Bolt together Fish Tank

[Daniel Bodily]

I going to try to build a bolt together fish tank out of Polycarbonate (Lexan). I have been drilling and tapping it and it drills and taps so easy that I'm going to try to build aquarium out of it.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Wouldn't it be easier, and less chance using Acrylic, and glueing it together?

 

[Daniel Bodily]

So this is going to be a freshwater tank for my son but this is a test for my Sump tank I want to be able to take it apart.
It going to be silicone gasket seal so if I need to change anything I can just unbolt it and change it.
Attached is my sump design
The design is compact with the filter, magnetic reactor for Zeovit, media filter, and algae scrubber.
I also may add a built in skimmer.

 

[Maacc]

Interesting experiment, not sure it won't have long term leaks/gasket replacement issues, but I will be following to see how it turns out. Good luck, I hope you have a floor drain in that room.

 

[Daniel Bodily]

Also acrylic sometimes does not hold together and you have a huge water disaster to clean up. I have also got mixed filling on how to hold Lexan together the stuff that I use at work is not rated fish safe

 

[Daniel Bodily]

Maacc thanks for the thoughts

 

[Daniel Bodily]

I don't want this. Bolt will never do this and nothing can easily be change when glued

 

[Macdaddynick1]

I don't want this. Bolt will never do this and nothing can easily be change when glued

thats glass though.

 

[Daniel Bodily]

Glass or Acrylic it all the same large public aquariums and hotels has had the same thing happen to them.

 

[Kershaw]

On my experience. Poly carbonate is stronger then standard acrylic, dose not warp, or discolor. I think that for your idea that is your best bet. Plus if it's thick enough. It can stop bullets.

 

[Daniel Bodily]

Yep acrylic is 17 times stronger than glass and Polycarbonate is 250 times stronger than glass

 

[ebushrow]

This doesn't make sense to me....is there a reason you want to bolt it together rather than using the tried and true method of gluing it? Seems like a TON more work and money than just gluing it....am I missing something here ? Is it a "just to see if it could work" experiment?

If you have a wife and this thing explodes....I hope she is understanding....mine would have me put it by the curb and lock me out with it.

With your picture above, this probably happens 2% of the time if that often. I have only heard of it happening 1 time in 20 years in this hobby/business

 

[Daniel Bodily]

I really want to use polycarbonate for a sump tank and there are really good glues for polycarbonate but non that I can find that are fish safe. IPS weld on 2 part for acrylic is one of the best but not sure if it's works as good on polycarbonate as acrylic. It says that you can use it for polycarbonate to attach to acrylic. But I don't know how strong that bond is. So I have titanium screws and A full CNC mill that will make it easy to build and I'm going to try it

 

[Daniel Bodily]

As for exploding tank I did a pull test today with one 1/4 -20 titanium screw got 1700 pounds before the polycarbonate could hold on
That is a 100 x strong the acrylic glue with IPS 40 and that is only one screw

 

[george1381]

On my experience. Poly carbonate is stronger then standard acrylic, dose not warp, or discolor. I think that for your idea that is your best bet. Plus if it's thick enough. It can stop bullets.

I like the idea! Maybe put the screws 6inch on center. What if a screw would start to back out? Is there anything you could use as a thread lock. Would they be counter sunk or hex head?

As for exploding tank I did a pull test today with one 1/4 -20 titanium screw got 1700 pounds before the polycarbonate could hold on
That is a 100 x strong the acrylic glue with IPS 40 and that is only one screw

 

[Kershaw]

Another thing to consider is to tighten all screws to he same torq. And doing them in a set pattern to ensure even tension across all screws. Plus in a sump application the tank will only be full when you **** the return off. I think it could work just not in a mass production setting. Also you could use glue and screws.

 

[george1381]

Oops if I quoted a post, I did not mean to.

 

[Daniel Bodily]

Tapered Hex head screws. As for backing out it's not the same as a screw in metal they are harder to screw in and out of polycarbonate

 

[Daniel Bodily]

As for glue and screws, I have thought of that but, I was thinking that it would be nice to be able to take it apart if I wanted to clean it.

 

[Maacc]

As for glue and screws, I have thought of that but, I was thinking that it would be nice to be able to take it apart if I wanted to clean it.

I think disassembly/reassembly will exponentially increase your risks of leaks. Please don't think that I am trying to discourage you at all, as I am very intrigued by the concept and excited to see it work, just going from an eyes wide open perspective.