DIY ACRYLIC 85gal AIO

Sweet! Will you put a hinge on the feeding hole?

 

Very nice work. It seems as though you have thought of everything. This means there is something stupid you forgot about

I can't wait to see this up and running.

 

Awesome work. Im looking to be building my own tank soon but cant decide between glass or acrylic. How much did all of your materials run you? Cost may be the deciding factor.

 

Interesting stuff. This is definitely one to watch good work

 

Thanks
Panfish. There will be magnets that hold the feeding door in place. I dont want to see any hardware on the hood. I will be able to reach over the top and pop out the door.

Xmetal, That happens so many times. But that is alright. I can fix it without worrying about voiding the warranty. lol

Norg, I got the material on the cheap from a local reefer. Less than $150 for this build. Acrylic is about $24 per sq ft for 1/2" and about $45 per sq ft for 1'' The other 90gal AIO I built was 1/2'' material and I paid around $400

Thanks Kriss, I have an odd idea for the rock work. Stay tuned

 

I forgot to add a hole in my stand for powerstrip cables.

It also depends on design. A rimless tank will need thicker acrylic. Thicker acrylic costs a lot more than 1/2"

 

Xmetal, I wish more of my forgotten design flaws were easy as drilling a hole. On my last tank I had to recut the overflow teeth 2xs before I got it right. (once was with the tank full of livestock) I call it fine tunning. lol

And yes it will make a very large differerance in the cost. Depending on your design and what you want out of a tank.

 

Very nice build! love the wood work! are you going to just use varnish?

 

Thanks Saltlife,
I will use a WipeOn Poly gloss 3-4 coats. It goes on smooth and drys fairly quick.

 

And that doesnt require sanding in between coats?