If you want to glue an aquarium yourself, the first thing you need to do is choose the right glass. It must be silicate and must be of the highest grade.
All glass is divided into two groups - polished and window. The latter have only one advantage - affordable price. But they cannot be used for aquariums. A greenish tint and characteristic waviness will negatively affect the appearance of the finished product. Polished glass has no such disadvantages and provides a perfectly smooth surface.
Before answering the question, how to properly glue an aquarium, It must be said that there are two assembly methods:
- The vertical sides are installed on the bottom. Small aquariums are glued together in this way, but in general this method is rarely used.
- The walls are glued around the bottom. In this case, the strength and reliability of the finished product is achieved.
Another problem - what glue to use to glue the aquarium together?
Typically, a special sealant containing silicone is used for this.
- OBRASIL K-95.
- Tytan Professional.
- Aquarium sealant Moment Germent.
Direct gluing of the aquarium is carried out in several stages:
- Protect the glass from dirt by covering it with masking tape. Leave a distance from each edge equal to the thickness of the glass. The glass that will be the bottom is also covered.
- All surfaces must be degreased. To do this, wipe them with alcohol or an acetone-containing product. Use a lint-free cloth for this.
- The adhesive seam should be as smooth as possible. You can do it as follows: apply a small amount of silicone to the end. Once it has hardened, cut it off with a blade, leaving a small overhang above the glass. It will help you make an even seam.
- Carry out gluing on a flat and hard surface, which must be covered with polyethylene. First glue the glass that will be in front. To prevent it from falling inside, use regular jars that need to be filled with water.
- Glue the side glass, achieving perfect right angle. Then glue all the other parts. Remove excess glue from the glass with a cloth, first moistening it in a solution of water and vinegar.
- Apply masking tape around the perimeter of the entire aquarium. It will prevent the glass from tilting inward.
- After about an hour, coat the seams with silicone. Leave the product to dry for twelve hours.
- Remove the masking tape and clean up the seams with a razor blade.
- Fill the aquarium with water and check the seams for strength. If there is a leak somewhere, drain the water and dry the seam. Fill the problem area with silicone.
- Rinse the aquarium and you are ready to use it.
VIDEO ON THE TOPIC
Self-gluing an aquarium requires a competent solution to the problem, what glue to use to glue an aquarium. It must contain silicone.
When choosing, carefully study the packaging. The glue must be designed specifically for aquariums. It should not contain antibacterial substances that are harmful to fish and plants.
The glue can be of several colors: white, black and colorless
Blacks require clear boundaries and look great in large aquariums. If you are gluing an aquarium for the first time, choose transparent glue. For ease of use, buy a special gun with which you can easily squeeze out the adhesive.
Silicone sealants are considered universal remedy. They are characterized by a long service life, elasticity and provide reliable adhesion to any surface. Silicone is non-toxic, easy to use, does not emit harmful substances. The glue hardens quickly, in twenty minutes.
Within a day, polymerization is completely completed. The seams are quite strong: to destroy them will require a force of two hundred kilograms. At the same time, the glue retains its elasticity. Before using sealant, make sure that the surfaces to be treated are dry, clean and free of grease.
Answering the question of how to glue a glass aquarium together, one cannot help but say that in addition to silicone, epoxies can be used. They are more fluid, harden for a long time and require careful cleaning of surfaces. Easy to use cold welding– they are chemically inert and set in minutes. Cyacrines are also good, but in this case There should be small gaps between the parts.
If you can't find aquarium sealant, you can buy a product designed for plumbing or dishes. But it should not contain antifungal additives.
Bonding large aquariums requires certain requirements to be met. The seams should be thick best option- two to three millimeters.
- A mandatory step is degreasing.
- To avoid the formation of bubbles, you must first install all the glass and only then introduce the silicone.
- Squeeze out the glue until silicone flows outside the seam and there are no bubbles inside.
- The glass of a large aquarium is secured on top with corner clamps; a simple support is sufficient from below.
- Place a board of appropriate width inside and hold the glass.
- At this time, the second person presses the silicone.
- When the silicone is pressed into the seam, the excess is carefully removed from both sides.
If you are interested in how to glue a large aquarium together, remember that it requires ties and stiffeners. But they can be glued only after the glue has completely dried.
To fix the stiffeners, the aquarium must be placed on one of the sides. The ribs are glued at a distance of three centimeters from the top edge, then let the glue dry.
