DIY gluing a frameless aquarium

Fish care for beginners

After you have prepared the aquarium for operation, populated it with plants and launched the fish, we will figure out what are the basics of caring for fish that a beginner needs to know:

• take an interest in all the available information about your fish so that you can create comfortable conditions for them;
• watch the neighborhood, avoid fighter fish;
• create a favorable atmosphere for your pets;
• monitor the stability of the microclimate inside the aquarium, it must be constant;
• regularly feed the fish with the right food for them;

Various crustaceans are used to feed the fish, for example, gammarus and daphnia.

• do not overeat fish, as overfed fish consumes much more oxygen, which simply may not be enough for it;
• the food remaining in the water rots;
• feeding should be regular and at the same time of day;
• feed the scaly two times a day: in the morning, after aeration of the water about half an hour before feeding, and in the evening, a couple of hours before dark;

keep the aquarium clean and avoid contamination;

To clean the aquarium from large particles, all kinds of filters and special antiseptics are used. Read how to use water conditioners such as Methylene Blue and Malachite Green.

• change the water on time, but never change the whole thing, otherwise you will damage the established microflora;
• Check your fish regularly for good health so you don't miss the first signs of ailments.

So we examined in as much detail as possible the main points that a beginner needs to know before starting the aquarium for the first time. If you follow the instructions carefully and do not rush to launch your home biosystem for the first time, then your underwater world will soon delight you with the greenery of densely overgrown plants and the active "dancing" of fish.

Aquarium glue

Self-gluing the aquarium presupposes the right choice of adhesive. It must contain silicone.

When choosing, you should carefully study the packaging. The aquarium glue should be designed specifically for this product. It should not contain antibacterial substances that are harmful to fish and plants.

Aquarium glass glue can be of several colors:

• colorless;
• White;
• black (looks great in large aquariums).

For those who are gluing the product for the first time, it is better to choose transparent glue for aquariums (waterproof). For ease of use, it is recommended to purchase a special pistol that helps to squeeze out the agent.

Silicone sealants are considered the most versatile remedy. Their advantages:

• long service life;
• elasticity;
• the tool provides reliable adhesion to any surface;
• silicone is easy to use;
• non-toxic;
• does not emit harmful substances.

In addition, the aquarium glue hardens quickly enough, in just 20 minutes, and after a day the polymerization is finally complete. The seams are very strong. At the same time, the silicone retains its elasticity. Before using the sealant, make sure that the surfaces to be treated are clean, dry and free from grease.

In addition to silicone, you can use epoxies. However, they are more fluid, take a long time to harden and require more thorough surface cleaning.

Easy to use cold welding. This agent is chemically inert and takes a few minutes to set.

Cyacrines are also good, only when gluing the aquarium there should be small gaps between the parts.

In case you cannot find an aquarium sealant, you can purchase a product that is intended for plumbing or utensils. Only it should not contain antifungal additives.

Instructions on how to glue a glass aquarium

The first step is to cut the glass of the required size. If you do not have experience in this matter, it is better to use the services of professionals.

There are two ways of gluing glasses. The first - the walls are installed on the bottom, the second - the walls are glued around the bottom. Both designs have no fundamental difference. But some masters still prefer the second way, citing the fact that the tensile fixation of the sealant is stronger.

Prepare a place for the process of gluing the individual parts into one whole. It should be a solid, level and stable surface.

So, the action plan:

1. Degrease the surfaces to which the adhesive will be applied. This can be done with alcohol or an accent-containing substance. Use a lint-free cloth.
2. To avoid contamination of the edges of the glass with excess aquarium glue, glue the walls with strips of masking tape at a distance of the width to which the sealant will be applied - from 3-4 to 5-6 mm. Without masking tape, it will be impossible to completely wash the contaminated glass.
3. Install the front panel first. Apply a layer of silicone glue to the junction of the edges, and placing it on the bottom, slightly press down. To prevent the wall from collapsing, install a support, as which you can use wooden blocks or jars filled with water.
4. Fasten the side edges in the same way, lubricating the vertical edges as well.
5. Repeat the same manipulation with the back wall.
6. Leave the assembly to dry for a few hours (see the sealant instructions for the exact drying time).
7. After the specified time, apply another layer of sealant to the joints.
8. After an hour, remove the protective assembly tape, clean up the seams.
9. The aquarium dries up within 24 hours, then check it for consistency by filling it with water. If no liquid leaks, your aquarium is ready!

