# How to make a 10 gallon vert...



## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

I started by buying a ten gallon AGA (All Glass Aquariums) brand tank. 

To make a vent for this vert I bought a window screen kit and a spline tool. You can read up on how to make a vent for this vert in this thread.

Following are my steps to make a simple vert. I am not putting in a water feature or a drain. I am using a simple sheet of coco-panel for the background.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Here is what it looks like with the parts just laid in place. I'll explain the steps as this thread progresses.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

The coco-panel came twelve inches square. I trimmed it to fit in the back of the viv and siliconed it in place with a LOT of silicone. I forgot to take a picture during this step, sorry.










I used the GE Silicone II and a caulk gun.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

I measured the tank for 1/4" thick glass, from the bottom of the vent to the other end of the tank. 










I ordered 10 inches worth of the 1/4" living hinge that Josh's Frogs sells. 

I got glass cut to fit, allowing for a 3/8" gap for the hinge. For example, if your space is 16 inches, get your glass cut 15 and 5/8" so the hinge will be able to fit.

Then have the glass people cut off six inches. This is the bottom part that will be siliconed in place.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Next I cut the hinge to exactly fit the width of the glass and made sure it fit.

Then I notched the bottom part of the hinge, where it was touching the tank frame. This allows for a tighter fit.

Here is a shot of the underside of the door, showing the cut out notches, I did this to both ends of the hinge:


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

I had to adjust the cuts a little bit until the door fit just right. Then I laid in a bead of silicone. Note that we are just glueing in the 6 inch bottom piece. The larger piece is the door that swings out for access to the tank.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Next I smashed the glass down onto the silicone, hopefully making a good seal. In a couple of days I will leak test it.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

For a handle I bought a wooden drawer pull from Home Depot when I was there buying the silicone. I siliconed it in place at the top of the door.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

At this point I am letting the silcone cure. So far total approximate cost:

10 gallon tank: $10.99 at local fish store
1/4" glass: $10 at glass place around the corner
silicone and gun: $10 Home Depot
knob: $1 Home Depot
Vent Parts: $20, with lots left over to make more
hinge and background: $3.50 from Josh's Frogs

So, less than $60 so far. Things that will be added still: hydroton (maybe $3 worth), coco/soil mix: ($2 worth?), moss: ($2 worth?), honeymoon hut: $3, plants: $5, light: $10.

The questions are because you can buy most of this stuff in rather large packages and split it up among a few vivs.

Wait till you see the damage I can do to a coco hut! 










Hint: It involves a lot of water and a chisel! (coming soon)


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Hydroton: 25 liter bag from local hydroponics store $20 

This is enough to do LOTS of vivs.


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## RGB (Jan 15, 2006)

Very Nice Work, that's exactly how i made my vert.


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## spydrmn12285 (Oct 24, 2006)

thanks for this valuable resource, I hope it becomes stickied. I'm planning on doing the same for a 20H front door conversion for my azureus. Will this tank house your imis or leucs?


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Thanks guys. =)

I plan on it housing my imis. My leucs are in a 29 gallon. But you never know, if I turn out to have 2 pairs of leucs I may split them up.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

So, the leak test seems to be going well:


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Honeymoon cocohut revisited:



















I soaked it in water for a few days then took a chisel to it, separating the husk from the inner shell. I like it to look kind of rough, natural-like. Looks more like a pygmy hut this way I think. Pretty neat looking huh?


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

So, after the leak test went fine I was able to wrap this thing up pretty quickly.

Here is the blob of silicone tht should keep flies and frogs from escaping thru the gap in the hinge where it meets the side of the tank.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

For the substrate I used leca then window screen then some soil mix (coco brick/orchid mix/leaf litter) then some dried moss. 

The front left corner is where the "pond" will be. I basically just dammed off a low spot with a piece of clay pot. I plan to put some rocks in it, that will allow for frog moisture and a place to siphon some water out should the need arise. I'll pick up some rocks from wal-mart tomorrow.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Where the door glass meets the vent frame there is a tiny gap. I'm not sure if FFs can get out of it, but I am sure a frog can't. I might lay a bead of silicone along the bottom of the vent frame just to be safe.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

My modified honeymoon hut and a couple of film canisters. Not sure if you can tell, but the land section slopes upward toward the back, my feeble attempt at showing some kind of depth. Plus I had to get the land to meet up with the coco panel.


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## RGB (Jan 15, 2006)

That gap is pretty small, i wouldn't worry too much. Nice job so far.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Full tank shot. 

I plan to put in some pothos cuttings and maybe some creeping fig. A small brom might be in store also. I want to stay with plants that don't need a lot of light though. My house gets warm during the summer so I don't want to have to use a lot of light.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Thanks Ron! I got a feeling it will be ok too. I just love to over-analyze problems.


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## spydrmn12285 (Oct 24, 2006)

Looks very clean. I love this thread. 

Oh yeah, how did you manage to screw that door holder in the vent?


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Thanks. 

I used my cordless drill and made a small starter hole, being careful not to go thru both sides of the frame. Then I put on a philips head bit and tightened the screw down until it was snug, but I could still swivel the latch.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

One thing I didn't see you mention, is sealing the aquarium's top (front) frame.
Most manufacurers don't seal the top frame, but rather just "tack" it in place, so it is usually a good idea to run a bead of silicone arount the inside of the frame where the bottom of the tank will be, so as to prevent leaks.
I found this out the hard way. Thankfully, it only leaks a little.


