13 Ways on How to Build an Acrylic 5 Gallon Fish Tank

5. Use a table saw to cut your acrylic into pieces. This is only necessary if you didn’t or couldn’t cut your acrylic at the plastic shop. Use a table saw with closely spaced teeth to avoid chipping the plastic.

• Measure and mark the acrylic before cutting it, according to the dimensions you determined earlier.
• Cut your acrylic into 5 pieces: 1 piece to serve as the bottom of the tank; 2 longer pieces to serve as the front and back of the tank, and 2 shorter pieces to serve as the sides.
• Make sure the front and back pieces are equal to each other in length. Do the same for the 2 shorter pieces.
  

  5 Gallon Fish Tank

6. Use sandpaper to smooth out the edges of your acrylic pieces. You’ll need to make sure the edges of your acrylic are smooth and finished before attaching them together. Sanding will also remove unsightly cutting marks.

• Lay a sheet of 320 grit sandpaper on a flat work surface. Holding the acrylic vertically, run the edge along the sandpaper to achieve the desired effect.
• In order to keep the acrylic edge flat and square during the sanding process, and to avoid unintentional scuff marks on the plastic, hold it up next to a flat piece of 2×4 lumber while moving it along the sandpaper.

7. Place your bottom piece on a sturdy, level area. You’ll need to work on a flat surface that will support your acrylic and keep it level for hours at a time.

• Your aquarium will need to be kept on a stand to prevent the bottom of the tank from bending under the weight of the water. Consider building your aquarium on the surface you intend to ultimately place it in your home, to avoid moving the aquarium after completion.
  

  5 Gallon Fish Tank

8. Attach the back piece to the bottom, placing small pins between them. You can use tape or a clamp to attach the pieces together. What’s most important is that you place several pins between the pieces to leave a small amount of space between them.

• While tape will allow you more dexterity, clamps will prevent the pieces from sliding around on the pins.
• Use ordinary size-17 ball headpins that are roughly 1.0625 inches (26.99 mm) long in between the acrylic pieces. These can be bought at any home improvement store or mass retail store.
• Place the pins across the joint between the pieces at even intervals. Place enough to ensure you’ll have enough room to apply cement between the pieces of acrylic.
  

  5 Gallon Fish Tank

9. Use acrylic cement to glue the back piece of acrylic to the bottom piece. Remove the pins from between the joints as you apply the cement. Let the cement dry for four hours before proceeding to the next step.

• Use a syringe filled with acrylic cement to insert the cement into the joint.
• After the cement has been applied, immediately remove the pins. The cement will then fuse together and begin welding the plastic pieces to one another.
• The pins should be removed within 30 to 60 seconds of applying the cement.

10. Repeat this process for the front and side pieces of acrylic. Make sure you wait 4 hours before cementing each individual piece of acrylic to yield the best results. After this process the basic structure of your aquarium will be finished.

• You can also cut and attach a top piece of acrylic to your aquarium, fitted out with holes and openings for a lid, tubing, and other accessories. However, this is not absolutely necessary.
  

  5 Gallon Fish Tank

11. Test your aquarium for structural integrity. You’ll need to make sure there are no gaps in your aquarium that may lead to leaks or cause your aquarium to fall apart. Wait at least 48 hours for the aquarium to cure before testing it.

• A convenient way to test the aquarium is to place it in a bathtub full of water and lay newspaper at the bottom of the tank. If the newspaper gets wet, you’ll know your aquarium has a leak.
• You can also test your aquarium by filling it with water, although this method may prove more cumbersome and ultimately damaging to the stand supporting the aquarium if you should find a leak.
  

  5 Gallon Fish Tank

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