The easiest way to get started with an aquarium is to purchase a ready-made tank from a local shop. Aquarium tanks are made of glass or acrylic and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. There’s sure to be a tank that fits your needs. However, if you’re handy and want to save some money, you can build your own aquarium. This might be an especially attractive option if you have an oddly shaped space for your aquarium, and you can’t find one on the market that’s just right.

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If you're going to build a glass aquarium, use ¼-inch plate glass, sometimes called “sheet” or “annealed” glass. If your tank will be taller than 14 inches, then get slightly thicker glass, say ⅜-inch; for tall, narrow tanks, there will be increased water pressure on the tank walls. Don’t get tempered glass; this may shatter if damaged. The glass shop should grind the edges so they’re not sharp.

As for sealant, you’ll need a silicone sealant. Products marketed as “aquarium sealant” are more expensive than ordinary household silicone, but if you can find household silicone without anti-mildew chemicals, then that’s just as good and will save you some money. Be sure that whatever sealant you use, it does not contain the anti-mildew chemicals, as these can be harmful to fish and other aquatic life. If you can insert the silicone tube in a caulking gun, application will be that much easier.

In additional to glass and silicone, you’ll need a caulking gun (if appropriate), duct tape, and some heavy, immobile objects to hold pieces of glass in place as the silicone dries. Purchasing these parts on your own, an aquarium tank that could cost a few hundred dollars at your fish store can end up costing you under $50.

You should arrange your assembly such that you start with the bottom pane, then affix in order the front pane, the two side panes, and the back pane. For a tank that is longer (left to right) than it is deep (front to back), the smaller side panes should be sandwiched between the bigger front and back panes. Clean the glass edges with acetone or alcohol. And prepare to lay silicone in straight lines that are 3 millimeters thick. When you cut the top off the silicone tube, ensure that you have a 3-millimeter opening.

Lay the bottom pane on a table, and affix strips of duct tape underneath the pane, such that half of each piece of tape is stuck to the bottom of the pane and the other half emerges from under the glass, loose and free on the table. For a small or medium-sized tank, two or three pieces of tape per side is enough. Have additional strips of duct tape cut and ready to go, for when you raise the sides of the aquarium.

Apply a 3-millimeter strip of silicone along the top of the bottom pane, about 2 millimeters from the front edge. Then affix the front pane, perpendicular to the table, pressing down firmly. Don’t wipe off the excess silicone as it squirts out; you’ll be able to cut this away later. You might need to prop up this front pane with something heavy as the silicone dries, but it may stand up on its own. Once it’s in place, fold up the pieces of duct tape already affixed to the bottom pane so they’re now securely affixed to the front pane as well.

Next, apply a 3-millimeter strip of silicone along one side of the bottom pane, and an additional strip of silicone along the inside vertical edge of the front pane you just installed, along the same side and 2 millimeters from the edge, so the horizontal and vertical lines of silicone line up. Remember, the side panes should be sandwiched between the front and back panes. Affix the side pane to both strips of silicone simultaneously. Once this side pane is in place, pull the strips of duct tape up from the bottom as with the front pane, and wrap a few additional strips of duct tape around the side, holding the side pane together with the front.

Repeat this process for the other side pane. And installing the back pane will require three strips of silicone: along the back of the bottom pane, and along both inside vertical edges of the back pane, all 2 millimeters from the edge. Affix a few strips of duct tape around all vertical edges. And if you have a larger tank -- 50 gallons or more -- you can add additional strips of silicone to the inside vertical edges.

The silicone will dry in less than 24 hours, but it should sit for at least twice that long before you do anything with it, and it’s best not to add water to the tank for a full week. If you notice any leaks along the seams, you can apply additional silicone to plug them up.

Building an acrylic tank is considerably more complicated; you will require additional tools, and sourcing suitable acrylic sheeting is more difficult than finding glass. Be sure to research any acrylic project thoroughly before undertaking it; if you’re very handy and truly enjoy home construction projects, then consider it, but don’t expect any cost savings over purchasing a finished tank.