Goobers 85 gallon diy acrylic build (big thanks to Reef Lounge)

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Goober

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So I've been wanting a bigger tank without having a tank too big. I decided that a 36x24x22 build would be perfect for me. I picked up a 36x24x16 tank earlier but felt that it was too shallow for me so I wanted to try my hands at building my own.
My experience with diy acrylic is very limited but things I tend to do myself come out pretty well.
First off I want to thank the guys over at Reef Lounge for pointing me in the right direction and supplying the acrylic.
Another thanks to James (newtothis) for helping me with a few cuts and giving me additional pointers. Also thanks to Michael (jetsetter) for letting borrow a few tools.
My equipment will consist of coralife 2 bulb t5s, full apex with ph probe, jebao 12000 dc return pump, reef octopus 150 skimmer, 2 x tlf 150 phosban reactors, mp10 wes, And a tunze nano ato.
Items I have on my wishlist will be a riptide, mp40, and radion g3 pros (maybe 2).
 
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Goober

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So far I have the acrylic. I will be spending a few days preparing the acrylic for gluing. But first I'm going to practice cutting teeth into the back wall since I'm making this with an external overflow. uploadfromtaptalk1409866287865.jpg
 
reefes pieces

reefes pieces

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Also if ur in my neck of the woods. I made a small router jig for overflow teeth u can use. Best advice is sandwich the acrylic with wood to avoid ugly chips on the teeth
 
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Goober

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I'm using weld on 4 but have weldon 16 incase I have gaps I need to fill. I'm working on my own router jig made from wood atm. I'll post some pics of what I get accomplished
 
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ngvu1

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Wow Goober, brave man. Congratulation on actually taking charge and do something with it. Now, I have to say, if you still need pointers for acrylic work from James, the New-To-This guy, you should have the tank set up exactly where you took the picture of the acrylic.....hahahaha! Well at least fill the tank with water and kick it real hard..... a few times to see how many pieces you come back with before bringing it to the house if you have that plan to use the tank inside the house :); **** I must be bored at work and pick on mr. James. Is he still here?
 
Emac909

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My Tank Build
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Man your worse then a women. "I want a big tank!" "No I was a small tank!" "No I want a tank that is just right!" Make up your mind Goldie locks. Lol
Have fun acrylic is a PTA to get right.
 
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Goober

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Emac909 said:
Man your worse then a women. "I want a big tank!" "No I was a small tank!" "No I want a tank that is just right!" Make up your mind Goldie locks. Lol
Have fun acrylic is a PTA to get right.
Click to expand...
Lol I it's my last "upgrade" till I get a new place so I think these dims are perfect!
 
AddictedtoSalt

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After building my sump I have s couple of tips...
1) make sure your work surface is flat and level

2) take your time and make sure each edge to be glued is straight and perfectly smooth with no low or high spots. This can be done using a router and trimming 1/16" off each edge.

3) check, double check, triple check each edge before you glue it.

4) use the pin method and weldon #4. Avoid #16. #4 makes for stronger seams. #16 is ok for gaps. You dont want any gaps in the tank as those will be the weak spots.

4) let the solvent set for at least 30 minutes before moving on to the next joint.

5) use plastic squares with the corner cut out to square up each panel and hold them while applyinh the solvent and while its curing.

6) TAKE YOUR TIME! And have fun.

7) Pratuce glueing on scap pieces so you have an idea of how the solvent will flow and so you can achieve clear joints

Good luck with your build you'll really enjoy it and take a great deal of pride in it knowing you built your tank.
 
Last edited:
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Goober

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AddictedtoSalt said:
After building my sump I have s couple of tips...
1) make sure your work surface is flat and level

2) take your time and make sure each edge to be glued is straight and perfectly smooth with no low or high spots. This can be done using a router and trimming 1/16" off each edge.

3) check, double check, triple check each edge before you glue it.

4) use the pin method and weldon #4. Avoid #16. #4 makes for stronger seams. #16 is ok for gaps. You dont want any gaps in the tank as those will be the weak spots.

4) let the solvent set for at least 30 minutes before moving on to the next joint.

5) use plastic squares with the corner cut out to square up each panel and hold them while applyinh the solvent and while its curing.

6) TAKE YOUR TIME! And have fun.

7) Pratuce glueing on scap pieces so you have an idea of how the solvent will flow and so you can achieve clear joints

Good luck with your build you'll really enjoy it and take a great deal of pride in it knowing you built your tank.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tips! I'm still working on perfecting the teeth today also fattening out edges still
 
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