Where do I get Acrylic? I'm going to build a tank as a hobby

thanks for all your replys. I'm on the road right now and wont be back for a month .. Prob drive through a lot of your citys. I've been to Kansas which is 568 miles then back to IL and now im off to vegas

See a dark blue WERNER semi on the road with a werner trailer thats me!

 

If you drive a semi, why not troll the craigslists of cities your going through for a large tank? You would get a great price, and it wouldn't be all that much out of your way.

~Will.

 

Slow down there man, weren't you just battling high nitrates and such? Now you're looking into a 550+ gallon tank? Am I missing something here? I know how you're feeling, but learn how to dribble before you try and play with LeBron here. I don't think I'm the only one thinking this. I'd be interested to hear what you plan on using to bond 1/2" acrylic to. I'm using Weld-On #4 but there's no way it'd hold 500 gallons.

 

Try checking the yellow pages in whatever town you happen to be in. Look under Plastics. I've got a half dozen place here in Richmond where I can get it straight from the manufacturer or wholesaler. In my experience the price per sq ft isn't any cheaper than what you'd find from some of the big online places like US Plastics but the shipping cost for a couple hundred pounds of 4'x8' sheets really add up and that's on top of the already significant cost of materials. I mentioned 4'x8' because I don't think you're going to be able to find anyone that sells 3'x8'.

BTW, I agree with the preceeding posts that DIY'ing a tank this size is may more than I'd tackle without a few years of acrylic fabrication experience and the appropriate tools.

I think you'll find that for a DIY tank this size that glass is cheaper and easier to work with (but still an ambitious project).

If you really want to build a tank as a hobby and you'd like to be able to save a lot of money, look into doing a plywood tank. There is still a lot of craftsmanship in those tanks and you can get some fabulous results. There's a 3reef member who recently did one (horkn???)

 

Ah yes. If you havn't already seen it, check out horkn's build thread. Even if you decide not to go with plywood this is a great read especially for anyone contemplating a DIY tank.

http://www.3reef.com/forums/i-made/193-gallon-plywood-build-thread-66645.html

one other note if you are a serious DIY'er the DIY thread on reefcentral has some insanely complicated projects by guys with tons of very specialized experience. Fair warning though, it's often not as friendly as here on 3reef and for those who have seen my simple build I can tell you that a lot of the stuff on RC DIY is way beyond me.

 

hey man, im the one to try new and exciting things too, so dont let these guys get you down. Though they DO have some good points and things to think about, go for it. Failure is the best method of learning what to do the next time. Keep in mind though, many people on here know ALOT haha so listen to them . IMO you should go for it (and put your build on 3reef too) good luck!

 

Thanks for the props GTS

Yes, I made my own big tank. I could have made it a lot bigger, but not where this tank had to go.

If you are serious about making your own acrylic tank, definitely visit melev's reef as mentioned earlier.

If after you spend a lot of time researching that option, try making a sump at least, and if that works, then move to the tank.

Midland plastics in SE Wisconsin has all of the acrylic you could ever want if you get up this way.

 

Building your own acrylic tank can be a disaster waiting to happen unless you know EXACTLY what you are doing and how to make them. Besides knowing how to do it, you need the right tools to make the proper cuts and to make the edges perfectly clean. The last thing you want is a ~550 gallon blow out because the tank wasn't bonded properly.