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Acrylic cements


TankIt

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(plotting)I am considering buying some acrylic and making a new nano cube tank. I was thinking like 20X20X20 OR 22"X22"X22" and plumbing it in with my current system but also having its own refugium type filtration built into the back. I am thinking this would give me the opportunity to tear down my 75 and drill it again and make some adjustment to the flow that I cannot do with it running. Anyway I am thinking about 1/4" clear acrylic and I do have some help with building it. I was curious what cement/brand is recommended. I am just unsure if there are some that cannot be with an aquarium?(scratch) Any advice would be appreciated.(naughty) This would be a project worked on slowly not something I will be buying and building this weekend, if you know what I mean.

Thanks

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For acrylic you are going to be using a solvent, and except for the thick bodied kind it all ends up evaporating. You are essentially welding the material together, using the solvent to melt it.

 

Weld-on is one brand name, Tap carries their own product. I believe MEK is he major (perhaps only) ingredient.

 

-Darrell

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I would reconmend using a brace on top of that 1/4" acrylic and then would say that 3/8" would be better, less bow but still would need bracing at the top. Here is some good info on working with acrylic.

 

For the solvent, use Weldon #4 and a applicator bottle, eaiser that way.

 

 

This is what I used to build most of my stuff, post #16 of my build.

 

good luck

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my 60 cube is built with 1/2" and even it bowed until the eurobrace top was added. so definately consider thicker material at least 3/8" up to 20" high would be safe. weld-on is really easy to use just watch the videos on youtube or even www.melevsreef.com

 

#4 evaps fast but seems to be harder to cme by recently at least at the local acrylics shops here. #3 is even faster and water thin but is easier to get at least for me. #16 is the thickest for practical home use and is the strongest IMO. but its also the hardest to get a clean seam with cuz it is thick like a gel superglue and takes along time to dry.

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cube tank

 

Thanks for all the advice I will take it all into consideration when I get things going. Every bit of imput is helpful to me and hopefully to others. I may end up going a little smaller but I have not decided really yet, I am still in the planning stages. I will probably purchasing everything with Tap plastics since I prefer to buy locally whenever possible!

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IMO use 3/8" at a minimum with a top brace, preferably 1/2". Material should be good quality cell cast, Polycast, Cyro Acrylite GP, or PlexiGlas G, in that order of preference and no others, other brands don't even compare. Solvent should be Weld-on 4 or give me a shout for better stuff :)

 

HTH,

James

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IMO use 3/8" at a minimum with a top brace, preferably 1/2". Material should be good quality cell cast, Polycast, Cyro Acrylite GP, or PlexiGlas G, in that order of preference and no others, other brands don't even compare. Solvent should be Weld-on 4 or give me a shout for better stuff :)

 

HTH,

James

 

james

 

I'll be putting my sump together soon any chance for some of that 'better stuff"? 4 just evaporates too fast for me, even using pins, I'm sure your special blend is slower evaporating. Too bad they got rid of #5.

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