VIDEO
If you decide to enliven your underwater landscape with stones, you will find this information useful: how to glue rocks for an aquarium. As a rule, silicone glue is used for this. To ensure the strength of the structure, you need to lubricate all points of contact.
When creating large compositions, it is better to pre-glue individual stones with silicone sealant. This way you will protect the aquarium from cracks and glass splits due to falling stones.
Repairing cracked aquarium glass
1.Delete old glue
We take a utility knife and place it against the glass with the old glue line. Using light pressure, we draw along the glass to cut off the old glue. We repeat the procedure on the reverse side. It is more convenient to pick up the adhesive by moving the knife from bottom to top. After this, the cut strip can be easily torn off by hand.
Using this algorithm, we remove glue from all corners of the aquarium.
REPAIR VIDEO
2. Degrease the surface
We degrease the seams that have just been cleaned of glue residue. To do this, soak a cotton cloth in rubbing alcohol and rub it along the seams. Leave the aquarium for 10 minutes to dry.
3. Glue the damaged aquarium
To glue the seams again, we use special glue for aquariums (for example OBRASIL K-95).
Adhesives available in stores different colors- choose the one that suits the design of your aquarium. We begin to squeeze it out of the syringe, moving up from the corner at the bottom along the wall of the aquarium.
We take a small board (for example, you can take part of a wooden clothespin), apply it to the place where you started squeezing out the glue, and lift it up along the seam to remove excess glue and level the glue seam. Spread excess glue over the top of the glass.
We perform gluing for all the walls of the aquarium.
The glue should be as close to the seam as possible. Then the updated aquarium will be airtight and will last for many years.
Aquarium keeping is considered one of the most popular hobbies nowadays. This is due not only to the love of fish, but also to the fact that an aquarium can be an effective element of the interior that does not require special daily care. In addition, observing the mobile inhabitants of reservoirs is great way relaxation. The models offered by the market for keeping fish do not always meet the needs of the aquarist. That is why there is a need to create your own version of the design. It's not particularly difficult if you know exactly how to do the work.
Selection of materials for construction
The right choice materials will ensure the quality and durability of the product during operation. Wrong choice in best case scenario will cost you wet flooring, at worst, it will cause a flood to the neighbors below and death to the inhabitants of the ecosystem.
The main material of manufacture is glass. It is believed that best brands material - M1 or M8. When purchasing it, you should pay attention to the absence of cracks and chips. Second important element will be the choice of adhesive element. It's important to make sure it's a sealant.
Did you know? The first sealant in human history was beeswax, which primitive hunters used to glue feathers to arrows. The era of modern sealants began in the 1900s.
Selecting a sealant
Sealant is a viscous adhesive mass of paste-like consistency. Its purpose is to glue structures: butt seams or cracks. The sealant should make the structure intact and airtight. It can glue any materials, including glass.
Varieties:
Most often used when working with glass. silicone sealant. This material is based on silicone rubber compounds and additives that enhance its strength and adhesion. This type of adhesive is resistant to aggressive environments and moisture. An aquarium glued with silicone sealant can be used at temperatures from -50 to +200 degrees.
Features of material application:
- applied to a carefully prepared, clean, dry, grease-free surface;
- the sealant layer hardens for at least 30 minutes, so position the glass so that the drying process does not interfere with anyone;
- the final hardening time depends on the thickness of the layer;
- cannot be applied to layers of old sealant.
Polyurethane sealant consists of synthetic rubber substitutes. This material also works well on glass surfaces. When choosing a color, it is better to focus on transparent material. Such appearance the junction does not attract attention. If the seam is not even enough, the colorless sealant will not allow others to see it.
The basic rule for purchasing sealant is to carefully read the instructions. It must indicate that:
- the material can be used to make an aquarium;
- it does not have antibacterial properties. Components designed to defeat bacteria, in contact with water, will destroy living creatures in the ecosystem of an artificial reservoir;
- it is desirable if the container indicates that the material is safe for fish;
- the properties of the material should indicate that it is high-strength, elastic and has a long service life.
Glass selection
Glass is the second necessary component of the product. Main technical specifications glass - thickness. The possible volume of the aquarium depends on it.
Ratio of glass thickness to volume:
- 4 mm - 5-30 l;
- 5 mm - 30-80 l;
- 6 mm - 80-150 l;
- 8 mm - 150-220 l;
- 1 cm - 220-300 l.
