The first step is deciding that you want a custom made aquarium, that’s the easy part.
Once the decision has been made to construct a custom aquarium system, most people already have an idea whether they want a saltwater aquarium, high-end reef tank, or perhaps a simple freshwater aquarium. The type of underwater creation that you plan to contain in your custom aquarium can impact the type of material that you use to construct your aquarium.
The purpose of this article is to go over the options that are available to you as you begin your custom aquarium project. The following is some information to help you make your decision.
Glass
By far the material most commonly employed to build aquarium tanks is glass. Glass is actually manufactured heating ordinary sand (which is mostly silicon dioxide) to 1700 degrees celsius (3090F). At this temperature, the sand will literally liquefy. The liquefied sand is poured over tin plates to form panes of clear glass. When it cools, the material is transformed into the transparent amorphous solid that we are all familiar with.
When used to construct aquarium tanks, glass has many distinct advantages.
ADVANTAGES
- It is cheap…at least relatively speaking. For most small and medium sized aquariums (under 200 gallons) glass represents a cost effective solution.
- It is scratch resistant – very advantageous due to the large variety of tools that will be at your disposal to keep that glass clean. Because scratching isn’t a large concern, metal blades are a common and very effective tool to remove algae from the inside of your aquarium window. Even razor blades can be used with great success if care is taken not to damage the silicone seals.
- No Age-Related Discoloration – Glass will not discolor or ‘yellow’ with time as some types of acrylic are prone to doing. Though it is important to note that typical glass does contribute a blue tint to the view, particularly for thicker glass panels. Starphire glass is a much more colorless alternative.
Unfortunately, glass does have some potentially serious disadvantages as well.
DISADVANTAGES
- Heavy – roughly twice as heavy as acrylic, this can be a serious drawback for the largest aquariums. This is a very serious drawback for larger aquariums. Tanks in excess of 100 gallons will exceed 200 lbs dry weight. 180 gallon aquariums can easily exceed 300 lbs dry. Custom built aquariums, which lack the plastic formed braces and typically use glass braces instead can be even heavier.
- Shapes and sizes can be limited – as compared to materials like acrylic, glass is relatively limiting in terms of the shapes and sizes of aquariums that can be constructed. This is particularly true if you are considering a custom glass aquarium manufactured specifically for your aquarium build.