150 wood and glass tank build thread

[scootrnerd]

first off this may take a long time due to $$$$$ i am trying to do this as cheap as possible! without affecting quality of course. here is what i have so far. the first and second pic are of the peace of glass prior to cutting. the third is after. i wanted to make sure i could cut the glass without breaking it before i bought the wood.there is also a rough sketchof the first cuts of the wood.any help suggestions comments(good or bad) are welcome and appreciated.



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[scootrnerd]

i got the wood and made some cuts today. the wider piece will be the bottom while the other will be the back. cant cut after 7 pm in my neighborhood so will have to wait until tomorrow

[scootrnerd]

i didn't get home in time to make any cuts so i went ahead and attached the back and bottom together i put 3 inch wood screws every 2 inches

[scootrnerd]

i got the side pieces and front pieces cut and installed today as well as a test fit on the glass panel. i filled all the knot holes (after pics were taken) and am waiting for the filler to dry i will sand them down tomorrow. i am waiting on the msds on some epoxy paint from my local hardware store
but they use it for aqrecultural applications like water tanks for cattle and such so i might be ok .if it is toxic i will go with this instead http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/11733/cid/3035

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[Rudy]

Hey Nerd - you are taking DIY to a new level.

Please let me know if I am understanding this correctly? Are you going to use the box you constructed to help support the glass you place within it, to make it water tight? Or, is this box serving some other purpose?

Where will this tank ultimately be placed? How do you plan to plumb the tank?

[scootrnerd]

the box is the tank the only glass is the front.i will be coating it with fiberglass and epoxy paint to seal it off. plumbing will be two corner overflows to a 55 gallon sump/fuge (my current tank) and it will also have a closed loop. i am still thinking of exactly where to place the closed loop. as far as placement of the tank it will be an in wall unit with all plumbing lighting NOISE out of sight either in my spare room or a fish room i would have to build in the garage either way viewing would be in the main room of my house

[Reefscape]

Looking superb so far....I love build threads as they spawn so many other ideas and can be a tremendous help to other people looking to do a similar project..

Great start...

[Sploke]

If you're interested, here's the build thread for the one I built.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108365

[The Zigman]

These plywood tank builds intrigue me... I want to build an indoor pond for FW stingrays someday, and am curious why nobody has contact cemented a pond liner to the inside of a plywood tank? It seems like this idea is not even considered most often. Is this a bad idea or something?

[Sploke]

It would work fine, but you have to deal with the wrinkles in the corners. I guess you could use contact cement to glue flat pieces to each wall and then seal the seams, but I'm not sure how well silicone would adhere to the pond liner. It also might be problematic if you wanted a viewing window in the side.

[scootrnerd]

If you're interested, here's the build thread for the one I built.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108365

i did have a look at urs sploke nice work and awesome turtle!

[scootrnerd]

These plywood tank builds intrigue me... I want to build an indoor pond for FW stingrays someday, and am curious why nobody has contact cemented a pond liner to the inside of a plywood tank? It seems like this idea is not even considered most often. Is this a bad idea or something?

i did consider that but not sure how silicone would adhere to the liner especially in the front around the glass. 150 gallons is allot of water to have leak out or burst. trust me i know! but thats a different thread lol

[scootrnerd]

i didn't get as much done as i would have liked on the tank because we had a parent/player softball game which the parents won YES! we beat a bunch of 10 year olds! and i built a fuge for someone but that another thread lol. i got all the knot holes sanded and installed some L brackets in all four corners of the front frame. i also picked up the fiberglass cloth and the epoxy paint. and i did get the m.s.d.s on it. after curing (1 week) it is not toxic it even says on the can "can be used for water tanks and ponds"

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[scootrnerd]

i got the first layer of fiberglass and paint on today i used the thicker fiberglass in the corner and then the whole inside is done in the thinner stuff

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[clown-lover]

Looking good scooter.. Mind me asking how much the stuff cost?

[scootrnerd]

Looking good scooter.. Mind me asking how much the stuff cost?