There is an opinion that to make an aquarium it is enough to take used window glass, a showcase or any glass 5 mm thick for a 200 liter capacity. There is no need to do this, and here's why:
- used window glass has already been exposed to various weather conditions - it has aged, its structure has changed, and so has the thickness of the glass;
- the showcases were made of M3 glass. But remember that on the sides they are reinforced not with sealant, but with metal plates.
- the same applies to the possibility of making a large-volume aquarium from thin glass with additional stiffening ribs.
All of the above options do not guarantee the strength and durability of the structure. Therefore, it is better to feel sorry for yourself and your work than to do the work twice. After all, an aquarium is not built for a year, and the cost of glass in terms of its service life will not be very large.
Glass must be cut in a glass workshop. In this case, be sure to check with the master whether they perform grinding of edges, polishing, and chamfering. When picking up your order, check whether the sides and corners of the future sides of the container meet.
The main achievement of the computer era for the aquarist is the aquarium calculator. This is a program that allows you to enter the dimensions of the future fish house and get the volume of water and soil that will fit in it according to the dimensions you entered. Such calculators also take into account whether the walls will be attached around or resting on the bottom and specific non-rectangular shapes. In the calculation, it is also necessary to take into account that today aquariums are made with a double bottom.
Did you know? It is believed that Phoenician merchants were the first to obtain glass by accidentally lighting a fire on a deserted sandy beach. It was only in the 20th century that scientists proved that it was impossible to obtain glass in this way: the melting point of sand would have to be higher than the temperature of a fire.
Required Tools
For manufacturing you will need the following tools:
- silicone gun;
- metal corners;
- clamps;
- masking tape;
- stationery knife;
- spatulas;
- cardboard backings.
Design options
The main and most simple form- a rectangle or cube in which the sides are located at right angles. It is possible to create a curved shape: prism, triangle, octagon, etc. Unfortunately, at home it is not possible to make a round or cylindrical aquarium. It is easiest to decide on the choice of form when working with aquarium calculator. Most programs not only calculate the volume, but also visually show you the shape.
When choosing a shape, remember that fish swim in a horizontal plane. Therefore, a container that is elongated in length is more consistent with the natural shape of the reservoir than an aquarium that is elongated vertically.
Did you know? The creator of the modern aquarium is the English scientist Nathaniel Ward. While studying the characteristics of plant life in humid environments, Ward first placed a plant in a container of water and for some reason added a goldfish there. This is how the first aquarium appeared. This happened in 1841.
DIY fish aquarium
Surface preparation:
- Before applying the sealant, the glass must be thoroughly degreased. The sealant must be applied to a dry treated surface;
- prepare the work area, taking into account that it will take time for the adhesive layer to dry;
- We place soft rags or thick cardboard under the future bottom;
- fill the sealant into the gun and cut off the spout.
Option 1. Gluing the walls one at a time around the bottom. Execution order:
- We take the wall and apply silicone to its end. The layer should be uniform.
- Place the wall on the bottom and press lightly.
- Prop it up and leave it to dry.
Option 2. Gluing the walls in the assembly. Execution order:
- We assemble the structure using clamps, a metal corner and thick cardboard spacers between the glasses. Spacers will provide the necessary clearance.
- After fastening, the gasket is removed and the gap is filled with sealant.
- In this type of assembly, all the sealant is applied at once and the structure is left to dry for several days.
- To get an even, beautiful seam, you can run a spatula over the raw silicone and level the surface. Or you can cut off the excess when the silicone begins to dry out.
Video: DIY aquarium
How to make an aquarium cover with lighting
The lid can be made of transparent plastic. To prevent it from damaging the glass, a foam edging is glued along its perimeter with silicone. Plastic cover It is also convenient for installing LED lighting, which is considered the most environmentally friendly and modern.
Did you know? The history of keeping ornamental fish and their selection dates back to the Tang Dynasty in China (618–907). During this period, the Chinese not only kept fish in special vases, but also managed to breed the first goldfish from silver crucian carp.
To perform the simplest lighting, choose a tape with a self-adhesive base, remove the protective strip and secure the tape around the perimeter of the lid. Such lighting will provide the necessary diffused light.
It is better to entrust the assembly of lighting using LED lamps to an electrician or a person who knows how to assemble such structures. The materials for such an assembly will be the lamps themselves, a base for an improvised lamp, a power supply, wire, coolers, connectors for lamps.
Procedure
Video: Do-it-yourself illuminated lid for an aquarium
Interior arrangement
First of all, you should take care of the bottom layer of the aquarium. Most good decision This question is fine gravel or small pebbles. Some species of fish need places to be alone. They are made from natural stone: granite, basalt, cobblestone. Decoratively placed stones will create the necessary cavities, grottoes and caves.