How to make a cover

To give a new piece of furniture a completely finished look, make a cover for it. The simplest solution is a light plastic layer about 3–5 mm thick, mounted on stiffeners and end walls.

You can cover the tank with organic or silicate glass, and even mount lighting. Use glue to fix it. To prevent damage to the glass, make a soft silicone sealant with foam added.

Attach the hinges for gripping and lifting the lid using glue or a bolt solder. To make your homemade aquarium look aesthetically pleasing, the lid must match its size in detail.

Where to put the fish?

Immediately, you need to evacuate ornamental fish and other living creatures. If there is a spare dwelling for aquatic inhabitants (even of a smaller capacity), then the problem is solved quite simply: water from a faulty aquarium is poured into a spare one, the plants are moved to a separate container (a jar, for example), the soil is taken out.

You can start fixing the breakdown. If there is a thermal bag for transporting fish, then it is also suitable as a temporary home for fish. As a last resort, you can use a regular three-liter glass jar.

Requirement: the same conditions must be maintained in the temporary container (the aqua must be saturated with oxygen, and its temperature must be maintained within normal limits).

Any aquarium can be repaired - tried and tested, and over and over again! The complexity and option of repairing the aquarium is determined by the nature of the destruction.

The first way. The easiest way is to glue the new bottom over the cracked one. And in place of cracks during gluing, apply a continuous strip of aquarium sealant to prevent leakage.Around the perimeter of the aquarium, flush with the new bottom, it is necessary to stick a strip of glass 4-5 cm wide (glass thickness 4-5 mm) - this serves as a reinforcement and gives an additional guarantee against leakage. Subsequently, the strip can be decorated by sticking a self-adhesive film or decorative tape on it, and it will not attract attention at all or look like something alien, rather as if it was intended.

Note:

Pet stores or household chemical stores sell a special silicone sealant for gluing and repairing aquariums. Be careful when purchasing it, the packaging should say that it can be used for aquariums. You can glue them without draining the water, it is harmless to the inhabitants of the aquarium. For gluing, it is necessary to bring the sealant to the place of the crack, give it out and smear it with your fingers in the place of the crack. After the sealant has hardened (usually 24 hours), the excess can be gently removed with a blade. For several days it is necessary to observe the place where the crack was, as water may start to seep. In this case, you need to repeat the procedure.

Method two. Put a patch of glass in place of the crack, which will cover the entire damaged area .. If the aquarium flows along the seam, you will have to re-glue this entire seam. To do this, it will be necessary to clean the entire seam from the old silicone, since the silicone of the new gluing does not adhere well to the old silicone. Then let the aquarium sit for 4-6 days. Then soak for a week (drain the water 2 times a day and refill the aquarium) and you can again place your fish in their usual environment.

Note! In case of damage to any of the walls of the aquarium, the damaged glass must be replaced completely.

The third, more difficult option - replacing the bottom - is a technically long process, because half of the aquarium may need to be disassembled.

How to make an aquarium with your own hands: the necessary materials

There are many models of ready-made aquariums on sale, but not always a large selection means that you can find an option suitable for your wishes and possibilities. If you plan to make your own aquarium, you need to prepare all the necessary tools and materials in advance.

What you need:

• Glass or plexiglass of suitable thickness.
• Glass cutter.
• Measuring tool.
• Silicone for aquariums and a spray gun.
• Masking tape.
• Small spatula.

