Competently arranged aquarium can create the unique atmosphere of a cosiness in the house or office. Its silent inhabitants, undoubtedly, will please an eye. But in order that small fishes and aquarian plants felt in water as at home, you need a sound aquarium.
Instruction
1. Today there is very wide choice of various aquariums, they can be chosen as already in finished form or to order to the experienced expert. But at great desire you can quite try to make an aquarium of glass independently.
2. The beginning master is not recommended to raise at aquariums with a volume more than 200 l. First, it is much more difficult to make too big designs. Secondly, having made an aquarium of liters on 500, you, in case of some errors in work and an exit of an aquarium out of operation, can flood all neighbors in the stairwell.
3. There are two ways of assembly of rectangular aquariums. The first design means that walls of an aquarium stand on its bottom. In the second case of a wall are pasted around an aquarium bottom. The last method can be used only for aquariums more than 50 l, it is much simpler.
4. Decide on thickness of glass which you will use at construction of an aquarium. At the same time it is necessary to consider not the engine capacity of future creation, but height of a water column and length of glass upon which the column puts pressure. Of 1000 mm, it is the best of all to do the so-called "Baltic" aquarium of 200 l which is today in the increased demand 400 mm wide and 500 mm high of glass 8 mm thick.
5. We start cutting of the glass acquired by you. Cut out front walls on overall dimensions of an aquarium. The bottom should be reduced on length and width by two glass thicknesses and by thickness of a glue layer, having accepted it equal 2-3 mm. Cut out faces the same width, as a bottom. Height of faces is equal to height of front cloths.
6. Cut out also stiffening ribs. They will fasten to the upper edge of front glasses, will not allow them to be curved outside and to burst. Edges should be made slightly well than the bottom size.
7. Glass which you are going to use at an aquarium construction has to be clean, dry, without bubbles and foreign impregnations. Marking glass, consider the glass-cutter size from edge to the middle of a roller. When cutting it is not necessary to press strongly on the glass-cutter handle. Before cutting of glass moisten a glass-cutter head in liquid oil or turpentine. Having noted the line of a cut, put glass on a table that this line went along the table edge. One confident movement break off the cut-off piece of glass.
8. Now there comes time of processing of glasses. It is impossible to polish the stuck together surfaces. They after grinding just will not stick together, silicone sealant does not stick to polished surfaces. It is only necessary to chamfer not to be cut at installation. Compare the cut-out and processed glasses among themselves and pick up in pairs.
9. It is necessary to collect an aquarium on a plain surface, for example, on a table. Degrease glasses acetone and wipe dry. Apply glue on the interfaced surfaces. Glue is applied along vertical sides and along the lower side. Take the smeared front wall both hands, put to the back party of a bottom and press on all length. Perform similar operation consistently with all elements interfaced among themselves. Paste stiffening ribs after drying of an aquarium. Edges are glued to inside of front walls perpendicularly.
10. The majority of sealants allow to conduct further works with an aquarium the next day after gluing together. And it is possible to fill in water in an aquarium only in 5-7 days after sealant drying.