:perv::perv::perv: how dare you mention money!:nono::nono::nono: j/k so far

wood 30.00
paint 25.00 (need another)
fiberglass 15.00
paint brushes and rollers 15.00
L brackets 8.00
thats dollars to all my friends from other lands
glass already had
screws already had
tools already had

i think i am going to need at least one more can of paint though

[RLGirlPolo]

These plywood tank builds intrigue me... I want to build an indoor pond for FW stingrays someday, and am curious why nobody has contact cemented a pond liner to the inside of a plywood tank? It seems like this idea is not even considered most often. Is this a bad idea or something?

When you say pond liner I would assume you are refering to vinyl liners that are also use for pools. I don't have any experience w/ pond liners (so I could be totally wrong)but would assume they would be made with vinyl and if that is the case I do have experience with pool liners since in one of my past jobs I worked for a pool company. In my experience we would have issues in keeping the ph constant in the pools with vinyl liners and every so often would need to add a pH Up to the pools to raise the pH. The problem being the chemicals in the vinyl would leach and slowly drop the pH in the pool. It wasn't a major problem in the pool industry but I could see where it might be a problem for a fish tank. With that being said, pond liners might not be made with the same material the pool liners are.

[clown-lover]

:perv::perv::perv: how dare you mention money!:nono::nono::nono: j/k so far

wood 30.00
paint 25.00 (need another)
fiberglass 15.00
paint brushes and rollers 15.00
L brackets 8.00
thats dollars to all my friends from other lands
glass already had
screws already had
tools already had

i think i am going to need at least one more can of paint though

Not bad. I was expecting the paint to be like 50 bucks a gallon though. I watch your thread from now for a long while with interest..

[Almondsaz]

looks great, can't wait to see the glass fitted and the water for the leak test.

[Sploke]

Pond liners are EPDM rubber and are inert.

Lookin good Scooter, keep it up.

[scootrnerd]

second coat is on! didnt bother with pics cause the look just like the first layer lol. i am definitely going to need one more can of paint. i will get three coats out of this one and i would like six coats.

[Rbishop]

Nice job!

[stashmoney82]

i like the color. its different than the normal boring black that you normally see with plywood tanks. did the paint come that color or did they tint it for you?

[FtwayneFish]

Very neat. Ive been watching and waiting for water lol. It takes time. And where in AMERICA cant you do DIY projects after 7pm! ooooo old-rida lmao. foogies gotta watch the news huh?

Im gonna give this thread to my fiance's mom she DIY's everything! she wants Stingrays. at least 75g I told her.

[Cory Keeper]

awsome project, I'm looking at a 300g plywood, cept mine I plan on doing FW.

Got a question though, aimed at both you an sploke, is a fiberglass layer really needed? I know epoxy paint doesn't hold up well to nicks and such, but if care was taken and you didn't have tank busting fish, could you get away with not using the stuff?

[H3D]

Neat!

[Sploke]

I only used fiberglass on the corner seams on mine, because I had screwed from the inside out into the frames. I used the fabric to help seam the screw heads. You could probably get away with just painting all the sides and then siliconing the seams and get a good seal if you didn't have any holes to fill, or if you filled them with putty and sanded them down.

[scootrnerd]

Very neat. Ive been watching and waiting for water lol. It takes time. And where in AMERICA cant you do DIY projects after 7pm! ooooo old-rida lmao. foogies gotta watch the news huh?

Im gonna give this thread to my fiance's mom she DIY's everything! she wants Stingrays. at least 75g I told her.

deeded community home owners association "no constuction after 7 pm" lmao

[scootrnerd]

awsome project, I'm looking at a 300g plywood, cept mine I plan on doing FW.

Got a question though, aimed at both you an sploke, is a fiberglass layer really needed? I know epoxy paint doesn't hold up well to nicks and such, but if care was taken and you didn't have tank busting fish, could you get away with not using the stuff?

i agree with sploke you could get by with out fiberglassing the whole tank. but this tank will have ALLOT of live rock in it so i didn't want to risk it

[scootrnerd]

i like the color. its different than the normal boring black that you normally see with plywood tanks. did the paint come that color or did they tint it for you?

yes i had it tinted that color "ocean blue"

[stashmoney82]

so is drylok epoxy paint? iv seen the stuff, but didnt know the make up. Where did you purchase it at?

