How to make an aquarium with their own hands - stages of work, making accessories, the choice of decor and plants, tips and photo ideas

Often we want to have animals in the house, but we do not have time to walk the dog, or are allergic to the cat. A universal solution would be an aquarium with fish. An aquarium always decorates the room, creates a relaxed atmosphere. It is an interesting design, pleasant lighting, and silent fish, with beautiful bright fins, create a pleasant entourage.

The cost of the finished aquarium depends on the size, quality of glass, materials. You will also need equipment for ventilation and water purification, food for the fish. A separate issue is the acquisition of inhabitants. First you can start with a small flock of fish, in a small aquarium. It will be the size of a jar, a small house of sea creatures. When the hobby grows into a stable hobby, the house will change and increase.

Consider how to make an aquarium with their own hands at home. It is important to ensure the tightness of the container and the volume for the living space of fish.

Individual solutions

Self-assembly has clear advantages:

the aquarium can stand in any place, is made with the right parameters, will be pleasing to the eye;
proportions and filling depend on the preferences of the owner;
it is possible to make illumination with a pleasant design effect.

To study analogues, you can look at photo samples on the Internet. The minus of this approach - in the amount of financial investment, also will require time and effort to work.

In general, the savings in self-made will not be much. Modern aquariums are made by automated methods, on unique equipment, all stages are checked for quality.

The production process is very productive, but in the case of self-made rely on the originality and flexibility of design. It will not be a typical factory product, which the craftsman can be proud of. No special technical knowledge or engineering skills are needed to assemble it. You can buy a ready-made filter - the most important part, and do the rest yourself.

List of materials

For work, you will need approximately the following list of components and tools:

a gun for pouring silicone sealant;
a stone for sharpening knives;
thin knives, blades of high sharpness;
wipes and sponges for cleaning;
degreasing agent;
measuring tools: tape measure, ruler;
quality glass cutter;
masking tape;
clips for glass to fix the walls.

It is also better to stock up on newspapers or wrapping paper - you can put the design on it. Having prepared a set of necessary items, you can proceed to the purchase and processing of glass, glue and the creation of the composition.

Selection of sealant

To make an aquarium, the sealing of the structure is a very important point. Leaking water can lead to the death of fish, spoiled floor in the room. It is necessary to choose the right quality sealant. Even for the simplest boxes will need to add fasteners, frames that hold the shape. They are glued by sealant, which joins the glass and metals.

All fixation is provided by the sealant, the frame provides additional security. Frames are usually used in large models, including for aesthetics.

Selection criteria:

harmlessness: the sealant is in contact with water, pets, so the chemistry should not harm living things;
bonding strength to strengthen the structure, which will prevent flooding;
elasticity will be an additional advantage;
appearance is also important, because the sealant layer is always visually noticeable, so it is worth paying attention to color;
adhesiveness;
durability;
speed of setting, drying.

According to these criteria, silicone brand is best, but not the cheapest. Usually, cheap silicones have a lot of chemicals that affect quality, so it is better to avoid them.

Today, silicone sealants come in three colors: black, white and unpainted. White leaves the impression of a certain incompleteness of the entire aquarium. Black looks elegant, but is good for large constructions. Colorless used for small containers up to 100 liters.

Buying glass

Glass - the main resource in the composition of the aquarium. Here you can experiment, choose the best option in terms of thickness, shade and quality. Also, do not save, because of the glass depends on the overall state of the aquarium, the appearance and comfort of the inhabitants, their security.

Glass should choose a high-strength, high-quality glass. It is also necessary to approach all stages of the assembly - painstakingly and carefully. The thickness is 4-8 mm. Dimensions - depending on the liter.

For a small aquarium, which will stand on the table, suitable glass with a layer of 4 mm. It will go up to 30 liters of water (about 3 buckets).
The thickness of 8 mm will hold up to 220 liters of water.

The larger the size of the structure - the thicker the glass is chosen. After the purchase performs a cut using precise measurements and special devices, laser blades.

Savings in this case will come out on the side. If you choose poor-quality components, then in the future it will lead to deformation of glass, breakage, new losses. Knowing how to make an aquarium with your own hands, you can implement different ideas. But there are quite a few cases where hand-built aquariums cracked and broke when they saved on small parts.

Other components

Next, you will need to make a cover. It can be simple and without electronics. All complex equipment, electronics is better to buy ready-made, it's easier and cheaper. Experimentation and imagination may be required when designing the lighting system. Here there are different options, such as the assembly of the author's kit or the purchase of a ready-made system.

Important! Fish need stable and quality lighting of the space, 24 hours a day. To sleep, they will hide in their caves or in the thickets of algae.

It is necessary to provide conditions that coincide as much as possible with natural ones. The water should be enriched with oxygen with the help of a compressor.

Water quality depends largely on the work of the compressor, so here, too, do not save. Cheap models will break quickly, they have a shorter lifespan, warranty repair is difficult if the manufacturer is in China. It is enough to invest in a good-quality model of the medium price category - and you do not have to worry about replacement for a long time.

The assembly process

Prefabricated reservoir is made of different shapes, but more often - rectangular. It is simple and convenient, it is put anywhere in the room.

Glasses are glued to the bottom or on the perimeter - these are two different approaches, both reliable and durable. Gluing is performed as follows:

The edges of the panes of glass are edged with stone to avoid wounds. The edges are put in a bathtub, a soft cloth is put down and poured over with water. The stone is wetted and the edges of the glass are carefully grinded. The cut is left untouched to allow the sealant to set.
The glass is dried, wiped with a clean cloth, and the edges are disinfected.
Next proceed to gluing - apply sealant to the ends with a pistol, put the glass to the bottom, lightly pressing. It is better not to remove the excess glue, you need a double sturdy seam.
The same way the sides are glued, lubricating the vertical ribs. Dry for 24 hours or longer, until the sealant sets.
Then you put clamps, if the container is large. After 24 hours, when everything is firmly glued, the excess is removed with a knife or blade.
The aquarium should be tested for the presence of leaks. It is filled with water, check the joints. Defects are eliminated with sealant, adding glue to the holes.
Next, fill and decorate the contents, put the lid on. The aquarium is put into operation, settle the fish and mollusks.

All work on the assembly of the aquarium must comply with safety regulations. It is important to follow the installation instructions, wear protective gloves.

Lid for the tank

In some cases, a lid is required, without it the entire construction can not be completed. This is a protection for shellfish, active fish - they can jump out and die. So it is always worth making at least a simple, version of a cover. This can be a thin sheet of plastic, it is put on the ribs of rigidity.

An alternative - covers of silicate or durable plastic, with lighting. You can also make a handle to be able to remove the lid and cover the tank. In order not to damage the edges of the glasses, you need a soft layer of sealant. In advance, you need to take measurements of the aquarium to make the necessary parameters of the cover.

Decorative work

To fill the aquarium, select a set of plants, wooden snags, beautiful stones, algae, coral colonies. It is necessary to fill in the sand, add pebbles. Here - full scope for creativity, you can do what you like.

Making an aquarium on their own is very interesting, although it seems like a complicated project. You can take the instructions and assemble the container in one day. It is important to pay attention to the quality of materials. If the hobby ends with the successful creation of the design, you can even set up production of individual aquariums with their own hands out of glass at home and earn good money.