This project is about how I do an 125 gallon aquarium myself including the stand, the tank, filters and lighting. The things I used were mainly plywood for the furniture. For the tank some glass, silicone glue and aluminum angles. For the filter I have some PVC accessories like plugs, valves, and caps. For the lighting I have MDF and an RGB Led strip with controller.
And above all a lot of work and time, but it is more satisfying to see the aquarium that you not only buy all the components and connect the pipes and tubes made. And another great advantage is that all components can only be matched to your taste.
The first thing you need to know is the aquarium size you want, you can afford and it can fit in your room. Mine is 75 X 35 cm x 45 cm (length x width x height) which is about 120 liters minus gravel, rocks and other decorative fabrics.
Step 1: the stand
I did a computer design of the booth to make sure that it will support the 150kg that is on it and that everything fits in it. I got it 5cm bigger than the tank because I felt a little unsure that it would hit the edge in a punch or trip.
Then cut the 15mm plywood pieces from it and start assembling.
I left one side of the stand with no brackets for installing the filter and the “wet” things and the other with three sections. First, look for the things you should have on hand such as food. You will need a second one for the electrical things and the last one for storing the cleaning things.
I have a strap in the front and one in the back to support the table and prevent sagging.
Step 2: the tank. 1/3. The design
For the tank there are many calculators that tells you the thickness of the glass you need depending on the size. I leave it as standard with a 2.5 safety factor and the result was that I needed a 6mm thick glass. He also tells you the exact dimension the glasses need because those that fit on the sides twice shorter in the front and back glasses need to be the thickness.
Step 3: the tank. 2 of 3. Glue
You have your glasses, you need to buff the edges to remove any bumps. It is important that they are not beveled because it will recede the contact area for the silicone adhesive.
Glue the border at 1cm from the edge so you can leave room for sealing the corners and then remove any excess silicone. Be sure to remove the tape when it is still very fresh because later it will be a mess (happened to me in one side).
Silicone on the edge of a glass and set it apart at first glance. First glue them to the base and then to the one that goes wrong. (there are some pictures of this step because it is very complicated to glue everything together and let one hand hold the camera) Ask for help.
Then put more tape in the corners until it’s dry the silicone fabricants says it’s enough with 24 hours, but I’d rather have more of the day just to wait in case. Make sure your silicone isn’t antifungal because it can hurt the fish.
Step 4: the tank. 3 of 3. Aluminum angle
The aluminum cut angles straight in one of its sides form a V for the angle to bend around the corner and glue it with more silicone glue so the endings of the angle match in the middle of the back. This angle will not allow the water pressure to separate the glasses. Some just put the angles on the upper and lower boundaries but I prefer to cover the boundaries because I think it makes a better look for the silicone so you only see the angle and not the silicone. Then you can finally fill your tank with water and prove it leaks. Luckily nobody had me.
Step 5: the filter
For the filter I have a 6 ” X 80 cm PVC hose with two connections, one in the bottom for the entry of the dirty water and the output in the top where the 1000L / H pump was connected. I used this configuration in the lower part to maintain the dirt and when the water rises it throws cleaner. I have a fixed cap in the base and a threaded cap in the top so that you can discover it for maintenance and cleaning.
For the connections I used ½ ” PVC pipes and put a threaded connector between two valves so that the water from the filter and the water from the tank cannot leak out when dismantled.
As a filter medium, I used small pieces of PVC tubing in the lower section to improve the shape the water throws in and for holding the larger debris pieces of corrugated cardboard, then I used volcanic gravel for biological filtering.
Then I put pillow filler for mechanical filtration and finally ceramic beads for more biological filtration and prevent the pillow filler from reaching the pump. I used some spacers for to keep the filter media from mixing.
Then for the water inlet in the tank I did some exercises in a 5 cm section of a PVC pipe to prevent a distracted fish from absorbing to the filter. For the exit y did some exercises in the pipe section that covers the width of the armor. The entry is on the bottom of the tank and the spout on the surface to improve the flow of water and prevent stagnation.
Step 6: the lighting
For the lighting I used MDF to make the cover. It leans on the side windows and cannot fall into the water, you can slide the cover from front to back, let the fish feed. I painted it with lots of thick layers of MDF to protect it from moisture. I used black on the outside and white on the inside to reflect more light into the tank.
The led strip can be cut every 3 LEDs so I divided the number of LEDs into sections that fit into the sleeve. Then I soldered the connections and then I insulated them with more silicone.
Step 7: thank you
Then I hooked it all up and watched the fish swim … thinking into a new thing to do.
Just to encourage you, this is the first tank I have. Before that, I had no idea how to take care of a fish.
Thanks for looking :)