16'' Cube with built in wet/dry

[nickel76]

Ok, well i saw a post with links on another site, and this guy made a 10g cube with glass and silicone, I believe it was 10'' x 10'' x 12''. He only used silicone to hold it all together no kind of bracing or anything - like that plastic frame that is on most manufactured tanks, he said it holds and has a site with DIY instructions. So today I went to a glass company and had them cut me the glass for a 16''x 18''x 16'' cube. This is where it gets good - I am building a built-in wet/dry in the back of it 5'' x 16'' x 18'' - the problem is to cut the overflow and return holes I had to have them make the partition out of lexas for the holes. This is becuse of course the glass would break they said cutting so close to the corners of the thin glass i am using. I am using 3/16'' glass. If anyone is interested in seeing a diagram post here and I will put it up. I am just wondering what everyone thinks about making this with no framing and two if the wet/dry on something so small is really the way to go?

 

Let me know, Thanks

[nickel76]

after talking to Chris today I decided to just make it a refugium and scratch the wet/dry filter. but I do have a question as reguards the use of miracle mud, has anyone else had any experience with this - and if so was it really worth the cost?

[Dazureus]

The nano I created has a built-in Carlson Surge, refugium, dosing area (used to be a skimmer) and pump chamber. I decided to make it all our of acrylic since,in the past, I've had trouble bonding acrylic to glass. The acrylic will bend if it's too thin and pull away from the silicone. If you're going to make the tank from glass and have the whole back wall a partition, I would suggest using glass for that partition, but cut it shorter than the height of the tank. For the strainer portion, get that piece of plastic used on glass tops and cut the teeth from that.

As for the miracle mud, some people swear by it, others swear about it. I think an analysis was performed to determine its make-up, but nothing special was found. It could be that it's the perfect size particulates for an efficient deep sand bed.

[nickel76]

Thanks - I am using 1/4'' Lexan, seems to be pretty strong and inflexable, and the glass partions support from the back of the tank to the false back lexan, this is only a 14.41 gallon tank (16''t x16''w x13''d) the ref. area is 16''t x16''w x5''d - I have a egg crate supported area just under the overflow to hold a sponge and then the ref. are wich is 2.5 gallons - to one side this has a 10'' partion that over flows to one side and thats where the pump an return are. I spoke to Chris and he said that Auto Epoxy will bond the lexan to the glass and then I will silicone it all in. I already have the piecies and I am putting it together today - the glass and Lexan cost about $60.00 ( $30.00 of which was for the Lexan) I also decided to make a brace for the top and bottom - this is going to be made out of Red Oak 1/5'' x 1'' and siliconed to the glass as well.

 

I will post pics as soon as I start to work on it and have some finished pics too.

[yamba]

if you use glass as the partition what is safe to paint it with?