Wood driftwood can be made from non- coniferous species tree. The snag should not contain damaged areas: rotten, damaged by bark beetles. Suitable driftwood is boiled for 10 hours in salt water, and then, to remove the saltiness, soaked for a week in clean water. At the same time, the water is changed daily.
Using coconut as a decoration is possible after boiling it for 10 minutes in salted water and soaking it in boiled water for 24 hours. Clay and ceramics are used if you are sure that they do not contain harmful impurities.
It is possible to make a three-dimensional background in an aquarium from PVC plates, stones, wood or ceramics. Decorative elements attached to a PVC plate using silicone sealant.
Important! Be sure to purchase a filter to keep your aquarium clean.
Aquarium prevention and maintenance
In order for the inhabitants of the aquarium to delight with their activity, care should be taken to prevent diseases of the flora and fauna:
- When starting an aquarium, it is necessary that the soil, decorations, plants, and equipment be disinfected.
- Housing conditions must correspond to those that are optimal for the inhabitants of the biotope: water temperature, hardness, acidity, light.
- Regular proper nutrition inhabitants.
- Regular cleaning and removal of anything that is diseased or dead.
- Partial weekly water changes.
- Combating biotope overpopulation.
- Mandatory quarantine for new residents. New fish can bring with them microorganisms against which the inhabitants of the aquarium have no immunity, and this can provoke diseases among the existing aquatic organisms.
- Timely isolation and treatment of sick fish.
- Adding preventative medications to the aquarium that improve general condition water and its inhabitants.
Important! The only disease transmitted from fish to humans is aquarium granuloma, or fish tuberculosis. Of course, a person will not develop pulmonary tuberculosis, but the rash will have to be treated with antibiotics. The causative agent of the disease lives in any aquarium, but only weakened fish living in a polluted environment get sick from it..
The aquarium is leaking, what should I do?
A leak can be caused by just a few reasons:
If it is a minor damage to the seam with outside, then it can be glued with silicone. In other cases, it is necessary to temporarily remove all hydrobionts from the aquarium.
Preparatory work:
- reveal everything possible places leakage. To identify problem areas, you can apply a regular toilet paper to all seams on the outside of the container. Problem areas indicated by wet spots on the paper;
- prepare sealant for work;
- drain the water and wash the container.
A corner of the aquarium is leaking
If the leak occurs at the junction of the side windows, then there is no need to drain the water. It is enough to simply lower the water level 5 cm below the leakage level.
The seam is leaking
If a leak appears at the junction of the bottom and side wall, the water will have to be drained. The animals will be moved to a temporary facility. Clean the leaking area from the old sealant and apply a new one. The aquarium can be used again only after the seam has dried after 3-4 days.
A series of bubbles appears
After pouring water, the load begins to act on the walls. Under its influence, the glass is deformed. Typically, the percentage of deformation does not exceed the maximum permissible values for a given glass. But:
- when using glass whose thickness is less than that required for the given volume of the aquarium, the safety margin may not be enough and the wall will begin to collapse;
- the sealant may have been applied to a contaminated surface and therefore did not adhere sufficiently to the glass;
- the aquarium could be accidentally hit, for example, when carrying out repair work indoors;
- the seal could be broken by the pets themselves if he stood unsteadily, and the pile decorative stones was not secured and fell during the active fishing activity of making shelters.
Now, armed with knowledge about aquariums and how to assemble them, you can easily make one for personal use.
I would like to note that you have completely gone off the rails if you decided on such extravagance as creating a large or, at the very least, lopsided aquarium. Are you disgusted with the banal, flat, rectangular shape? So, to contemplate what is contained in this form, this is what you need! How straighter plane, which you are staring at, the less distortion there is. No wonder SONY is bending over backwards trying to create the flattest screen possible. Do you want a panoramic aquarium!.. Or a corner one? This changes things. The polyhedron isn't bad either, so...
Why am I trying to dissuade you! Not from me, but from someone else, you will find a way to glue such cans, glue them together and you will look with disgust at the creation of your hands, especially since it will soon fall apart and you will have to raise money to repair your neighbors’ apartments. So, I’d better give you a hint.
