killerk2, what kind of snake do you have that eats fish??

. Anemones are cool. Tripped me out when I found out they could move. LOL . If green algae is the problem, try cutting back on the lights and reducing the amount of Nitrogen in the system.

I used to have a green brittle star which was fascinating to watch. Unfortunately, it grew quite large and developed a taste for the other tank inhabitants. It had to go. I have replaced the failed pump which was feeding my skimmer. So now that's working and removing the organics from the water, the turbo snails and the other inverts will do their bit to chew their way through the remaining algae. Pat. Pending

Yes I built the tank, they aren't that difficult to make. I cut the glass to size, joined all the pieces with silicone and then siliconed on a plastic corner trim over all the joints. You then leave the silicone to cure for a week before testing (outside!). Cheers, Pat. Pending

. As Pat says, it's very easy. If you have the least bit of interest in building your own tank, I say go for it. The tricky part is holding everything in place for a week. Do keep in mind that a lot of tanks, even store-bought ones, will eventually leak. Your first few home-built tanks will have an even greater chance of springing a leak - you may want to set them up in a garage for a month or two before moving them inside. Luckily, tanks don't often have catastrophic failures. . I had my glass cut at local glass stores - the edge needs to be as smooth and as square as possible and the store can do a much better job than somebody in their garage. If you cut your own glass, be prepared to spend a LOT of time prepping the edges. . The bead of silicone that is visible in the tank doesn't do much structurally. . The top piece of plastic trim is primarily for looks and safety, but the bottom piece helps even the forces out on the bottom edges of the tank. With a good cover, and some polishing of the glass edges, a top trim piece is not needed, but you really need to have a bottom support. . As Pat pointed out, sealant curing is critical, but not just from a structural point. The sealants I've used called for 24-48 hours curing times, but they will continue to put off whatever it is that they put off when they cure for several days more. Can't recall what it is (acetic acid?), but it's not good for fish. . Look around on the 'Net. MANY good pages on building your own aquariums with charts to show what thickness glass you need, recommendations on sealants, how to hold the pieces together while they cure, &c.

I didn't detail all the processes as I wasn't sure anyone would be interested. If you do plan on making one, I would advise that you check out the Web for more detailed advice.

However, here are a few things to look out for:

>The glass needs to be scrupulously clean to achieve a good silicone joint.

>it is necessary to choose the right grade of glass for a particular volume of water. I am sure there is an online calculator on the Web (I probably have a link if anyone needs it).

>as NachoMahma says the silicone gives off acetic acid as it cures, this will kill fish if you introduce them to soon. It is necessary to properly cure the silicone and then do several water changes to get rid of any residual acid.

>unless you use very thick glass it is necessary to brace the top of the tank to prevent bowing caused by the pressure of the water.

>choice of silicones is important. Whilst you don't need to use aquarium grade, you do need to use a high modulus silicone without any anti-fungal additives.

My tank has been up and running for three years and so far no leaks. I do plan to make a bigger one. If and when I do, I might make an instructable - unless someone beats me to it of course ;-)

Cheers,

Pat. Pending

> >unless you use very thick glass it is necessary to brace the top of the tank to prevent bowing caused by the pressure of the water. . The bowing never bothered me, but my hoods covered it. From what I read, it wasn't a problem, structurally (ie, no more likely to break). I guess it could be a problem if one was using marginal glass or had a longer tank. But I tend to err on the thick side for home-made tanks. Not what I would call thick, but on the high side of the recommended range.

Forgot to mention, I held my tank together with Duct Tape while it cured:-) Pat. Pending

. Yuck! I bet that was a PITA to clean up. . What did you use to keep it square? I used carpenter's jigs, with fabric/rubber/&c between the metal jaws and glass, for the sides and then set that on top of the bottom, with dowels/pins/nails to hold it in place.

I squared it with my glass cutting squares, taped it up, checked across the diagonals for squareness and then just left it to cure. When I do my next one I will get someone to help me. You really need an extra pair of hands when you are positioning the glass panels into the silicone bead. Pat. Pending

. Sometimes yes, mosttimes no. The seal is just along the edge of the glass and next to impossible to repair properly. A lot of times a bead of sealant on the inside surfaces will help, but the gap will eventually widen. Especially if the leak is near the bottom of the tank (where pressure is highest).

Cheesiest film ever! I hired it on DVD when it was fist released. I couldn't watch it either. Pat. Pending

They're showing Independance Day right now, it took less that 5 minutes before I thought "Man, this sucks".

And I suppose that if you posted this comment here, it's because, into your mind, the first 5 minutes of the Independance Day movie were boring like watching an aquarium ? =o.

No, they just told me that the whole thing was going to be cheesy and clicheed. Pat Pending's comment would seem to suggest that I wasn't far off. L

I had my poor wife nearly convinced I could make the fish on the screensaver follow my finger around as I moved it. The movements are not "totally random" ;-)

Don't be concerned about the size or color of the plecostomus you get. It will grow to fit the tank and its color will change depending on the color of algea/pellets it eats. If you get an ancistrus, you don't need, or want a plecostomus unless you feed them pellets. They'll end up competing for the available food.

. About nine years ago, I donated/setup a 55g tank at the local library and included a small (2-3") pleco. Was in there about 3 years ago and the thing was still alive and big enough to feed two ppl! It was almost ink black, with some spots. HUGE eyes. They had a bad fire at the library last year, so I called to check on the tank. They lost all the birds and turtles, and all but two of the snakes, but only two fish. The pleco ("that big black one" heehee) survived! . Kinda weird how plecos can get so big, yet won't outgrow the tank.

Yum.