How to Make an Aquarium Tank with Bottom Light Fixture

The Idea came forth when me and my friend thought of making new designs for more saleable tanks without compromising the equilibrium inside a healthy Aquarium tank. We commonly see aquaruim tanks in a usuall four sided pane designs and with the lights commonly found on top of the tank. We came out with these idea to make an Aquarium tank with bottom light fixture sure to add up a dramatic sense for an aquarium tank design in your living room or even in a busy office corners. He decided to make a fancy hexagonal tank and added a bottom light using one frosted yellow bulb.

That fancy shaped aquarium was a fast seller because it was purposely made for room/office corners and was a space saver. So what if we, or a customer decided to ask for a more casual design for their living room to highlight their living room space with the dramatic lighting effects for their tank. A big aquarium tank with a bottom light fixture needs a bigger bulb, and we need to build a bigger tank with a bigger cut on the bottom to accommodate the bottom light fixture, which we thought would compromise the stability of the tank. Well anyway we decided to give it a go and wished for the best.

1. First we tried our ideas with a readily made 50gallon tank, and we used a razor blade to detached the bottom panel.

2. Using a diamond tip glass cutter, we cut a rectangle, lengthwise for the bottom light fluorescent bulb casing window.

3. We made a rectangular glass casing for the the bulb, and surely made it water proof with the right amount of silicon glass sealant.

4. After creating the glass casing we placed it on top of the rectangular hole that we made on the bottom panel of the aquarium and sealed it shut with silicon sealant.

5. After curing the sealant, we re-place the bottom glass panel on the readily made aquarium( from where we detached the bottom glass before) to complete the aquarium set again.

6. We used two sheets of styro foam, 1 inch thick each, and cut a rectangular slot as provision for the flouresent bulb. This shall serve as the bottom housing for the bulb and to conceal it from view.

7. After doing so, we test the tank for leaks, we filled the tank with 75% of water to check if the glass casing for the bottom light fixture would stand the water pressure inside the tank. We leave the tank filled for 24hours.

8. We set up the light fixture inside the the styro slot, we connected longer wires so that the fluorescent balast can be hung and placed outside the styro housing because we thought that the ballast may heat up and melt the styro which can cause a household fire.

9. After setting up the lights and wires we placed the styro sheets in the aquarium stand and emptied the tank to set it on top of the styro sheets.

10. We fill the tank with 50% water and plugged in the light.

11. Everything is well so we head on setting up the tank itself with gravel substrate, driftwood, filtration system and some green aquatic plants.

12. We waited for three days before finally putting on the very first fish to speed up the balance inside the tank.

13. Now you can watch and enjoy your tank with a dramatic bottom light effects.

You need to fill the substrate enough to cover the glass casing for the bottom light fixture, leave the top glass of the light casing free from debris and excess grave substrate.

Colored bulbs will add more dramatic effects rather than using just a plain daylight bulb.

Never skip the "dry run" or testing each components before setting up your tank fully.

On making the bottom light fixture casing, assemble the surrounding glass first and place the top glass panel of the casing last, it should lay on the top, and add at least 1/16th of an inch cut (add from the actual dimension of the top glass for the light case) to ensure the top glass from slipping and collapsing. ( more like an overhung)

The bottom light casing should be bigger in dimension than the slot made on the bottom of the glass aquarium, therefore making the lighting case sit on the bottom pane.

If you have some more ideas on making new drastic designs and aquarium tank improvement you can post your ideas in the comment section and I'll be glad to look upon it and consider it for our next project.

Meantime hope you'll find sometimes to make your own Aquarium Tank with Bottom Light Fixture to add up on your existing aquarium designs. Enjoy!!