what do i need?

i want to make a custom 150 gal reef tank what materials would i need to make the tank how big of a sump would i need plz give me all the info u can provide;D;D

 

?????????? We need more info from you other then you want to make a tank and what you need.

 

i know just like build a tank from scratch um idk much but i know i want it wide what material is better glass or acrylic what places can i pick up materials any websites that can help me and for a sump like what size would i need and what equipment i need stuff like that

 

Have you had any experience with working with glass or acrylic. If not I strongly recommend you buy a tank or order one to the dimensions you want. You could make your own sump but I would leave the display to professionals. Another option is the plywood tank. You need to get a good skimmer and good lights as well. Do you have any experience with saltwater.

 

i have experience in saltwater but dont in building tanks and sumps or working with glass or acrylic but i want to get into it but i need help to educate myself how and what to do and i need all the help i could get

 

Well this will be fun and glad to see you wanting to DIY. Let me try and find a site that I was looking at a while back when I thought I wanted to what you are planning. I saw what all was involved and changed my mind. LOL But I will try and find it for you. Good luck.

 

thanks im determined to make this custom tank and i plan to make some tanks for my friends and maybe as a small business in the future i already sketched a design for it but it sorta sucks cus im am not a artist at all hahahhaha but i have the idea in my head

 

I have worked with acrylic quite a bit. I haven't built a tank for fish, but I know to make a water tight acrylic tank isn't as easy as glass, but in the end the bond is much stronger than silicone to glass.

If you're looking at a tank under 300-400 gallons I am pretty sure you can't make one cheaper than you can buy one if you have to buy tools and all that - plus what is your time worth?

with glass + silicone you really want near sterile conditions to clean and bond the glass in. There are some pretty toxic/nasty/expensive chemicals used to properly prep glass for silicone - and then it's just sort of glued, not an actual weld you'd get with acrylic.

Good luck, and keep us posted if you do go with a DIY build on the tank, I'm researching it now myself.

-Doug