Finished making acclimation box. I had left over acrylic and my son helped me make it. Silicone not so great as I was learning but it looks great. The fish are all hiding since I just put it in the tank and they are scared. 
Acclimation box
- Thread starter halfdoz
- Start date
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Idoc
Getting lazier and lazier with upkeep!
How thick is the acrylic? What did you use to drill the holes? Last time I tried to drill acrylic it kept cracking.
One little section did crack because we were kind of rough but since it’s just this box it’s ok. It’s pretty thick though. Prob 1/4 inch
He just used a drill and I was worried the whole time it was going to crack bad.
FishyDP
Active Member
Really cool. I am looking into doing something like this as I am determined to add another tang to my 150, that has a bossy yellow tang in it. Hoping something like this will help introduce a new fish. Great idea.
George Lopez
Well-Known Member
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- May 6, 2017
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When drilling acrylic just let the drill do the work and don't push the weight and heat is usually enough. Just make sure you have it clamped down because it will spin when it first breaks through. Also put something behind it like a piece of wood
Simply__J
@MoriReef45
@halfdoz did a really good job!
But if you don't want to worry about building an acrylic box this is what I used and did...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00017UTQW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/45-gal-rimless-cube-from-a-55-gal-long.277637/#post-3977423
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Another tip for drilling acrylic is to drill at a slow speed. I used to be an aircraft mechanic and we had to drill through 1/2" acrylic windows that probably cost more than I make in a year. Never cracked one, but talk about pressure!
FishyDP
Active Member
Great idea! Yes this will definitely save some time. I will use this idea for sure when I end up needing an acclimation box.
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McPuff
Valuable Member
Best way to drill acrylic is with a stepper bit. Never cracked a piece and didn't have to worry about drilling fast. You can buy a 3 pack at Harbor Freight for about $10. Well worth it! I actually made a couple different acclimation boxes... one with a clear storage container.
The other was with acrylic from a sump lid. The stepper bit made it easy and quick to drill about 40 holes (1/2") in 1/4" thick acrylic. I used weld-on 4 (water thin) to cement the panels together. Very easy and since it's not an aquarium I didn't worry about how pretty the seams were. But it effectively makes the whole box 1 piece of acrylic. Much stronger than silicone which doesn't bond very well to acrylic.
Both boxes were just held in place with a magnavore magnet. Worked really well.
