fixed at right angles to the front and side windows.

In addition to increasing the strength of the vessel, the ribs make it possible to place heavy coverslips on top and also transfer the aquarium with them. If the length of the structure is one and a half meters (or more), it is extremely desirable to install also screeds. In principle, these are the same glass strips, but they should be glued down from the stiffeners themselves.

To cut or not to cut?

With the basic parameters, everything is clear. That's just how to cut the material and whether it's worth doing it yourself? If you were born with a glass cutter in your hands - no questions, go for it. But if in you there is even a drop of indecision, better not even try. Firstly, it is really difficult and dreary. Secondly, the cost of cutting is often included in the price of the material. Even better, when you found a decent workshop, where you cut glass not with a manual glass cutter, but with a special machine, with which you can make perfectly even cuts.

The latter not only directly affects the appearance of the aquarium, but also the quality of its gluing, which is much more important. If you are satisfied with a small vessel, then you can probably agree with the master to make the details for him from the scraps: the cost of this option you will surely pleasantly surprise! It is very important that in the workshop, the edges are treated qualitatively, as staying without a finger as a result of caring for the fish will be very offensive. In principle, they can be processed at home, but only such an operation is fraught with injury.

Before you make an aquarium really with your own hands, including cutting glass, how to practice, or not the results you probably disappoint.

Adhesive issue

By the way, what kind of glue to combine all this "good"? The answer is unambiguous - silicone sealant and only it. Here are just before you make an aquarium, we strongly recommend to make sure of two important things:

• It's really 100% silicone.
• It really is suitable for gluing aquariums. It is advisable to read the information on the packaging twice. Important! Today in the markets it is often possible to see antifungal sealants, which are as if suitable for an aquarium. That's only in fact, those fungicides that are contained in such glue, extremely negatively affect the state of the flora and fauna of your aquarium! Among professionals, the standard is the Dow Corning 911 brand. With this sealant, you probably will not have problems.

Before you make an aquarium at home, you must also choose the appropriate sealant color. Today there are compositions of all colors of the rainbow: what to choose?

You should know that the black sealants look best in aquariums, the volume of which is more than a hundred liters. Colorless sealants are universal. If you want to make a marine aquarium with your own hands, it is preferable to choose this option. Practice shows that sea water often reacts with dyes, and this often ends sadly.

It should be noted that with colorless sealants, the errors of gluing and cutting glass are not so noticeable. White and colored adhesives have to be linked with the design of the room. In addition, the "colorful" small aquarium in most cases will look ridiculous.

Before you make an aquarium at home, it's best to get a colorless glue. Note that it is better to buy it in a tube, to which you can attach a mounting gun. It will be much easier to work with him.

Decoration

Let's make a small lyrical digression. Many are interested in how to make scenery in the aquarium with their own hands at home. It is difficult to answer here with two words. However, we will try.

Jewelry can be of two types: objects of living and nonliving nature. The first are driftwood. To prepare them, requires a complex and multi-step welding. In addition, if a non-professional conducted it, no one will give a guarantee that the snag will not soon begin to rot. That is why such decorations are better to buy in specialized stores.

So after all, how to decorate the aquarium with your own hands? The easiest way is to collect beautiful stones (not limestone) and make a bizarre composition of them. In addition, the rear wall of the aquarium is often made by beautiful frames-backs: a "box" of the appropriate size is made of glass or wood, in which compositions are laid out from branches, dry plants and other things. Note also that the backside can be trite to paint over.

What is useful for work?

Here's what a short list of tools and supplies we would like to offer to your attention:

• Soft grindstone.
• A syringe with a volume of milliliters by twenty.
• Do not interfere with a good supply of napkins.
• Sharp clerical knife for cutting off sealant residues.
• Bottle of degreaser.

Begin to glue

Before you make an aquarium with your own hands, you need to clearly understand the two main ways of gluing together:

• Walls can be glued directly to the bottom.
• They can be fastened around the bottom.