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## markc019 (Apr 12, 2005)

I second Brians comment. I learned the hard way too. good precaution
Nice post by the way. very nicely done

~Mark


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## Android1313 (Dec 15, 2006)

So is there a drain for this tank?


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Dancing frogs said:


> One thing I didn't see you mention, is sealing the aquarium's top (front) frame...


I bought an AGA tank specifically because they are known for putting a great seal around the top plastic and it held true for me. =)


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

markc019 said:


> Nice post by the way. very nicely done
> 
> ~Mark


Thanks Mark.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Android1313 said:


> So is there a drain for this tank?


No Andy, I only hand mist. If I feel the need to take any water out, I'll siphon from the "pond" area in the front left.


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Check out this cool piece of Malaysian driftwood I came across at petco:


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Now I just need to find a Pothos and some _Ficus pumilia_ and I will be good to go!


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Added some magnolia and oak leaves and cut some pothos I had out on the patio and put it in. Once this stuff grows in the viv will look super-nice IMO.


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## Android1313 (Dec 15, 2006)

Love it so much I`m making a couple just like it myself! (pics to follow soon)
Great job! looks professional!


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Wow, 1/4" glass? That seems like a bit overkill. I've built at least 75 vert fronts over the past 3 years, and always used the 3/32" glass for 10 and 18 gal tanks, and never had a piece break on me. I'd imagine that that front adds quite a bit of weight to the finished product? Looks good, don't get me wrong. 

Another thing to think about; I used to stick the bottom panel on the plastic lip like you did, but over time, leaks were unavoidable. The seal would be good for several months, but the bonding capacity of silicone to plastic is limited, and it would eventually wiggle free enough to cause slow leaks. I'd reccomend putting your bottom piece inside the lip so that you can silicone glass to glass. Just my .02


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Thanks Andy & Dane!

I used 1/4 inch glass on all of my tanks so far. I used it on this one mainly because Josh had 1/4" hinges... But I do like the feeling of safety the 1/4" glass gives, doesn't feel so fragile.

Never thought of that silicone issue Dane, if it starts leaking I'll do a do-over. =)


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## jimei126 (Nov 11, 2006)

wow, I just put down the GS on the back of my first 10 gal vert as was kind of worried about how to do eveything. I feel a lot better and a lot more confident after reading this thread. Could you elaborate a little on the pond area in the front right of the tank and on the screen you made thanks.

James


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

Thanks!









The pond is just an area where I didn't put any leca. The screen I used between the leca and substrate just goes down into the water and is covered by rocks.

I detailed the making of the screen vent in another thread, it is linked in the first post of this thread but I'll link it again here:

http://www.dendroboard.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=22409


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## ksquared (Jan 21, 2007)

Dane said:


> Another thing to think about; I used to stick the bottom panel on the plastic lip like you did, but over time, leaks were unavoidable. The seal would be good for several months, but the bonding capacity of silicone to plastic is limited, and it would eventually wiggle free enough to cause slow leaks. I'd reccomend putting your bottom piece inside the lip so that you can silicone glass to glass. Just my .02


Is it still possible to attach a living hinge to the glass if its on the inside of the plastic lid?


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

I wouldn't think so, you would have to come up with another way...

I must say, All Glass Aquarium brand tanks are known for having good seals. Mine hasn't leaked and I think as long as you stick with AGA and do a leak test before putting anything into the tank, you will be ok doing it the way I did. (Most people do it that way.)


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## MartinShaver (Dec 20, 2006)

Where do you get the clip for keeping the lid closed?


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## fleshatomb (Jan 24, 2007)

MartinShaver said:


> Where do you get the clip for keeping the lid closed?


well im not wax, but, i was using his step-by-step on how to make a vent. Went to lowes looking for the screen kit. they didnt have kits, but after i like started thinking. they had everything you need to make one of those kits in the sameisle (same isle as egg crate actually) and those little white slips wax uses to keep the glass closed were in the same rack with the metal screen connectors, and everything. so go to that isle and you will find them 

im glad they were right there, i thought they were gonna be in the specialty parts/screw isle in those pull out bins.

aj


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## MartinShaver (Dec 20, 2006)

our home depot doesnt have those here  guess I am going to have to go search other places.

What do you do about the screen kit being a bit thicker than the glass. Do you add a strip of glass to the top to keep it tight or what?


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## fleshatomb (Jan 24, 2007)

Maybe they also have those like, plastic holder things like somepeople use for mirros that look like those? maybe they could work? They look similier to what wax has. 

if nothing else, http://www.joshsfrogs.com has hinges abd stuff.

i dont understand what you mean by the screen kit being thicker?


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## wax32 (May 9, 2006)

I got the little latches on the same aisle as everything else... look around by the screen doors. You can see what I bought in this thread if you haven't read it yet:

http://www.dendroboard.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=22409

The screen kit stands out from the frame of the tank a little... so the glass has a little play if you use the screen window latches like I do. Mine works out that it in't enough to worry about, but an easy fix would be gluing a bit of plexi-glass onto the glass where the latch meets it.

Sorry it took me so long to answer, I haven't been online in a couple of days.


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## fleshatomb (Jan 24, 2007)

Oh, i see what you mean by being thicker now, lol, im dumb. well. im still assembling my tank, i havent gotten those little nylon latche thingys on there yet, but if there is a gap, i think some weather stripping would work great at sealing the glass. 

I used weather stripping before on my old 39 gallon tank (it openined form the top) and it sealed it great.

aj


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