In addition to being a place to live and store pet fish, the aquarium also functions to add to home decorations so that the house looks more beautiful and cool. Especially for those of you who like to keep fish, you definitely want to have an aquarium.
Unfortunately, the price of an aquarium is quite expensive plus its shape is really boring. How about we just make our own aquarium. After all, how to make an aquarium is actually really easy, if you know how to do it.
How to Make an Aquarium
Now how to make your own aquarium at home first starts with a few things so that the aquarium you make is what you want.
1. Number and characteristics of fish
You need to make sure in advance how many fish will be put in the aquarium that you are going to make and what the characteristics of the fish are. By knowing the number of fish and their characteristics, you can determine the size of the aquarium and how to design the decorations in the aquarium so that the fish can live comfortably.
Of course maintaining freshwater fish is different from sea water fish, as well as an aquarium for Gubby fish is different from an aquarium for Arowana or Koi fish. All have different characteristics.
2. Aquarium size
After you have decided on the number and characteristics of the fish, the next step is to determine what size aquarium is sufficient to accommodate your fish. The minimum size of a good aquarium is the maximum size of the fish in it. Again, back to the types and characteristics of fish.
If you have a large enough room, it is better if you create an aquarium with a large volume or size as well, so that the movement of the fish will be more flexible and can reduce stress on the fish. In addition, a large aquarium can more easily dissolve the bacteria in it, so that the fish’s living environment becomes healthier.
3. Aquarium design
After determining the size of the aquarium that will be made, you also need to think about how the interior design of the aquarium will be. You have to think of a good design but still not interfere with the comfort of the fish in it.
If you are going to give decorations made of plastic, or other unnatural materials, make sure the accessories are made of materials that are safe and do not harm the fish.
4. Aquarium material
The way to make the next aquarium is to determine the materials used. You can make an aquarium using glass, acrylic, wood, or other materials. Adjust the raw materials for making the aquarium with the volume of water and the number of fish you have.
How to make an aquarium from glass
Glass is a raw material that is very commonly used to make aquariums. The type of glass that is usually used to make aquariums is annealed type glass. Annealed glass has various thicknesses.
Usually a home aquarium with a height of 30 cm to 76 cm uses annealed glass with a thickness of ¼ inch to 2 cm. It all depends on the size of the volume of water in the aquarium, because the thicker the glass, the stronger it will hold a lot of water.
Glass material is often used in making aquariums. This is because glass has several advantages, including:
- The price is cheap
- The manufacturing process is easier and faster
- Not easy to scratch
- Clearer
Besides having advantages, glass material also has several disadvantages, namely:
- Heavier
- Easily broken
- Cannot be formed other than a square shape
- The adhesion of glass glue (silicone glue) is not very strong
How to make a glass aquarium is done in the following steps:
1. Prepare tools and materials consisting of:
- Glass cutter
- Glue gun
- Burrs
- Ruler
- Marker
- Glass
- Paper tape
- Glass glue / silicone glue
2. Cut the glass to the desired size
After preparing the tools and materials, the first thing you have to do is cut the glass. Before cutting, you can outline the cut using a non-permanent marker. Then cut the glass according to size. After that, smooth the edges of the glass using a grinder to make it tidier and safer.
3. Unite the glass
After being cut and smoothed, then arrange the glass on a flat surface, and attach each side using silicone glue. After all the sides are together, put duct tape on each connection.
4. Dry the glue
After finishing the duct tape, then let the aquarium stand for about 24 hours until the glue dries. If it is completely dry, remove the tape that sticks to the glass joints.
5. Trial
After everything is ready, do a test aquarium by filling as much as ¼ of water from the aquarium, let stand a few moments. If there is no leak, it means that your aquarium is ready to be used to accommodate your beautiful ornamental fish.
But if you find that there are still leaking parts, immediately remove the water from the aquarium and add more glue to the leaking parts and then dry them completely.
6. Start decorating
After the aquarium has been successfully created, the next step is to start decorating the aquarium, decorating the aquarium as you wish. Don’t forget to install a water pipe, aquarium filter, and fill in enough water. Then put your fish into the aquarium. And enjoy its beauty.
How to Make an Aquarium from Acrylic Materials
Apart from using glass, you can also use acrylic material in making an aquarium. The process of making an aquarium from acrylic material is actually the same as making an aquarium from glass, the only difference being the raw material.
Acrylic material is also very suitable for making aquariums because it has several advantages, including:
- It can’t be broken
- Can be shaped as you wish
- Lighter
- Acrylic glue has a strong resistance
However, there are also some disadvantages of acrylic material for making aquariums, namely:
- Not as clear as glass
- The price is more expensive
- Easy to scratch
Now how to make an aquarium from acrylic material is done in several steps:
1. Prepare tools and materials
- Cutter
- Ruler
- Pens / markers
- Acrylic
- Acrylic glue
- Paper tape
2. Make a pattern and cut out acrylic
After preparing the tools and materials, the next step is to make an acrylic cutting pattern, you can use non-permanent markers to make pattern lines. After that, cut the acrylic using a cutter according to the pattern.
2. Unite the acrylic
After cutting, then join each side using acrylic glue. You can also use glass glue to hold it together. However, it is better to use acrylic glue because when it is dry, acrylic glue can turn into acrylic material, so that the joints can be completely closed and do not leak.
3. Duct tape the joints
After bonding with glue, then put duct tape on each connection. The tape serves to hold the acrylic during the glue drying process.
4. Dry the glue and remove the duct tape
Once the glue is completely dry, remove the tape stuck to the acrylic tank.
5. Trial
Test it out by filling the tank with water. You can fill the water around ¼ from the aquarium, wait a few moments and if it doesn’t leak it means you have successfully made an aquarium out of acrylic.
If it turns out that there are still leaking parts, you must immediately remove the water and add more glue to the leaking parts then wait for the glue to dry completely and do the test again.
6. Start decorating
Once the aquarium has been created and hasn’t leaked, it’s time to do the decorations. You can make decorations as beautiful as you want. Install the water pipe, filter, and fill enough water. Then put the fish in the aquarium, and enjoy its beauty.
Now how to make an aquarium from glass and acrylic is complete. You just have to enjoy your favorite fish live there. Don’t forget to always clean the aquarium and change the water regularly to keep it clean, healthy and nice to look at.
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