I suggest:
Somehow my muse has gone wild again, I have to pacify it. SO,
First of all, the main difference in making an aquarium complex shape consists of... cutting glass. You will probably have to be present during this process, if possible. Especially if you ordered glass from a company that has nothing to do with aquariums (aquarium specialists still know how to cut and measure glass). It's all about dishonesty, irresponsibility and laziness of glass cutters. Even if you manage to overcome all these vices in them, they will fall into greed.
In short, the problem is that edges that are cut not at right angles to the adjacent ones, but, for example, at an angle of 45" are a little more difficult to cut. Simply, when cutting out octagonal glass, you need to cut off 4 corners from the square. So, the break points These corners don't look as neat as straight cuts.
All these are subtleties of cutting glass, but they can serve you badly if the result is measured by someone who is completely indifferent to the reliability and appearance of your aquarium.
After they cut out the bottom for you, take the trouble to measure it yourself very carefully. When you measure the size, for example, of the front glass in a corner aquarium or, in general, of any glass that makes up obtuse angles in an aquarium, make sure that the gap between adjacent glasses is 1-3 mm.
By the way, a few words about the size and shape of the future aquarium:
If you want a corner aquarium, make it pentagonal rather than triangular, no matter how tempting that may be. Firstly, sharp corners will make cleaning the aquarium difficult, and secondly, you will simply get tired of gluing these corners together, trying to make them reliable and beautiful. So, I advise you to make a corner aquarium of this standard shape:
Well, I think you can figure it out on your own with polyhedra and panoramas. If these words put you into a state of deep thought, then you can take a look here.
Now a little about the rest of the glass that makes up, so to speak, the body of the aquarium.
If we are talking about corner aquarium, then covering the bottom with walls will look like this:
Panoramic The aquarium is glued as follows:
Polyhedron Shouldn't raise any questions at all:
In fact, you can combine the glass in some other way, but the proposed options are simple and reliable, and do not require any special skills in operation.
Well, directly with gluing there are no serious differences from what I already wrote about.
I would like to say a few words about gluing obtuse angles, for the sake of which, in fact, all this writing was started. The point is that, for example, glue the front glass to a corner aquarium in the usual way It's simply impossible. And this is done as follows:
First place the notorious glass against the aquarium, without spreading it with glue, in order to check whether the cracks that are to be filled with glue are even, i.e. future seams. If this is in order, then the glass is smeared with glue at the bottom, put in its place and pressed on top with something like a rack with a weight, placing one end of it on this very flimsy front glass, and the other “hooking” on some back a wall that is already quite rigid due to the viscosity of the glue in the seams holding this back wall.
Now, having convinced yourself of the relative stability and immobility of the front glass, you can take your hands off it and be glad that it is not falling anywhere. Then take the glue gun in your free hands and fill the seams with glue outside aquarium This should be done starting from the bottom, making sure that the glue fills the seam to its full thickness, squeezing out into the aquarium. The finishing touch you need to form the outer surface of the seams. To do this, cut a piece of thick cardboard for each seam and, holding the glass by the top, thereby controlling its movement relative to the adjacent walls, spread glue with the cardboard from top to bottom, making sure that you get a clear boundary between the surface of the seam itself and the excess glue.
Now check whether any glass has moved during such a heavy gluing process, and calmly leave the aquarium to dry.
After the glue has completely dried (this will not happen earlier than in a day, but it’s better to wait longer), you can start cutting off the excess glue. Using the blade of a stationery knife, cut off the external excess produced by you as a result of “forming the surface of the seam”, and also cut off the glue that has protruded into the aquarium from the corner seams at the root, being careful not to get into the seam itself. After this, the seam should look like this:
Now place the aquarium face down, with the top towards you, moving it slightly so that it hangs slightly off the table. If possible, give the tip of the glue tube a slightly curved shape (this can be done by heating the tip with a lighter), something like this:
Carefully but firmly apply the glue “sausage” to the inner surface corner seams, making sure that the glue covers both glasses, like this:
Of course, let the glue dry.
In this way you will significantly strengthen these flimsy-looking seams.
But even after this, the front glass will remain more mobile than the rest. Therefore, you can cover your aquarium with all sorts of ribs and ties at your discretion, just to secure the front glass without completely blocking access to the aquarium :-)))
Those. for a corner aquarium you can use this amplification circuit:
The panorama is glued in the same way, with the only difference that it has 3 of these flimsy glasses.
