Planning to build an ADA replica tank.

Just want to start a thread and try track my progress on this.

Also need lots of advice, hehe.

Ok, I've already made 2 diy ADA replica cabinets for my current 2ft and 1ft tanks. However, my original design of the cabinets were to later upgrade my tanks.



On the 2ft cabinet now is a standard 2ft tank. Actual surface of the cabinet is 60 x 40cm. So I want to change to a 60 x 40 x 40cm with either 6 or 8mm glass. The front pane will be starfire ultra clear glass, if I can find it. Going to try replicate the ADA rimless tanks, that has minimal silicone.

My 1ft tank's cabinet is actually a bit bigger than a 1ft tank, think it was 45 x 35cm. Plan is a 30 x 30 x 30cm cube, and again with starfire front glass. Might actually start with this one first to see how it goes.

Do any of you have any advice on building a tank without thick silicone?

Supposedly, to build fish tanks, you need jigs and 90° clamps etc. Is that all necessary?

Any idea on where to get starfire glass from? In KZN?

Will start the build next week or when I can get all the glass.

Actually quite excited about this.

 

Looking good Sunny! Will check 2mrw with a glass supplier in my area and let you know

 

Thanks @HEIHACHI

 

On a side note bud, if you don't mind, how much did the 2ft cost to build?

 

What do u mean? The cabinet?

 

Don't compromise on the silicone.

 

Im not going to comprise on the silicone , but I hate that corner bead on the general tanks. But if you look at the ADA tanks, you see that they do not have that corner beads. Also from my research, silicone and glass has very strong strength (not sure if it is sheer or capillary or compressive), so u do not need much to hold the glass together.
Problem I have is that I haven't built a tank before and there is no info for building something similar to the ADA tanks.

 

Yup

 

I think it costed me for materials only for both 1ft and 2ft cabinets about R500. For a full 16mm superwood / MDF board and cut to size. I had paint at home and all the screws etc.

 

There's a guy that @heahachi and I know that build tanks. We can ask him to put the tank together and you give him the star fire glass. I will ask if he can get the glass.

 

Thanks @dash, but I'm kind of a cheapskate. Hehe. So I would prefer to research and build it myself, just to save on the costs. But if you guys can ask if the dude can get the glass for me, that will be cool. I actually just need 2 panes of optiwhite / starfire glass.

 

@dash & @HEIHACHI, by any chance you guys got the contacts for the glass?

 

Very very very expensive

 

:cry: Ai...

Looks like I might have to build one in normal float glass then.

Thank guys! :beer:

 

Did he mention that it is vey expensive?

 

:blink::cheesy:

 

looks good Sunny...all the best with it. cant wait to see the end product.

 

Thanks, but still struggling to find the optiwhite / starphire glass for the front panes.

Might at the end of the day just go with normal float glass.

 

Speak to Rene Turck. Google them. They sell the glass. They're based in JHB, but shipping a pane of glass shouldn't cost too much.

 

Thanks Sean J, will see what they say.