
AQUARIUM CONSTRUCTION, TOOLS AND APPLIANCES 

be drilled and countersunk to take in the flat heads of the bolts. A rivet 
hole is drilled through the frames on each side of the corners, to exactly 
correspond with those in the corner posts, which are countersunk for the 
rivets. that they may be hammered flush on the inside of the frame. 
The base is usually 3 inches greater in length and breadth, so as to 
extend 11% inches beyond the frame on all sides. The frame is set upon 
the base and the bolt holes marked; which are then drilled through the 
slateand opened on the under side to accommodate the nuts. Stove-bolts 
of the exact required length are the best for this purpose. 
ASSEMBLING THE Aquarium. When assured that all the parts are 
true and in perfect alignment, and the bolt holes in the lower frame and in 
the base exactly plumb, the lower frame and the base under it should be 
coated with zinc white, and after this dries, aquarium cement spread over 
this part of the base and the frame evenly and securely drawn tight by the 
bolts, the number of which depends upon the size of the aquarium; but 
one should be placed very near each side of the four corners, with one, two 
or three between, at even intervals, on both the long and the short sides, 
to make the frame rigid and to prevent subsequent leaks. The bolt holes 
and the space about the nuts should be filled with aquarium cement. A 
method of construction is to use separate corner pieces to unite the lower 
and upper frames with the corner posts, usually adopted for large aquaria, 
which has the advantage of making all the inner sides flush; but riveting 
them together and filling the space between the frame and the glass with 
cement is quite as neat and strong in construction. 
SeTTInG THE Grass. The glass should be carefully cleaned with 
whiting to remove grease. The frame having been filled with a smooth 
coating of cement, the glass should be carefully pressed against it, the 
longer sides being first inserted and kept in place by wooden strips at the 
top and bottom, and then those of the shorter sides inserted; all done by 
very gentle pressureand supported in place by the wooden strips, acting as 
braces. After a day, the lower and upper edges of the glass at the frames 
and the corners, where front and side meet, may be covered with aquarium 
cement, and this left to harden or covered with slender strips of glass. 
Filling the aquarium with water will tend to exert an even pressure on all 
sides and cause the glass to press evenly on the cement. The cement 
however will take longer to become hard. When taking an angle-framed 
aquarium apart, there will be less likelihood of breaking the glass if the 
cement is softened by running a knife-blade between it and the glass and 
pouring in coal oil. 
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