[scootrnerd]

yes it is an epoxy paint you can get it at lowes or home depot or ace hardware

[scootrnerd]

third coat is on! fever runny nose and all :sick: i have been giving some thought to the fuge/sump and the closed loop also not sure about a pump for either one still looking around

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[scootrnerd]

fourth coat is on! oh yeah 2 more to go

[clown-lover]

Are you letting it dry.. j/k :D

[j_chicago]

Pond liners are not usually used since if the rockwork falls it can rip. And prevents getting a good seal where the glass is.

[scootrnerd]

Are you letting it dry.. j/k :D

for 24 hours:grinyes:

[scootrnerd]

ok fifth coat is on and i am out of paint so 5 coats will have to do. if it is dry enough tomorrow evening i am going to install the glass.

[scootrnerd]

i have all the sanding done on the tank and have the glass all ready to install i even have the silicone. but it has been cold for a few days and i don't want to apply the silicone in the cold. as soon it is going to be warm for a few days i will install. the center brace in pic is just sitting on there i wont attach until after glass obviously. i am happy with the results so far

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[Rbishop]

Nice work.

[Reefscape]

Looking superb....a very nice build thread so far....

[scootrnerd]

thank you very much. still cold dangit!

[clown-lover]

I'm sorry I have to laugh. One of our local personalities was down there watching one of the teams practice at camp and told a story about your news talking about the 50 degree weather. While I have sympathy that you guys aren't used to the cold I almost fell out of my vehicle driving when they said people were in winter parkas at 50 degrees. Thats T-Shirt weather around here.. :rofl:

And please I'm not laughing at you, but I did find it funny.

BTW very nice work.

[scootrnerd]

when it gets below 50 i break out my thermal underwear :lipssealedsmilie: yeah we usually only get like two or three months of "cold" like 40-50 but that is to cold for silicone so i have to wait

[ITHURTZ]

Man 40-50 degree winters would be nice. 20 aint that bad

[scootrnerd]

if it hits 20 here i am moving to mexico

[clown-lover]

LMAO.. Its been in the 20's this week but a couple of weeks ago.. Negative 30+ with the wind chill.

You do know it gets so cold up here that we have heaters that are in the engine of our vehicles that we plug in so the babies start in the morning. :D

[Cory Keeper]

haha, I live in the upstate of South Carolina, you think 50 is cold? last night it got down to 19F at KGSP (airport, which I live 10 minutes away from), 50 would be like spring, lol.

Btw, concerning the cars, Heating the oil is great, but what about the battery? Cold is far far worse on the battery than it is the oil.

[clown-lover]

haha, I live in the upstate of South Carolina, you think 50 is cold? last night it got down to 19F at KGSP (airport, which I live 10 minutes away from), 50 would be like spring, lol.

Btw, concerning the cars, Heating the oil is great, but what about the battery? Cold is far far worse on the battery than it is the oil.

No we don't use oil pan heaters, or at least the smart people don't. Its an engine block heater. I wouldn't heat a battery I would just ensure I have a cold climate battery that has 900 cold cranking amps.

[Solastsummer]

is there any online guides to building tanks like this, i havent been in the aquarium community for a long time and i have never heard of something like this

[ITHURTZ]

is there any online guides to building tanks like this, i havent been in the aquarium community for a long time and i have never heard of something like this

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=30

Theres a TON there, alot are step by step pictures

[scootrnerd]

looks like a few days of good weather so i installed the glass today i bought black silicone and it came out white ,whatever. i will do the outside in black. i have some run over on the viewable part of the glass i will clean it of later. glass is sharp BTW!

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[ITHURTZ]

bought black silicone and it came out white ,whatever.

LOL!

[scootrnerd]

i cleaned off the white silicone from the front and did it in black now i am going to let it cure i think a week should do. still not sure on pumps though any recommendations? dont forget i am on a budget here :wall:

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[clown-lover]

A 150 I'd have a minimum of a 1200 gph overflow to a sump with a compariable return pump. But with a tank that large you might even want to go 1800 or 2400 gph. But again its going to depend on your plans for the tank ultimately.