Additionally, you need to prepare a glass wiper, a sharp knife and a building level. It is advisable to carry out all work on a flat solid surface, suitable for the size of the future aquarium.

In addition to increased strength and moisture resistance, it has a safe chemical composition. Conventional sealants for such work are not provided, because the chemicals in the composition can cause the death of fish.

How to glue a large aquarium

Bonding large aquariums requires certain requirements. The seams should be thick, the best option is two to three millimeters.

1. An obligatory step is degreasing.
2. To avoid the formation of bubbles, you must first install all the glasses and only then inject the silicone.
3. Squeeze out the glue until the outside of the seam is free of silicone and there are no bubbles on the inside.
4. On top of the glass of a large aquarium, they are attached with corner clamps, from below, a simple support is enough.
5. Place a board of the appropriate width inside and support the glass.
6. At this time, the second person presses on the silicone.
7. When the silicone is crushed into the seam, the excess is gently lifted from both sides.

If you are wondering how to glue a large aquarium, remember that it requires ties and stiffeners. But they can be glued only after the glue has completely dried.

VIDEO

If you decide to enliven the underwater landscape with stones, you will need information on how to glue stones for an aquarium. As a rule, silicone glue is used for this.To ensure the strength of the structure, you need to coat all the contact points.

When creating large compositions, it is better to glue individual stones with a silicone sealant beforehand. This will protect the aquarium from cracks and glass breakages due to falling rocks.

Repairing cracked aquarium glass

1.Remove old glue

We take a clerical knife, put it to the glass with an old glue seam. Using light pressure, trace along the glass to trim away the old glue. We repeat the procedure on the reverse side. It is more convenient to pick up the adhesive by moving the knife from the bottom up. After that, the cut strip can be easily torn off by hand.

Using this algorithm, we remove the glue in all corners of the aquarium.

REPAIR VIDEO

2. Degrease the surface

We degrease the seams that have just been cleaned of glue residues. To do this, we moisten a cotton cloth in rubbing alcohol and run it along the seams. Leave the aquarium to dry for 10 minutes.

3.Glue the damaged aquarium

To glue the seams, we reuse a special aquarium glue (eg OBRASIL K-95).

There are different colors of adhesives in stores - choose the one that matches your aquarium design. We begin to squeeze it out of the syringe, moving from the corner at the bottom along the wall of the aquarium up.

We take a small board (for example, you can take a part of a wooden clothespin), apply it to the place from where the glue was squeezed out, and lift it up along the seam to remove excess glue and align the glue seam. Spread the excess glue over the top of the glass.

We carry out gluing for all walls of the aquarium.

The glue should adhere to the seam as much as possible. Then the renewed aquarium will turn out to be airtight and will serve for many years to come.

The author of the article is Kristina Sekushina

How to make a product more durable?

You also need to know how to make your aquarium more durable. For this you need to use stiffeners. Only by installing them, we can assume that our work on making the structure with our own hands is done from start to finish.

For the stiffeners, take samples of the same glass that was taken for the aquarium itself, with a width of 6 to 10 cm. The ribs must be glued to the top of the vertical walls. If the ribs are 4 or 6 cm shorter than the length of each wall, they will ensure an even distribution of pressure over the entire surface of the aquarium.

Perhaps later, the aquarium may need to be repaired with small leaks, but the one who did everything himself knows how to seal the aquarium. For this, the same aquarium silicate glue that was used from the very beginning for aquariums is suitable. You should always have glue in reserve, because no matter how well the work is done, there may be leaks, and it is much easier to glue them right away than to carry the product for repair or waste time.

According to the scheme used, very many could make aquariums for their fish at home on their own, choose the required thickness of glass, make ribs inside the aquarium using high-quality aquarium silicate glue. This requires a minimum of devices, but you need to have all the listed tools available and it is desirable to have good skills in making such things. It is not difficult to calculate how much glass is required and how thick it should be. You can even use tips and advice.

