# custom aquarium



## phadam (Nov 10, 2005)

looking for some info/help on the do's and the no no's for a custom aquarium. i currently have a 72gal freshwater with curved glass. i love my tank and contacted the co. for a custom larger tank with the same design but unfortunately they do not make or would not be able to make a custom order like this. i have found a few different places that make custom aquariums to personal specifications. 

before i move forward with any of this.. 

is all glass the same.. glass is glass!? !?
are there any pecific things i should look out for or be prepared for with customs?
advice? pros? cons? suggestions?

i would like to hear it all. 

thanks!


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I don't know a lot but here goes.

Most flat aquarium glass comes in two types. Tempered and not tempered. Tempering is a heating process that makes glass stronger and stiffer. Tempered glass can replace thicker untempered glass and makes for a lighter tank. It also is more flexible and so requires more bracing. Tempered glass can shatter when drilled incorrectly. Many cheap new 55 gallon tanks are all tempered glass. Its ok to mix tempered with non-tempered. Some tanks have a non-tempered back or bottom or both for easier drilling. 
You can save money by having opaque sides or bottoms on an aquarium, there are many materials that are fish safe. However, joining unlike materials together is harder than joining glass to glass. There are lots of DIY tank horror stories on the web of such a joint coming apart. Get a specialist, someone who builds aquariums for a living rather than just a local contractor. You might want to look at non-glass. Acrylic scratches easily, but has much more flexibiliy in terms of possible shapes. Check out glasscages.com. Expect to pay more that they want, not less. But it will give you a ballpark. Buy a lid from the tank maker. Then it will be sure to fit. Canopies are overrated. An expensive, tank heating pain, skip them unless your tank will be in public or around uncontrolled children. Decide on your filtration in advance. It doesn't cost much more to have a custom tank pre-drilled to your specs, and custom tanks are too expensive to risk with a DIY project. Flat glass is much cheaper than curved.


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