For it you can glue the edges like this:
It is better to glue the polyhedron in several steps. First, glue 3 glasses, hooking the middle one to some stationary object, and glue the two adjacent ones in turn to it as follows:
When the bottom of the glass is already smeared with glue and pressed to the bottom, hold the glass with your fingers along with the middle fixed glass by the upper edge, right at the seam. Now, holding them in place with one hand, fill the corner seam with glue (carefully!). Then shape its surface with cardboard. After this, you can safely let go of your hand - the glass will not go anywhere. Perform a similar operation with the second glass.
The next day it will be easier to glue the remaining glass.
Otherwise, gluing shaped cans is no different from gluing rectangular ones. Such moments as smearing the bottom around the perimeter, spreading vertical seams in right angles with a spatula, cutting glue - everything is the same as with rectangular ones. Strictly speaking, gluing aquariums is not such a difficult thing!
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Information on how to make a glass aquarium with your own hands will be useful to many. Although specialized stores offer a fairly wide assortment, not every fish lover can find the desired model, and some are not satisfied with the cost, which is quite high. In addition, the manufacture of such structures is a good business where you can make good money. Making both a small tank and a 500-liter aquarium with your own hands is much cheaper than purchasing it.
How to choose glass
Correctly selected material from which the structure will be assembled is already half the success. Glass must meet both aesthetic and functional requirements: to provide good review and withstand water pressure. The wrong choice will lead to an unsatisfactory final result. Before you buy glass for an aquarium, you need to know some rules:
- It should be silicate, not organic. The latter is synthetic and can release chemicals that will negatively affect the fauna and flora in the aquarium. In addition, its appearance leaves much to be desired, so plexiglass will not work.
- There are two types of silicate glass, which differ in the quality of processing. Window glass, which is well known to everyone, is also completely unsuitable for making an aquarium, since it is fragile, has irregularities and distorts the image. A design made from such material will inevitably cause disappointment. It is better not to waste time, effort and money, but to immediately purchase display glass - it is carefully polished, and its surface is smooth and shiny. Just what you need! It costs a little more, but these funds will not be thrown away.
- It is also very important to pay attention to the variety. Glass has eight of them, starting from M1 (highest quality) and ending with M8. There is no need to skimp - craftsmen recommend choosing M1 for making an aquarium. If you buy glass yourself best quality for some reason is not possible, then M2 will do. And M3 is used only in extreme cases. It is forbidden to choose lower grades, because in this case the glass will not be able to cope with its purpose, simply put, it will burst.
When purchasing glass, you need to carefully inspect its surface, which should be without any defects. Even the smallest crack or scratch can lead to disastrous results.
It is also necessary to accurately calculate the glass for the aquarium. If everything is clear with such parameters as height, length and width - they are chosen by the manufacturer, then with the thickness of the walls it will be a little more complicated. To calculate it, you need to determine the volume of the future reservoir using the formula from a school physics course: V = l*a*h, multiplying all the indicators, and then resort to the help of the table:
* — with stiffening ribs; ** - with ribs and ties
Stiffening ribs and their ties are additional elements in the form of strips of glass, helping the structure to contain the pressure of the volume of water in aquariums whose length exceeds 50 cm, preventing the formation of deflection of the walls. Although they are sometimes used in the manufacture of smaller tanks. The stiffeners are glued to the walls at an angle of 90°, which will be described in more detail below. The use of such elements allows not only to increase the strength of the vessel, but also to place a glass lid on top of it.
You can cut the glass into the necessary parts yourself if you have good experience. And if it is not there, then it is better to use the services of a professional and special workshops.
After choosing the ideal material for the walls, you need to move on to the next point: how to glue a glass aquarium together? This question is no less important.
How to choose glue?
Construction stores offer a wide range of different products. But when choosing what you can use to glue glass to glass, you need to take into account the specific use for aquariums. Firstly, the product must provide complete waterproofness for obvious reasons, because if the aquarium is leaking, it means it is not suitable for use.
Secondly, before deciding which sealant to glue the aquarium with, you need to think about the design future design That's why they come in black and transparent. If this is your first attempt to assemble a tank with your own hands, then, of course, you should use a colorless product - this way they will not be visible possible errors. Black waterproof aquarium glue, on the other hand, works best on larger tanks and requires some experience, skill, and extreme care to apply.
Now directly about the choice. Many beginners in the aquarium hobby ask the question: “Can I use silicone sealant?” Need to. This is the only suitable solution for the future tank, so the answer is obvious. Silicone glass adhesive has all the necessary properties, first of all, excellent insulation. You should not experiment and choose other means, for example, epoxy glue for an aquarium - do not best option, because its purpose is completely different.