In addition to the finished aquarium, you can make an aquarium cover. Here, only the best glass in all M1 qualities will not necessarily be suitable, which is recommended to be used for the manufacture of the device itself; for the lid, you can choose organic glass, plastic or silicate glass.

For small aquariums, a construction plastic cover with a thickness of 3 to 4 cm is suitable, but such a cover is not recommended to be placed on glass edges. For this purpose, a small product is made of plastic edges. For this, strips with a width of 6 to 10 cm can serve.The length of such strips will be determined by the length of the perimeter walls. This frame can be glued with plastic glue or resin. At the corners, this edge can be reinforced with a metal corner. And only after that you can cover the product with a lid.

As the manufacture of the sides for the upper edges, you can use a PVC cable channel. We select it so that the side walls of the aquarium can be inserted into its grooves. It is necessary to remember the thickness of the glass and look for a cable channel in accordance with this value, which has a groove of the same size as the thickness of the walls of the aquarium. It is best to glue the joint lines with silicone aquarium glue. Then the cover is attached to the back wall with hinges. The hinges are usually either glued or bolted. A square hole is also made in the lid, with which it will be possible to raise or fold the lid or feed the fish.

How to glue an aquarium

Artificial ponds for keeping fish come in different sizes and shapes, but for the first time, you should give preference to a rectangular aquarium, the manufacture of which is simple and convenient. There are two ways to glue an aquarium at home:

• The walls are glued to the bottom of the tank.
• Glasses are glued around the bottom.

Both methods do not differ from each other in the level of reliability and service life. Having chosen the first method, and having prepared the necessary materials, you can begin to glue the parts.

How to glue the aquarium correctly:

The first step is to grind the edges of the glasses so as not to get hurt during assembly. To do this, the glass edges are transferred into a bath, the bottom of which is covered with a soft and clean cloth, the container is filled with water and a glass is placed

After moistening a sharpening stone, they carefully process the edges. At the same time, the cut must remain intact, otherwise the silicone sealant will not be able to grasp tenaciously.
After finishing the processing of the edges, the glass is carefully removed and wiped dry with a clean towel.

After that, the edges are treated with a disinfectant.
As the preparation is completed, they begin to responsible actions - gluing surfaces. The bottom of the future tank is carefully laid on the newspaper, then a sealant is applied to the end of the front wall with a pistol, and the glass is gently applied to the bottom of the container, gently and lightly pressing. If excess glue appears at the same time, then you do not need to remove the sealant - a double seam is used for strength.
The side walls are glued in the same way, except that their vertical ribs are lubricated with sealant. The resulting structure is left to dry for a day, but sometimes it takes more time for the glue to set well.
After the sealant has dried, clamps are installed to glue the aquarium if an impressive container is being built. A day later, after all the parts are securely glued, the excess glue mixture is eliminated with a sharp knife or blade.
The assembled aquarium is checked for reliability and leaks. For this, the container is filled with water, and the joints are carefully examined. If there is still a leak, you can try to fix it by pressing a little glue into the weak spot. After that, you can start launching an artificial reservoir and populating fish and shellfish.

During the assembly of the fish tank, safety precautions should be observed by performing assembly and manufacturing operations with protective gloves.

How to make an aquarium with your own hands

Before starting work, make sure you have:

Particular attention should be paid to sealants and glass.

• metal corners;
• scraper;
• acetone or alcohol;
• small clamps;
• lint-free cleaning rags;
• silicone gun;
• glass blanks;
• masking tape;
• scraper blades;
• office knife;
• aquarium silicone;
• small spatulas.

Let's consider the features of their choice in more detail.

First of all, you need glass and adhesive material.

Selection of silicone glue

As a sealant for gluing, choose a silicone version, characterized by:

• high resistance to mechanical stress;
• ease of use;
• high-quality adhesion to the surface;
• safety and absence of toxins;
• elasticity;
• fast setting;
• long service life.