[Rbishop]

Looks great....won't be long before the water....

[Reefscape]

.....i bought black silicone and it came out white ,whatever.


LMAO.....so funny !!!!




Its looking great so far....Keep up the good work..

[scootrnerd]

LMAO.....so funny !!!!




Its looking great so far....Keep up the good work..

well it was late and i wasn't going back to the freaking store ok, lol
and that is no joke the tubes said black and it came out white. now it starting to turn clear i dunno. as long as it holds i don't really care as it wont be seen anyway

[Cory Keeper]

Sweet, you can make another 2 tanks if the rest of the glass is fine.

[scootrnerd]

i filled it with water tonight and its HOLDING!!!!:headbang2: i am going to let it sit with water for a few weeks just to make sure:grinyes: all those smudges on the glass are extra silicone . i will clean them off later

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[wantvws]

Wow...this is a cool thread. I just caught up on your progress (I haven't looked for a couple of weeks). Out of curiosity, do you know what the empty weight of your tank is?
Looks good!
Robbie

[scootrnerd]

Wow...this is a cool thread. I just caught up on your progress (I haven't looked for a couple of weeks). Out of curiosity, do you know what the empty weight of your tank is?
Looks good!
Robbie


not sure but its not as heavy as an all glass tank of this size. i had a 120 (where i go the glass) and i couldn't move it by myself i can move this tank with no problem if i had to guess i would say 100-150 lbs

[Cory Keeper]

Sweet, you can make another 2 tanks if the rest of the glass is fine.

[scootrnerd]

Sweet, you can make another 2 tanks if the rest of the glass is fine.


no the rest of the glass got broken taking out the pane i used

[Rbishop]

And the water test is good...WOOT!

[FtwayneFish]

Cant wait to see plants and fish next. What were you going to house in it again?

[Bnoble]

excited to see whats next!..awesome job, bro!

[scootrnerd]

Cant wait to see plants and fish next. What were you going to house in it again?

no plants it is going to s/w i was thinking of transferring the stuff from my 55 but i am still debating on that

[nycsicktank]

no plants it is going to s/w i was thinking of transferring the stuff from my 55 but i am still debating on that

:headbang2:
i cant wait until this is fully set up

[Fishfiles1]

first what does S/W mean, and it looks great, how many gallions do you think its is

[ibr3ak]

Sweet, clean looking inside and nice shade of blue :D


first what does S/W mean

saltwater


how many gallions do you think its is

150 wood and glass tank build thread

;)

[scootrnerd]

Quote:
how many gallions do you think its is
Quote:
150 wood and glass tank build thread
;)
:hitting::hitting:

no progress in the last few days been spending my extra time building refugiums. tank is still holding just fine
:headbang2:

[AquatiCreations]

Scooter do you just apply the drylok and its completely water proof?

I was wondering if i could silicone the seams and then use Drylok to water proof the wood.

[scootrnerd]

well the fiberglass helps. but yeah 5 coats which was two cans and its holding water so far. i ordered all the bulkheads for the overflows and closed loop today should get them fast as they are in florida.

[clown-lover]

Did you use 1" thick plywood for the tank?

[AquatiCreations]

you only fiberglassed the seams right?

[scootrnerd]

Did you use 1" thick plywood for the tank?
30/32 so basically its 1 inch


AquatiCreations you only fiberglassed the seams right?

i used fiberglass through the whole inside the corners where thicker than the rest

[AquatiCreations]

So you did fiberglass the whole thing?
I didnt know if the DryLok would hold by itself or not.

[scootrnerd]

So you did fiberglass the whole thing?
I didnt know if the DryLok would hold by itself or not.

it may but i didn't want to risk it. that stuff is pretty thick though like toothpaste from the can

[AquatiCreations]

Oh can you buy the drylok tinted or do you have to get it tinted by someone?