When purchasing glue, you should carefully read its instructions - is it suitable for aquariums? Some products contain antifungal substances that are harmful to the inhabitants and plants of a home pond.
What is the best aquarium sealant? We'll help you decide on a purchase. Here are the most used among specialists:
- Dow Corning 911 is the undoubted leader;
- Tytan – has excellent properties, but has bad smell, which will weather for several days;
- Soudal Silirub AQ – has proven itself;
- Chemlux 9013 – German made.
Suitable aquarium silicone will ensure the reliability of the design and comfortable life aquatic inhabitants. It should be remembered that all work must be carried out with gloves, not
Aquarium gluing process
When required material purchased, you can begin the assembly itself. To do this you will need some tools:
- whetstone (it is better to choose a soft one);
- a syringe with a volume of 20 cubic meters (if the glass thickness is less than 4 mm, sealant will be applied with it);
- a sharp blade (a stationery knife may also work);
- paper napkins to remove excess glue;
- degreaser.
How to glue an aquarium at home? There are two ways to glue an aquarium, which differ in the location of the walls in relation to the bottom:
- they are glued directly to the bottom;
- around him.
In terms of reliability and assembly complexity, both of these designs are approximately the same, and their technologies are not very different from each other. They allow you to make either a small tank for several inhabitants or make a large aquarium with your own hands. For example, for the first method you need to adhere to the following action plan:
- For safe work, you need to sharpen the edges of the glass to avoid possible cuts. To do this, place a thick soft cloth on the bottom of the bathtub, preferably a terry towel (to avoid damage), draw water and place glass in it. Then the edges are carefully processed with a moistened chiseled stone. There is no need to touch the cut itself - this may lead to the fact that the sealant for gluing aquariums will not be able to firmly connect the surfaces.
- After this procedure, all edges must be thoroughly dried and wiped with a disinfectant.
- Next, the most crucial stage begins. The walls have been cut and processed, the means to glue the glass together have been selected, all that remains is to fasten the components of the structure. To do this, place the bottom on newspaper (note that the tank will dry in this place within 24 hours). First you need to take the front wall of the aquarium and apply sealant to its end (if the glass is thin, then use a syringe), and then carefully place it on the bottom of the aquarium, only slightly pressing down.
- There is no need to remove excess glue yet. The side wall is attached in a similar way, only the vertical edge is also smeared. The remaining edges are glued in the same way.
- The resulting structure should dry for about a day, unless otherwise indicated in the instructions for the sealant. Next, if necessary, install stiffeners. The aquarium is placed on the side wall, and the cut plates are carefully coated on three sides and glued to the aquarium. After this, dry for another 24 hours.
- When the glue has completely dried, you can remove any remaining glue using a blade or utility knife. To do this, make light movements along the surface of the glass.
- Now it’s time to test the aquarium’s strength by filling it with water. If a leak has formed, you can try to fix it without peeling off the walls. To do this, press a little sealant with your finger into the leak area or remove the area of the leaking seam. If the problem is not solved, then the wall is separated with a knife and the gluing procedure begins again.
Here brief information about how to make an aquarium yourself, which will help you save a lot of money. The main thing is to choose the right materials and follow the gluing technology. If everything is done properly, you can get a wonderful result.
Glass rectangular aquariums with fish, decorating the interior of homes, offices and shopping centers, are familiar to every fan of the underwater world. Having carefully studied the design of the tank, many fish holders come to the conclusion that they can make an aquarium themselves using glass, necessary tools and glue. Although stores display a wide range of containers for keeping fish, not every aquarist can choose a model to their liking, and some are confused by the price of artificial reservoirs. In addition, knowing how to glue an aquarium correctly, you can make money by selling homemade containers. There are some rules and nuances that will help you learn how to make an aquarium with your own hands.
Perhaps for novice aquarists just joining the ranks of fans of the underwater depths, the question of how to make an aquarium with your own hands will seem strange. After all, pet stores and Internet sites offer a wide range of models of artificial ponds: giant and small, rectangular and round, with and without lids. However, despite such an abundance of tanks, many experienced aquarists prefer to make a homemade aquarium.
The decision to glue an aquarium at home has many reasons. For example, a fish holder lives in an area remote from the city, and transporting a fragile glass container causes difficulties. Some owners make structures for sale, earning money at the same time. But main reason, according to which most aquarists decide to make an aquarium with their own hands, what remains is the joy of the work done and the desire to save money.