When choosing a product, pay attention to:

1. Composition. Additional impurities are detrimental to aquarium inhabitants. The packaging must contain a note on the suitability of the adhesive for gluing aquarium glasses.
2. Colour. The color scheme determines the purpose, easily soiled: black - bulky structures with clear contours; white - design designs that imply a competent fit into the interior; transparent - small structures not exceeding 100 liters.

Transparent glue is the best choice for beginners to hide defects that have arisen during gluing.
Professional silicone glue for aquariums Chemlux 9011 black up to 400L.

Glass selection

Among the most popular types are:

• tempered glass, characterized by a long service life, low susceptibility to any mechanical damage and haze, but weak flexibility, which prevents the creation of unusual shapes;
• acrylic, characterized by flexibility, strength, as well as a short service life and a high susceptibility to damage from scratches;
• plexiglass, which has flexibility and ease of processing, but quickly becomes cloudy and collapses under high pressure.

Thickness is determined by the pressure exerted by the height of the walls and the total volume of water. When building a homemade 100 liter aquarium. with a height of 30 cm, the thickness should be 6 mm.

When buying, pay attention to:

• the absence of bubbles that violate not only aesthetics, but also the strength of the product;
• irregularities and build-ups that interfere with the work with the sealant.

Don't try to save money by using old glass from your garage or an inexpensive copy from a display case.

During long-term storage, sodium ions are lost, which are responsible for strength.

If you do not have experience in glass cutting, seek the help of specialists.

Any unevenness of the edges reduces the reliability of the adhesion. In case of self-cutting, keep the following points in mind:

1. Side windows are fixed on the bottom sheet of the structure.
2. The walls of the aquarium suggest paired division: 2 side, 1 back and 1 front.
3. The length of the pair, consisting of the rear and the front, is equal to the lower glass.
4. The difference in the length of the bottom and side windows is equal to the edge of the bottom in his favor. If the length of the future bottom is 30cm, and its thickness is 6mm, then the size of the side walls will be 29cm.

When choosing glass, pay attention to the thickness

The gluing process at home

After preparing all the necessary materials and tools, proceed with the direct gluing:

1. Choose a surface that is stable enough to accommodate all elements of the aquarium and to avoid unevenness.
2. Place the glass sheet targeting the bottom in the center of the surface. Place the rest of the aquarium next to its edges.
3. Degrease the surface with acetone or alcohol. Dirt interferes with adhesion, causing leaks and structural failure.
4. After making sure the edges are clean, apply masking tape to them to prevent contamination with sealant.
5. Squeeze a thin strip of sealant (3mm thick) onto your work surface.
6. Dock one of the side windows to the bottom glass, avoiding strong pressure. To form an even corner, use metal corners and clamps to glue evenly. Attach a corner to the outer edge, make a lining of cardboard and fix the structure with a clamp.
7. Assemble and fix the remaining glass step by step and remove the remaining glue with a scraper.
8. After all walls have been joined, remove the masking tape and let the aquarium dry.

Do not move the drying structure. Otherwise, the seams of the aquarium will come apart.
DIY aquarium gluing process

Choosing glass for making an aquarium

When choosing the quality and thickness of glass for the manufacture of a glass container, its dimensions should be taken into account: the larger the container, the thicker the glass should be. For example, with a glass thickness of 6-8 mm, the maximum permissible width is 1000 mm, and a height of 500 mm, at 10-15 mm, respectively 1000 mm x 1000 mm, but always with stiffening ribs. If you want an aquarium up to two meters in length, then you need to use transverse ties and longitudinal stiffeners.

DIY crafts for the New Year - a photo selection of popular products

Do-it-yourself bedspread - a selection of creative ideas, sewing instructions, tips and photo examples

The material for the manufacture of the walls can be both plexiglass and ordinary glass with a homogeneous structure. The walls should be free from blots of bubbles or other defects. Otherwise, the water and lighting in the aquarium will indicate all the errors in appearance. Polymer glass is easy to bend, does not affect the composition of the liquid in the aquarium. But it also has significant drawbacks: it quickly becomes cloudy, it is easy to scratch when cleaning the walls.

