# 1 tank+1 tank=1 big tank



## brian93 (Sep 20, 2007)

hi. is it possible to join to tanks together by taking the left glass pane of one tank, and the right pane off the other and siloconing them together flushly? then add some kind of brace (wood, on the outside?) to keep the two front panes from being pushed out by the force of the tank water?

http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll13 ... 0001-1.jpg


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## Guest (May 17, 2008)

looks cool post pics if you decide to but if it were me i would add a bottom brace


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## TheeMon (May 11, 2004)

i would think youd need to put a 2" peice of glass around the gap, then silicone that down... but i dont know im just guessing


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

possible? yes... practical or at all nice looking? No... cheap? no

Could be fun, but I'd only bother if there was some compelling reason OTHER than trying to save money (which often seems to be the motive behind this question  )


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## brian93 (Sep 20, 2007)

i guess it would be kind of expensive. thank you all for the advice.


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## brian93 (Sep 20, 2007)

but could work right?


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## ArcticCatRider (Jul 13, 2007)

I believe it is very possible, although having you're top/bottom brace, you'd most likely need a brace along the whole seam where the 2 tanks join at.Then you could do a DIY center brace if you'd like. :wink:


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## CichlidAndrew (Jun 29, 2005)

That would be cool to make one big mega aqaurium like 20 feet long! :lol: That would be pretty cool


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## maseyferguson05 (Feb 6, 2007)

You would have to cut and silicon glass strips over the seam. That would make a nice brace


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## dogofwar (Apr 5, 2004)

There's a music club in downtown Seattle that has an awesome amazon-themed tank that incorporates (if I remember) two 8' tanks. Two 8' tank make one 16' tank. It's fully planted with hundreds of tetras, catfish, and a altum angels.

Basically there's a heavy silicone seam that connects the two tanks...with a frame for the whole thing.

EDIT:
The place is called the Triple Door: http://www.thetripledoor.net/default.aspx

Here's a shot of the 1,900 gallon tank: http://www.thetripledoor.net/musicquarium.aspx

I highly recommend both the venue and the food.


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## brian93 (Sep 20, 2007)

so it is a practical idea? i have the two tanks, i just dont have a stand, silicone, or a heater yet.

i think ill try it. *dogofwar* is the silicone seam an eye sore?


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

Have you thought about doing a water bridge? I think that would be more practical than tying to join two tanks together. There are a couple of places to order bridges from, but I think that you could DIY a big one with acrylic. I would add an aqua-lifter to suck any air bubbles out


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## brian93 (Sep 20, 2007)

is that like a tunnel that joins them?


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

brian93 said:


> is that like a tunnel that joins them?


Yep, a 'bridge' filled with water.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

It would be fairly simple to build a stand that could allow the two tanks to sit side by side... without all the construction of jointing them. This will still give the appearance of the longer tank but will not give you a larger tank. It also wouldn't be hard at this point to connect the tanks as one system which may help for water quality and stability.

What size tanks are you considering doing this with? longer tanks are usually bigger in all directions. Joining two 55 gal tanks would produce an 8' tank, but the narrow front-to-back will still greatly limit stocking.

But, if I were to do this I would us a 2" wide strip of glass to line the inside of the seam... which would be an eyesore... to counter this as well as provide the much needed additional structural support I would build a frame for the entire tank to be built into which would include a center brace along the seam on all sides as well as front-to-back across the top.

To me it sounds like a whole lot of work with considerable expense for a less than ideal product... not a project I would undertake... unless you make it and it's easier & looks better than I think


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## brian93 (Sep 20, 2007)

yes, the point is to make a larger tank. i would be using two 29 gallon tanks. 29x12x18.


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## dogofwar (Apr 5, 2004)

The seam is not an eyesore, but I think that it was done professionally.

I don't think it makes sense to join two 29g tanks, when you can buy a 4 or 6' tank for not that much money.

I think it makes a lot more sense when you're trying to figure out how to build a 1900g one


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## remarkosmoc (Oct 19, 2005)

dogofwar said:


> The seam is not an eyesore, but I think that it was done professionally.
> 
> I don't think it makes sense to join two 29g tanks, when you can buy a 4 or 6' tank for not that much money.
> 
> I think it makes a lot more sense when you're trying to figure out how to build a 1900g one


I agree. Joining the two 29s would be a major project with a lot of effort involved. 55's are on craigslist constantly for less than $100 and that would give you an almost equivalent voulme. If you were joining two very large tanks together it might be cool and save money over a an 8 footer (like joining two 75s or something) but two 29's just wouldn't be worth it.

Best advice I could give is to get a 55, and keep both 29s then you have 3 tanks :lol:


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## johnc87 (Jul 26, 2011)

i know this is pretty old but....maybe instead of going side by side,go front to back and instead of putting a seam on the side panels,get 2 panes made to fit.with 2 29's this would greatly increase your stocking options and really wouldn't be too costly. a co-worker of mine did this with 2 75G.and i've been thinking about doing it with my 2 55's


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## Chris407 (Jun 8, 2011)

johnc87 That is an awesome idea its got me thinking...


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## johnc87 (Jul 26, 2011)

there would still need to be a seam on the bottom but it would be easy to hide and could be reinforced by the stand.


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## johnc87 (Jul 26, 2011)

only reason i havent done it is because im currently renting and more than likely be moving in a few months and it will be too big to fit through any door


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

I've thought about making a 200 gallon tank out of 2 55's, but I was going to do it a little differently... Get 2 cheap 55's off craigslist, and disassemble them both. Get a piece of 4x4 marine plywood, seal with epoxy/fibreglass/pondshield/whatever-floats-your-fancy, and reassemble into a 4'x4'x21" aquarium. It would probably need cross-bracing since I believe modern 55's rely on that to avoid too much bowing, but it would be a fun project. Of course then you're left with a bunch of left-over panes of glass, but I'm sure you could find something fun to do with them (overflow boxes maybe?). You could probably even use the "extra" pieces to practice by assembling a smaller aquarim first (21"x21"x12" with another plywood bottom?). Sell the extra as a frag tank, or set it up for shell-dwellers!

A 29"x29"x18" aquarium would be pretty cool imho, and would hold just as much water as a 58x12x18 . Plus you could have that extra 18x18x12 out of the deal.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## -M- (Sep 15, 2011)

I think you would be 'happier' with building or buying a custom 54gal (58"x 12" x 18") aquarium. Having a weird piece sticking/objecting the view in the middle of the tank on such a short width would really make people think "wtf?!" in their minds while looking at pictures of it or seeing it in person... Then again I am just speaking of my .02 cents. I get more joy out of reactions of other people viewing my setup than seeing it on my own. take it as you please because in the end its YOUR money not mine


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## hsd (Jul 26, 2010)

Here is a link to a previous thread where someone joined 2 55g's together. A very diy job, not sure how long it held up.


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

Link seems to be missing?

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


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## bibbs68 (Dec 1, 2006)

Did anyone ever finish any of these? If so, do you have links and/or pictures to your build?


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

couple guys on MFK took 2 55g and a 29g and put all 3 together for one long 10' tank. so it can be done


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## bibbs68 (Dec 1, 2006)

I've been on that site a few times (not a member), but would you happen to have a link?


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forum ... -feet-long


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## bibbs68 (Dec 1, 2006)

Great! Thank you so much.


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