If a large aquarium is being built, then stiffening ribs will be required. These are additional components that help the structure withstand fluid pressure, preventing the walls from sagging. The stiffening ribs are installed at right angles, which allows you to increase the strength of the container and install a glass lid for the aquarium.
Separately, it should be noted such a nuance as cutting glass. If the aquarist does not have experience in this matter, it is better to entrust the work to professionals, since inept actions will lead to sad results.
Glue selection
How to glue a glass aquarium is an important question, since the strength and durability of the structure depends on the correct choice of adhesive mixture. There are many types of glue that can be used to connect glass edges together. But to make the aquarium durable and reliable, the adhesive must meet the following requirements:
- Safety.
- Strength and elasticity.
- Aesthetic appearance.
- Rapid grasping.
- Ease of use.
- Durability.
- High degree of adhesion.
Silicone sealant meets these requirements, thanks to which you can make a durable and reliable tank. Before gluing an aquarium with silicone sealant with your own hands, it is important to pay attention to the composition of the glue. The composition should not contain impurities, and the substance itself should not be antibacterial, otherwise the fish may be harmed.
Silicone sealant is available in three colors:
- White – When using this shade, it is important to note that the design may appear unfinished.
- Unpainted - used to create small tanks with a capacity of up to 100 liters.
- Black – used for gluing bulky structures, it looks elegant and noble.
The following brands of sealants are considered the most popular and reliable:
- Dow Corning 911.
- Tytan.
- Soudal Silirub AQ.
How to glue an aquarium
There are artificial reservoirs for keeping fish different sizes and shapes, however, for the first time you should give preference to a rectangular aquarium, the manufacture of which is simple and convenient. There are two ways to glue an aquarium at home:
- The walls are glued to the bottom of the tank.
- The glass is glued around the bottom.
Both methods do not differ from each other in terms of reliability and service life. Having chosen the first method and prepared necessary materials, you can start gluing the parts.
How to properly glue an aquarium:
- The first step is to sharpen the edges of the glass so as not to get hurt during assembly. To do this, the glass faces are transferred to a bathtub, the bottom of which is covered with a soft and clean cloth, the container is filled with water and the piece of glass is placed. After moistening the sharpening stone, carefully process the edges with it. The cut must remain intact, otherwise the silicone sealant will not be able to adhere tenaciously.
- Having completed the processing of the edges, carefully remove the glass and wipe it dry with a clean towel. After this, the edges are treated with a disinfectant.
- As preparation is completed, they begin responsible actions - gluing surfaces. The bottom of the future tank is carefully laid on the newspaper, then sealant is applied to the end of the front wall using a gun, and the glass is carefully placed on the bottom of the tank, gently and lightly pressing. If excess glue appears, then there is no need to remove the sealant - a double seam is used for strength.
- The side walls are glued in the same way, except that their vertical ribs are lubricated with sealant. The resulting structure is left to dry for 24 hours, but sometimes it takes more time for the glue to set well.
- After the sealant has dried, clamps are installed to glue the aquarium together if an impressive container is being built. A day later, after all the parts are securely glued, the excess adhesive mixture is eliminated using sharp knife or blades.
- The assembled aquarium is checked for reliability and leaks. To do this, fill the container with water and carefully inspect the joints. If there is still a leak, you can try to fix it by pressing a little glue into the weak spot. After this, you can begin to launch an artificial reservoir and stock it with fish and shellfish.
When assembling the fish tank, safety precautions should be observed by wearing protective gloves during installation and manufacturing.
Aquarium cover
The aquarium lid is an element without which the design cannot be completed. The coating provides protection for energetic shellfish and active fish that jump to the surface and fall down to die. The simplest and most economical version of a homemade lid is a thin plastic sheet that is installed on the stiffeners.
If the owner wishes, you can build protective coating made of silicate glass or durable plastic, installing lighting. For convenience, a handle is attached to the lid to conveniently open/close the tank. To avoid damage to the top edge of the glass, construct a soft layer of sealant. In addition, it is important to first measure the parameters of the aquarium so that the lid fits in size and looks harmonious.
Making an aquarium at home for the first time may seem difficult, but with patience and detailed instructions Assembling the tank is easy. The main thing is to choose quality materials so that the structure becomes a safe haven for colorful fish, exotic shellfish and underwater flora. Once you get your hands on making artificial ponds, you can turn this hobby into profitable business, having started producing aquariums at home.
Video about making an aquarium with your own hands