How to buy an inexpensive aquarium in an online store: market overview

Manufacturer / Model	Volume, l	Dimensions, mm	Glass thickness, mm	price, rub.	Notes (edit)
Biodesign / Q-Scape	6,5	190 x 190 x 230	4	890-950	The backlight is not included in the standard package.
Biodesign Q-Scape
Tetra / Betta Bowl	1,8	—	—	1500-1620	Miniature model with built-in LED lighting.
Tetra Betta Bowl
Biodesign / Classic 30	27	400 x 200 x 340	4	2200-2580	The buyer can choose the color of the plastic parts.
Biodesign Classic 30
Aquarius	60	600 x 250 x 46	6	3480-3930	A lamp is installed in the cover of the structure.
Aquarius aquarium
Aquael / LEDDY 80	105	750 x 350 x 400	—	7200-7650	The set includes: filter, lighting, heating element, hole for feeding fish.
aquarium Aquael LEDDY 80
Biodesign / Diarama 150	100	850 x 600 x 520	6	12400-13400	Corner model with a curbstone.
Aquarium Biodesign Diarama 150

Aquarium Biodesign Diarama 150

How to choose a glue?

Hardware stores offer a wide range of different products. But, choosing what can be used to glue glass to glass, you need to take into account the specifics of use for aquariums. Firstly, the product must provide complete water resistance for obvious reasons, because if the aquarium is leaking, it means that it is not suitable for use.

Aquarium glue

Secondly, before deciding what kind of sealant to glue the aquarium, you need to think over the design of the future structure, because they are black and transparent. If this is the first attempt to assemble the tank with your own hands, then, of course, a colorless agent should be used - this way possible errors will not be visible. And black waterproof aquarium glue looks better on large tanks and requires some experience, skill, and utmost care to apply it.

Now directly about the choice. Many newcomers to aquarium hobbyists ask the question: "Is it possible to glue on silicone sealant?" Necessary. This is the only suitable remedy for the future reservoir, so the answer is obvious. Silicone glass adhesive has all the necessary properties and, above all, excellent insulation. You should not experiment and choose other means, for example, epoxy glue for an aquarium is not the best option, because its purpose is completely different.

What is the best aquarium sealant? We will help you decide on the purchase. Here are the most used in the professional circle:

1. Dow Corning 911 is the undisputed leader;
2. Tytan - has excellent properties, but has an unpleasant odor that will disappear for several days;
3. Soudal Silirub AQ - has proven itself well;
4. Chemlux 9013 is made in Germany.

A suitable aquarium silicone will ensure a robust construction and a comfortable life for aquatic life. It should be remembered that all work must be carried out with gloves, not

Internal arrangement

First of all, you should take care of the bottom layer of the aquarium. The most successful solution to this issue is fine gravel or small pebbles.
Some species of fish require seclusion. They are made from natural stone: granite, basalt, cobblestone. The decoratively laid stones will create the necessary cavities, grottoes and caves.

Wood driftwood can be made from non-coniferous wood. The driftwood should not contain damaged areas: rotten, spoiled by bark beetles. A suitable driftwood is boiled in salt water for 10 hours, and then, to remove the salinity, it is soaked in clean water for a week. In this case, the water is changed daily.

The use of a coconut as a decoration is possible after boiling for 10 minutes in salt water and soaking in boiled water for a day.
Clay and ceramics are used if you are sure that they do not contain harmful impurities.

It is possible to make a three-dimensional background in an aquarium from PVC plate, stones, wood or ceramics. The decorative elements are attached to the PVC plate using silicone sealant.

Important! Be sure to purchase a filter to keep your aquarium clean.

Choosing fish

Start your way in the aquarium hobby with small, unpretentious aquarium fish. Beautiful, unassuming fish, suitable for the role of the first aquarium pets:

1. viviparous (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies);
2. catfish (ancistrus, corridor);
3. zebrafish rerio;
4. cardinal;
5. lalius.

