A variation of tank design

[kettering bloke]

Hi I thought some people might like to see some pics of the new tank I have made for my banded and palmate newts. The size is about 30 inch by 20 inch floor area it has two separate floors with a framed vent set in each floors back wall . The bottom floor has a hinged opening front and the top has two sliding Perspex roof panels this access is more than adequate . The whole tank is made of 6mm and 4mm glass (old windows my boss said I could have) . Each floor is water proof to a depth of 3 inches (if I wanted to use it as semi aquatic at a later date).The whole tank uses 19 separate glass panels and 2 Perspex all the fittings have been sourced from the local hardware supplier(and some from a local skip) almost all have been stuff I perhaps should have thrown away if I had been a bit more affluent. If enough interest is shown in this thread I will print the sizes and instructions along with source information on the fittings. I would love some constructive feed back no matter how harsh on the design . I have already decided that the piano hinge should be replaced with clear acrylic hinges and the door seal should be an extruded polymer instead of silicon. I also think the hinged bottom door and the front panel of the top floor should be double glazed. This tank cost around £25 to build. The next tank I am building is a low germ load with integral cooler and UV steriliser and filter (its for a future laotriton if I can ever afford one.) This one I am pushing the boat out with a wopping £50. Regards KB

 

[Jennewt]

I have no criticism... if there are flaws, you will be the one who has to live with them

It is made with window glass: do you have your own tools for cutting this?

Nice work, thanks for sharing.

 

[kettering bloke]

Hi cutting window glass is simple the tool costs about 3 pounds 4 dollars max I like feed back as I will make more of these and if you see problems I don't it will save me time and effort thanks for looking KB

 

[KrisztianNemeth]

Isnt this design in the book "Threatened newts and salamanders ; A guide to captive care and conservation" the tank was designed by Grosse if i can remember well enough?

 

[kettering bloke]

Hi I looked at that design and tried to build it but it is very difficult in glass. For the following reasons the vents are quite small in grosses and I wanted them larger . Its also very difficult to cut long holes for the vent panels inside a pane of 6mm glass. If you just use the area at the top of the bottom pane as a vent there is nothing much supporting the upper floor this would mean the upper floor only supported by the side and back panel and when you fill it with water it will crack. This design may work in Perspex on a small scale. I put the vents at the back and used 6mm glass for the bottom and base of the first floor and the sides as they are weight bearing , I also used long strips of inch wide glass across the bottom of the topfloor underneath and set them vertically these act like floor joists and give more ridgidity . Also I felt no knead for the top opening door as its easier to go in from the top. To give credit to grosse I would not have made my tank this way if I had not of seen his first. As for what its worth Grosse and Schultschiks book is one of my all time favourite books but grosse wrote another small book on tank design but only in german and I have never been able to see a copy this may have a design in it nearer to my own. Regards KB

 

[lauraweiss]

Greetings!Recently, I developed a website for my company, and in order to explore similar businesses and discover more valuable insights and tips, I decided to visit this page.The blog showcases each company's expertise, design philosophy, and notable projects, giving businesses like me valuable information to assess potential partners.