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very cost efficient to build your own tank?
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Posted by njbiology z6b NJ (My Page) on Fri, Jul 1, 05 at 2:33
| I was thinking of building my own 175 or 200 gallon aquarium. Would i be saving more then $150 by building one? if not, its not worth it - especially with the risk that the silicone job might not go well |
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RE: very cost efficient to build your own tank?
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Hi
Probably the only way DIY is worthwhile is if you want a very large tank or unusual shape. You can make them out of glass,plexiglass or plywood. Unless you have a source for materials such as used glass it will probably run almost as much as a finished unit. You also need some tools and a large ,clean work area. There are a lot of websites on these projects that will give you some ideas. It's certainly not an easy task but it can be done.
gary |
RE: very cost efficient to build your own tank?
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- Posted by kirap Alabama Z9 (My Page) on
Fri, Jul 1, 05 at 7:56
| I can;t see how it would be cost effective to build your own even if its only a 10 gal, but with that said I will confess I have built a heap of them over the years. I do a lot of scrounging, and get lots of plate glass, mirrows, acrylic materials, so on those days I ama bored I may make a tank. Only expense is the silicone, and masking tape for me, and I am retired so I don't mind. I often salvage tanks with broken pieces, but the biggest problem is frame material, for top and bottom edges.......I machine the hoods and make my own lighted hoods as well out of acrylics as well. |
RE: very cost efficient to build your own tank?
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| You're only talking about ~4x2x2 (120 gallons) dimension wise. If you're building it out of wood and liner it should be cheaper. If you want glass or acrylic (unless you have access to those things at a lowered price or free like kirap) it's better to buy one. There are plans for a diy tank out of wood with a glass front panel on the net. If you don't care about a side view on the fish the cheapest route is a 150 gallon stock tank. Adrea |
RE: very cost efficient to build your own tank?
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| I have never made a "tank' before but have made some things out of acrylic and repaired glass seals before. Acrylic takes a little practice so I would try a smaller scale tank for starters. Acrylic is also on the expensive side along with the adhesive to bond it.For glass. A money saving tip is to use DAP window and Door 100% silicone. It is the same as there Aquarium safe silicone but a fraction of the price.You can get 2 tubes the size you can use in a caulking gun for the same price for a small tube of "aquarium safe". Just buy at a hardware store that sells both so you can compare the specs. to make sure it is the correct one. In NJ a ACE hardware sells both. Depending on your NJ location check local classifieds for used tanks. In wetern NJ we have a weekly for sale magazine called Treasure Hunter. I got a 125 gal for $50 w/ glass canopy.Also check with your local shop for broken tanks thay may want to sell for a discount. Usually pet shops that sell reptiles have a few. Just repair them. The best priced place for just tanks alone (new) so far I have found is in Edison at Petland Discounts. 75 gal new = $115, 125gal new= $229 both all-glass brand. go to About.com for DIY and it will give you a good list of sites. |
RE: very cost efficient to build your own tank?
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| I've built a number of fishtanks, but only when I needed a specific size, or for a specific purpose. I just gave away a beautiful 350 gal made out of plywood with a glass front. They aren't cost effective at all, but if you have a particular need that a standard tank won't fill, they are your only choice. There is little danger of a home made tank giving way, or even leaking, if you take your time and do it right. Plywood tanks can be a great way to get a larger tank (for stingrays, or sections of a river biotope). Mine was 8' side to side, with a 4' front to back - 32 square feet of surface area. This gave a great section of amazon backwater biotope for me (bare bottom, with driftwood and plastic plants in the tank, as it was too dificult to run with anything more). I did have some live floating plants (duckweed and watersprite), and some river jacks for the fish to use as territory boundries. I had 10 pair of angelfish that were breeding in this just about constantly for over 5 years, as well as a number of larger tetras (like bleeding hearts and diamond tetras) that schooled like in a river. The dwarf chiclids also set up natural territories, and everyone raised their fry in the tank as if it were a natural pond. I was amazed that every now and then one or two fry would survive to a young adult stage - especially the tetras. It was a great trank, but it did make the basement VERY humid if I left the cover off for any length of time. Joe 'some aquarium experience here' DeRosa |
RE: very cost efficient to build your own tank?
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| thank you, guys news paper for me |
RE: very cost efficient to build your own tank?
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| My 150 gal glass cost about $400. If you have the money buy it, if not building your own is an option if your handy. |
Can you tell where i could buy all of the supplies including the
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| Yes Iv'e Made a tank before,but the store is no longer there where can i buy the plastic than goes over the corners of the tank when done. |
RE: very cost efficient to build your own tank?
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| The best deal on any tank, is good used. I just scored 2- 140 gal. tanks on eBay for less than $100.00 each. Just start looking, set your search for a location within the distance you are willing to drive, and wait. As long as the glass is sound, if necessary, resealing a glass tank is easy and if you want to set it up as a show tank, you might be be better off putting your time and energy into making a really nice base and hood for it than to mess with glass and frames. |
RE: very cost efficient to build your own tank?
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| You can get a 150 gal black frame tank (Perfecto) at That Fish Place in Lancaster, PA for $350 - I don't know how close you are to the PA border. They are having a 'Renovation Sale' the last weekend of Sept, they usually have tanks 10% off at these sales. You may also be able to get one even cheaper through a small private dealer like Mark Denaro at Anubias Design. He is just outside of Philly near the NJ border. Joel |
Here is a link that might be useful: Anubias Design
RE: very cost efficient to build your own tank?
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| hosta_miser: Mark posted some tanks on his webring last week. xmanj2fishlover: You can buy new, very well made tank frames in most all stock sizes from: Glasscages.com. |
RE: very cost efficient to build your own tank?
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| I am wanting to build a tank for my 2 water dragons, about 5ft long 2 foot long and 6 ft tall, but I'm ot sure how much everything will coust for that big of a tank. Anyone know? |
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