These fish live in different temperatures and water conditions, making them essential for the beginner.

Feeding

Grains of food for the inhabitants of the upper layers of water should not fall to the bottom. Special dry balanced feeds are sold for different types of fish. Diversify your diet with plant foods and frozen foods.

Treat food with boiling water, serve chopped food for small fish. Large aquarium inhabitants are given large granules. Feed the fish at the same time, make a diet based on their needs.

How to make a structure at home?

First of all, you need to calculate which glass is best. M1 is considered to be of the highest quality. The least successful option is called plexiglass: it quickly becomes cloudy, damage appears during cleaning the product with a scraper, plexiglass is of lower quality and is almost never used for gluing aquariums at home.

The next question: how to glue a glass aquarium? The moment glue is in no way suitable for this purpose, since it is very toxic. It is better to opt for a silicate aquarium glue

This glue is harmless and airtight, which is very important to prevent water from leaking out of the aquarium. Now we know what kind of glue we will glue the aquarium glass

First, you need to process the selected glass, in other words, prepare the selected glass parts for pre-processing. A self-made design will be successful if its volume is from 20 to 50 liters.

Now let's look at how to properly glue the aquarium. First, you need to position the glass pieces so that the bottom is inside the side pieces of the aquarium glasses. Silicone aquarium glue is the best grip and tensile bond. First, in order to prevent possible damage to the glass with a sealant, the gluing lines must be pasted over with masking tape on all sides, leaving only the joints for gluing, that is, where they are directly glued. They do everything as carefully as possible. Areas of the future joint can be pre-treated with acetone for a stronger and better joint.

The calculation of the thickness of the glass of the aquarium can be done independently, or you can pick it up from the tables provided specifically for such work, where everything has already been calculated and the optimal and maximum value is given.If you count yourself, then it is better to give here a formula for how to calculate the thickness of the glass.

You need to start gluing the structure by applying aquarium silicate glue on the junction line of the bottom glass. Then you need to let it dry and cut off the excess, leaving a thickness of 1 - 2 mm. In this case, it is worth observing the rule: avoid possible touching of other parts of the glass in order to avoid damage.

Now you can place polyethylene on the table, put the bottom glass for the aquarium on it, to which the end sides are first glued, simultaneously fixing it with masking tape for convenience. That is, we glue the aquarium in the following sequence: first, the bottom is glued along the end, then one end is applied, then the second, then the side edge of the future aquarium, using masking tape for fixing. Then remove the excess amount of glue with a sponge. The bottom can often be double for greater reliability.

After that, you need to apply an additional layer of sealant to the joints to ensure the strength of the structure, again wait an hour for everything to dry, and remove the masking tape. Then you need to take a razor blade and smooth out the seams.

Detailed information on how to glue an aquarium at home can be found in the video, in which it is best described in the necessary sequence, how, what and in what order to do it yourself. will be much lower.

Cut or not cut?

Everything is clear with the main parameters. That's just how to cut the material and is it worth doing it yourself? If you were born with a glass cutter in your hands - no questions asked, go for it. But if you have even a drop of indecision in you, you better not even take it. Firstly, it is really difficult and dreary. Secondly, the cost of cutting is often included in the price of the material. It is even better when you find a decent workshop where glass is cut not with a manual glass cutter, but with a special machine with which you can make perfectly even cuts.

The latter not only directly affects the appearance of the aquarium, but also the quality of its gluing, which is already much more important.

If you are satisfied with a small vessel, then you will probably be able to agree with the master to make the parts for it from scraps: the cost of this option will certainly pleasantly surprise you! It is very important that the edges are processed with high quality in the workshop, since it will be very offensive to be left without a finger as a result of caring for the fish. In principle, they can be processed at home, but such an operation is still fraught with injuries.

Before actually making an aquarium with your own hands, including cutting glass, practice well, otherwise the results will surely disappoint you.