[scootrnerd]

i had it tinted at lowes. the color wasn't an exact match to the color card but close enough

[AquatiCreations]

Does anyone know where i can get hardener for fiberglass resin at? i have looked almost everywhere. and all they sell is the kits.

[scootrnerd]

Does anyone know where i can get hardener for fiberglass resin at? i have looked almost everywhere. and all they sell is the kits.

auto zone

[Cory Keeper]

Or Advance Auto Parts, in the body repair aisle, Depending on where you live, the idiots behind the counter may have no idea what you are talking about.

[James0816]

Interesting thread...glad I decided to read it. Great job btw!

Question on the fiberglass. How did you install it? I don't recall seeing that part in your posts.

[scootrnerd]

Interesting thread...glad I decided to read it. Great job btw!

Question on the fiberglass. How did you install it? I don't recall seeing that part in your posts.

the fiberglass was just the fabric i didn't use any resin i just soaked it with the epoxy paint.

[scootrnerd]

i got the bulkheads in the mail today for the closed loop and the overflows with shipping they where 34.00 six half inch and three 1 inch i am to tired and its to late to try and drill any holes tonight. so it will have to wait. i still have to drain the tank anyway
(still holding just fine):headbang2:

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[scootrnerd]

i drained the tank today so i could start measuring for all the bulkheads. after draining it i flipped it on its side and found that the wood on the bottom was soaked with water. not sure what i am going to do just yet.

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[ITHURTZ]

Find the leak!

[7faces]

Dam, thats not good....
I was reading along, and thinking thats exactly how im doing mine...
mines all built, and i have 3 coats of epoxy on it (different type of epoxy)..just waiting for the glass
then i see this.... now im scared again:eek:

[Rbishop]

I would guess a silicone leak in the glass area.

[boggs]

You can fix it!!! You can do IT!!! I hope that helps.

[scootrnerd]

I would guess a silicone leak in the glass area.

no actually its coming from the back. i know where it is leaking just not sure how to fix it just yet

[AquatiCreations]

Is it from the seam?

[scootrnerd]

Is it from the seam?


yes it is from the seem in the back. its been sitting for weeks and slowly leaking through. this freaking sux. i am not sure what to do. i think i may have to scrap the whole thing and start over. the structural integrity of the wood is in question to me. it has obvious water damage and some bowing. still debating

:wall:

[7faces]

Sorry to hear that man..i feel for ya.
having spent a month building mine and quite a bit of money for a wooden box, i dont know what id do in your situation..
i told myself "if it leaks, ill order an acrylic one" but after $120.00 for 3 quarts of epoxy, and $60.00 worth of wood plus $150.00 for the glass, id sure hate to lose all that progress and money..

if its a seam, can i ask you some details on your construction?
i noticed you used fiberglass cloth in the corners... can i ask why you felt the need?
i used liquid nail to join mine,(the waterproof kind) and screwed it every 3".
the liquid nail oozed out nicely, and i wiped off the excess, leaving a pretty tight joint.
after the first epoxy coat, i really didnt see any line where the panels met, so i was confident it would hold. seeing yours leak has made me second guess myself. its pretty unnerving making an aquarium out of wood to begin with, so id really like to know the cause of the leak (as im sure you would as well) so i can reassure myself..lol
im waiting for my glass to arrive, and at this point, i guess its sink or swim since the epoxy is already on and dried.. (only 3 coats)
im guessing the fiberglass cloth with no resin, coated only with the epoxy is the culprit. maybe the cloth absorbed the epoxy and left voids?????

my biggest worry, is i made a mistake on the window opening and cut it 1/2" too big, leaving only 1 1/2" of gluing surface for the top of the glass... oh well *crosses fingers and hopes for the best" if not, keep me posted of any fix you found...lol i might need it...

the website i got my plans from only called for 3/4" plywood...i wish id have gone thicker

if you do decide to rebuild, and want to try a different type of epoxy .. heres what i used: nsp 120 blue 3 quart kit
http://www.king-cart.com/cgi-bin/cart.cgi?store=epoxy&product=..Epoxy+paints&cart_id=9864525.59342&user-id=&password=&exchange=&exact_match=exact

my tank is 72"x30"x24" and it covered it 3x.
it is super thick!

