Instructions for Building an Aquarium Table

Aquarium tables are a recent innovation to interior design. They provide the ambiance of an aquarium, while providing the function of a small table. The aquariums used in these types of tables are the same types of aquariums that would normally sit on a shelf. What allows them to function as a table is the frame that is built around them. The frame can be made out of many materials including wood, metal or acrylic. A simple plan consists of a frame design for a hard wood and a glass top to function as the table top as it rests on the frame. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Set your aquarium on a table so it is horizontal, and the longest sides are facing you. Measure the bottom length. Cut four 1-by-4 boards at this length. Two of these boards will be along the outside edges underneath the aquarium, and two will be on top of the aquarium in the same manner. These boards will be referred to as bottom and top boards in the next steps.

2

Set the aquarium on the two bottom boards, and set the two top boards on top. The boards should be flush with the outside edges of the aquarium. Measure the distance from the top board to the bottom of the bottom board. Cut eight boards at this length. These are your side boards that will be secured around the corners of your aquarium.

3

Pre-drill two 3/32-inch holes at both ends of your side boards, position them so they are spaced evenly, and a half-inch from the 1-by-4-inch end. Countersink a 3/8-inch hole that is a quarter-inch deep in every pre-drilled hole. Stain all of these boards and let them dry according to instructions.

4

Screw your first side board to the ends of one top and one bottom board. The pre-drilled holes should be positioned on the center of the 1-by-4 ends of the bottom and top boards, with the top and bottom edges being flush. Screw three more side boards to the ends of the top and bottom boards in the same fashion.

5

Position a side board so it is perpendicular and flush to the top and bottom boards, and so its edge is flush with the 4-inch surface of the other side board. Screw the side board to the edges of the top and bottom boards at this location. Repeat this process on all the corners using the rest of the side boards.

6

Set your glass sheet on the frame to complete your aquarium table. If you need to supply electricity to your aquarium table, a floor rug can function well to hide any power cords.