- 1). Determine your dimensions. Keep your dimensions under 24 inches x 24 inches x 8 feet for these instructions. For tanks up to 12 inches high, use 1/4-inch thick acrylic; up to 18 inches high, use 3/8-inch thick acrylic; and up to 24 inches high, use 1/2-inch thick acrylic. For example, if your tank is 12 inches high x 12 inches wide x 24 inches long, you need two 1/4-inch thick sheets of 12-inch x 12-inch acrylic, and two 12-inch x 23 1/2-inch pieces of acrylic of the same thickness. These are your walls. You will also need one sheet of 12-inch x 24-inch x 1/4-inch thick acrylic for the bottom.
- 2). Prepare your edges. Use the back side of a hacksaw blade to scrape off the burrs left by the saw on your precut edges. Sand the edges lightly with 250-grit sandpaper on a wooden block. Be careful not to scratch the sides of the acrylic or to round any edges. Rounded edges make a weaker connection. Carefully peel back the protective film around all edges, leaving about 3 or 4 inches of working space near all edges.
- 3). Place the bottom panel of acrylic on several level wooden blocks on a flat surface. Choose an undisturbed location as the attached sections need several hours to cure between steps. Clamp or brace both 12-inch by 23 1/2-inch panels in place, leaving 1/4-inch spacing on both side edges. Make sure the seam edges are untouched by bracing or clamps.
- 4). Fill a syringe with Weld-On #3 cement or methylene chloride. The syringe has a slot on one side of the tip. Point this side down into the joint to inject fluid into the seam. Run a small bead along both sides of each seam. This is a solvent weld that melts some of each acrylic panel together and dries clear.
- 5). Wait 4 hours before adding remaining panels. The edges are strong enough to lightly handle after 4 hours and will reach full strength in 48 hours. Add both remaining panels to assembly and weld bottom seams only. Again allow edges to dry at least 4 more hours.
- 6). Flip aquarium over on one side to allow side seams to sit on a horizontal plane. Weld these seams with a fresh syringe. Weld only the seams you can reach from above. Let gravity work to your advantage. Again, allow edges to dry at least 4 more hours. Flip aquarium over and weld remaining seams.
- 7). Wait 48 hours from the last welded seam before testing aquarium for leaks. Place aquarium on Styrofoam, fill aquarium a quarter full and look for air bubbles or seepage from every seam. Let it sit 2 hours before adding more water.
- 8). Observe the seams. If there are leaks, mark area with a water-based marker and drain tank. Allow it to completely dry. Add some of the solvent used to bond seams into a small cup and add some scrap acrylic chips into the solvent. Allow the chips to dissolve for a few hours and use this thick paste to patch leaks. Allow newly patched seams to dry for 48 hours before retesting.
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