How to start making an aquarium?
First you need to determine the appearance and size of the future monastery for fish. The most popular forms of aquariums:
- angular;
- in the form of a circle;
- in the form of a rectangle;
- panoramic.
The round design is an element of aesthetics that can fit into every interior solution. But in order to make it in the home, special equipment will be needed. And these are additional costs that nobody needs. Panoramic and angular aquariums are complex in performance. To flawlessly build an aquarium you need the hands of a specialist, because here the whole hitch in the production of the elements of the frame.
For beginners in creating aquariums, the ideal option is to create a rectangular aquarium. They are not only easy to make, in the future there will be no difficulties with servicing. Experts recommend using one of two methods in creating an aquarium: the first is that the walls are glued to the bottom, and in the second - they rely on the bottom. Both methods show effectiveness, although it is necessary to try for this.
Selecting the materials for the
aquarium First you need to decide on the choice of glass for your design. The quality of glass increases with the increase of its grade. The quality of the glass can be M1 and higher to M8.Do not get down to business, if you bought a glass below the M3.As the main material, you can choose a glass of any composition, fish will not sort out where to live. It is important to choose the right glass width. Depends on this indicator of the quality of glass from the volume of the future aquarium and can be calculated from the table. The formula for the volume is V = l • a • h.
In addition to glass for aquarium construction, stiffeners are required. These are strips of glass, which are designed to strengthen the walls of the aquarium. Their width should be no more than 5 centimeters, and the thickness is equal to the length of the inner part of the reservoir. If the aquarium is more than 1.5 meters, you need to pick up screeds for fastening to the stiffeners. These are the same glass strips that are attached from below to the ribs.
For gluing glass elements you will need a silicone adhesive, made especially for aquariums. It will guarantee the strength of the structure over many years of using the aquarium. In addition, such materials will be needed: napkins, syringe, degreaser.
aquarium manufacturing technology Step 1. Open
glass If you have no experience in this kind of work, we recommend that you contact the glazier for help. Do not take any chances, as this is fraught with damage to the material. If you still decided on this step, you can cut out this way:
- due to the size of the structure to cut the walls;
- perform the cutting of the bottom according to the dimensions, leave the distance for the glue;
- observe the identity of the width and height of the bottom in relation to the width and height of the end walls.
When making a cut, do not forget about the thickness of the glass cutter, usually it is no more than 3 millimeters. On the boundaries of the lines, it is necessary to conduct a glass cutter with a slight pressure, if this is not observed, the glass breaks along the fresh cut line. When conducting a glass cutter at some distance from the glass, cracks may occur. Because of such nuances do not recommend yourself to get down to business right away. It is better to gain experience by trying to cut individual segments.
After carrying out a glass cutter on the lines, it is necessary to break the glass, not letting it cool down. We put the glass on a flat surface so that its rim coincides with the fault line. Then confidently break off a piece of glass, first protecting the hand with a glove or a piece of cloth.
Step 2. Bonding the reservoir
After the cutting of the glasses, we process the sheets with a degreaser, which may be white spirit or gasoline. Then the surface is wiped with a rag of natural ingredients. The face wall must be lubricated with sealant strictly along the line intended for fastening to the bottom. This precautionary measure will save the owner from the possibility of leakage.
Bonding the aquarium will not seem so difficult if you use high-grade silicone adhesive. In order to achieve an even layer, you need to use a tool that distributes glue. Until complete drying is not recommended to move the future pond for fish, so for gluing you need to choose a neutral place.
Step 3. Fasten the stiffeners
We wait a day before continuing work. This is necessary to completely dry the glue. Then attach the stiffeners, if the height of the aquarium is more than 50 centimeters. The insertion of the ribs occurs perpendicular to the walls. Fastening occurs on the front and rear walls.
The design is laid on its side to ensure the convenience of gluing the ribs, after which we apply glue to the strips. We wait for drying a couple of days, and then remove the remnants of the sealant with a blade. After fixing the stiffeners, we prepare the lid for the aquarium, which can consist of metal, wood and other materials.
The aquarium is ready and now you can fully enjoy the results of your labors. With the help of the imagination and the materials available now, you can create a beautiful house for fish by placing in the aquarium scenery simulating vegetation or stones.