Tank
From RTAW Reefpedia
Contents |
Construction Material
Glass
Most popular material that tanks are constructed out of.
Advantages
- widely available from any aquarium store
- cheap
- wide variety of stock sizes and can easily be custom built to specifications
- difficult to scratch
Disadvantages
- scratches very difficult to remove
- it not totally transparent, can see the green tinge by looking along, through a panel
- high thermal conductivity, so doesn't retain heat well
- heavy, which can be an issue with very large tanks
Suitable Silicone Sealants The material used to construct a glass tank, forming the bonds between the panels, is silicone. Silicone forms a strong, flexible bond with the glass. Note that silicone does not bond well with acrylic. Do not use sealants that are neutral cure or contain mould inhibitors. The correct ones will have an acid (acetic acid, will smell like vinegar while curing) cure and can be clear or black.
Some suitable silicones are:
- Dow Cornings 480 Glass Sealant
- Selleys Glass Silicone Sealant Clear
For a very good reason why toughened / tempered glass is not used to construct a tank see: Prince Rupert's Drops - YouTube.
Resources
- Algae Removal from Glass - reefs.org
Acrylic
Not very common in Australia. Great advantage is that significantly lighter than glass, big disadvantage is the ease with which it scratches.
Advantages
- light weight, approximately 1/2 the weight of an equivalent glass
- high transparency and no colour tinge
- lower thermal conductivity, so less heat is lost / gained
- scratches can be removed, with some elbow grease
- very easy to work with, such as cutting your own holes
Disadvantages
- not widely available, with only a very limited number of manufacturers and few imported
- scratches very easily
Plywood
Marine grade plywood used to make the frame and many of the sides of the tank. A viewing panel that is from glass or acrylic is used so that can see into the tank.
Advantages
- anyone half handy with working with wood can build their own tank
Disadvantages
- TBA
Fiberglass
Advantages
Disadvantages
Shape
Standard aquarium sizes are a rectangular tank that is higher than it is wide - this is not really the best dimensions for a reef aquarium. More depth (front to back) greatly helps with allowing room for aquascaping (placement of rock) and improves the appearance of the tank.
Some glass tanks are available with a bow front. But that can make it difficult to actually look at the tank, especially when close up.
Size
In tank sizing, the length is always the first measurement, the depth is the second, and the height is the third. For example, a tank that is 6x3x2' is 6' long (left to right), 3' wide (front to back) and 2' deep (top to bottom).
In larger tanks, a WIDTH of 2' is alot easier to work with, than a narrower tank (1' or 1.5') - for example, some commonly used sizes are 4x2x2', 5x2x2' or 6x2x2'.
Very tall tanks can be difficult to reach all the way to the bottom - 2' or 2.5' is a common DEPTH for tanks.
 Small, "nano" size tank |
Gallery
 Tools required to drill a glass tank |