In numerous sources it is described that the second method is more reliable. But practice shows that the first option is not worse at all, the strength characteristics of such aquariums are quite good. Many fans of aquariums say that it is much more convenient to perform. It is on his example we will tell you how to make an aquarium with your own hands. Remember that you need to consider one important fact: the side walls are made shorter than the width of the bottom of the aquarium (exactly two thicknesses of glass). Do not forget to add a millimeter to the stock.

In general, all the necessary things you stocked up, everything you need to know. It's time to start gluing together. So how to make an aquarium with your own hands at home?

First step

Immediately treat the edges of the glass, if you have not done so before. It is best to do this as follows: you take about ten to fifteen centimeters of water in a bath, put a thick terry towel on the bottom, and carefully put glass on it. Wet the soft grindstone with water, gently carry it through the edges of the panes. Do not treat the cut surfaces themselves in any way! The fact is that silicone holds well on a smooth surface, not on a rough surface.

If you want to make an aquarium with your own hands (large), find out in advance whether there is an opportunity to work in the bathroom, whether it is cluttered: one awkward movement - and you do not have glass. After the end of the work as it should be wiped the glass with a dry rag. Their ends should be properly degreased, using alcohol or acetone (only in a well-ventilated room).

Second phase

We lay the bottom of the future aquarium in the room where you will work. Do not forget that under the glass it is desirable to put a clean and thick rag. In principle, a good idea and paper. Gently cut off the tip of the tube with glue, pre-tuck it into the mounting gun. We take the front wall of the future aquarium, we put on its end a silicone sealant.

If you glue the glass for a small aquarium, it will be more convenient to use not the mounting gun, but the syringe, which we mentioned above. First, a strip of glue will be better to lie down. Secondly, surplus sealants will probably appear much less. When applying the substance, make sure that its layer is as uniform as possible.

If you see the cavity formed, immediately fill it. Apply a layer of sealant? Then we take the wall and install it on the bottom of the aquarium. It should not be strongly pressured: otherwise too much glutinous surplus is formed. Silicone is characterized by the fact that its layer is stronger than its larger.

Try to do so that the surplus silicone does not come out on both sides. If something is still "crawled out", it is better to do nothing. Let the seam dry properly, so that later it would be easier to cut the excess. We glued the glued front wall with something and leave it.

The third stage

We fix the side wall in the same way. The ends of the aquarium neatly smeared with sealant, carefully glued. It is very important at this time not to allow the formation of bevels and the like defects. Always check the condition of the silicone layer at the junction points.

Fourth stage

As you can see, all the remaining faces are glued in the same way. Walls to each other should be pressed carefully, without fanaticism: otherwise you risk just squeezing out a bunch of silicone, which almost certainly leads to the formation of leaks. In the finished form, the aquarium should be left to dry for at least one day. In no case can it be moved or moved.

Fifth stage

We have already mentioned that, but we will remind again. Since it is difficult to make an aquarium with your own hands (400 liters or more volumetric vessels in particular) from the first time, do not forget to hedge and paste the stiffeners.

Mount them should be started one day after the end of the sealing of the aquarium. First you need to turn the finished product to one side. The stiffener is carefully spread with silicone sealant all over its area. It is most important to process the longest side. We glue the parts and wait for at least a day again until the construction reaches the required strength.

If you are doing a really big aquarium, it's better not to hurry and wait at least two or three days. So much more reliable. In general, in this case, it is best to take the instructions to your sealant again and carefully study it. As a rule, there are many interesting things written there. Often in the market you can buy a sealant, the official term of full drying is at least four or five days. By the way, there is one small secret: if the room is slightly moistened, the silicone dries much faster.

Final Actions

So, the glue has finally dried up. Now it is time for us to start eliminating its surplus. For this purpose, a sharp blade or clerical knife is taken . In principle, inside the aquarium you can not cut it. Water, soil and vegetation will perfectly hide all your flaws.

Finally, we strongly recommend checking the tightness of your creation. Transfer the aquarium (if possible) to a room that, in case of which, it is not a pity to fill it. Accurately fill it with water and leave for a couple of days. If there are not a single drop of water left from the seams throughout this period, you can deservedly congratulate yourself.