[ITHURTZ]

Id vote for the fiberglass not being properly attached.

[scootrnerd]

i pulled the bottom off today. as you can see from the pic the drylok didn't really adhere to the wood AT ALL. i am not bad mouthing drylok as i am sure its a great product for other applications. just wouldn't recommend it for this. you can see the matting from the fiberglass is just kinda sitting there . it didn't take much effort at all to pull the bottom loose

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[ITHURTZ]

You know in all honesty, Im kinda not suprised as drylock is a masonry paint, and the warranty is void where the paint is always under water. I bet if you lined the edges with concrete board then painted it, it would work. I looked at their pdf's and didnt find anything where it said it was ok to use it with wood. It was all brick, foundation, concrete blocks. Sucks but you got to be a guinea pig!

[scootrnerd]

well it really doesn't matter as i broke the freaking glass trying to get it out. and on top of that my camera stopped working and "somehow" got smashed with a hammer .................................................. .................................................. ... ALLOT! well i don't see it as a complete loss however. simply because others wont make the same mistakes. my next build will be acrylic. i have much more experience with acrylic but it is going to cost ALLOT more. i am only out around 200.00 (including the camera) so not to bad for a failed experiment

[ITHURTZ]

hahaha RIP camera. Any time date for when the acrylic build goes up or you gonna take a nice vacation from building for a bit?

[Grins]

Sorry you have had such troubles with the build Scoot

[scootrnerd]

"without failure you cant appreciate victory"

[scootrnerd]

hahaha RIP camera. Any time date for when the acrylic build goes up or you gonna take a nice vacation from building for a bit?

well with it being baseball and softball season (my son and daughter both play) and only having the one truck( car was stolen)which my wife drives 90% of the time its kinda hard to get to lowes or any other place and bring back sheets of acrylic. what really sucks is i get my quarterly bonus this Friday and i have to use it to get another work car. man i could build an awesome tank with that money,$1500.00 or i could use my tax return. oh wait i pay taxes, crap that wont work hmmmmmmm walk to work and have nice big tank or drive to work and wait until next quarter? i have even stopped building refugiums until i get another ride so i am just ganna have to wait. but you can bet i will share the build good or bad with all :grinyes:

[7faces]

i know your discouraged, but id seriously reconsider the plywood thing...
since it was actually able to be taken apart, im guessing you didnt liquid nail the joints.... and i would skip the fiberglass part... i dont think id try to salvage the wood...

but.... 60.00 for wood.... 100.00 for epoxy, and 120.00 for glass (+shipping)
thats still alot cheaper than buying enough acrylic to do it..

the epoxy i used sticks like mad to wood. I pryed a piece of my overspill off of some plywood, and it took wood with it (see my last post for link)

i considered acrylic, but home improvement stores (around here) do not carry anything near thick enough to build an aquarium from..
for a 24x24x72 aquarium, youd need 1/2 inch thick acrylic. $277.72 for a 4x8 sheet +shipping and for an aquarium of this size, youd need more than 1 sheet... but it really depends on how big ya wanna go...

these guys have good acrylic prices:

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=USPlastic&category%5Fname=21314&product%5Fid=10477&cookie%5Ftest=1

for thickness recomendations check out this calculator under the DIY section
http://www.garf.org/

ill post some pics of mine (if it doesnt leak) after the glass install lol

[scootrnerd]

well i can get 4x8X1/2 sheets locally for 217.00 no shipping. and the main reason i built this from wood was i already had the glass so i was only in 100.00 really. not including the camera


:wall:

[ITHURTZ]

Ya I would just go acrylic. If it leaks you just drain it and add some more glue.

[ryry123]

i know you probably like to DIY but my 180 gallon acrylic aquarium, i got off craigslist for 200 bucks. just a few small scratches i buffed out.

[scootrnerd]

i know you probably like to DIY but my 180 gallon acrylic aquarium, i got off craigslist for 200 bucks. just a few small scratches i buffed out.

i check CL daily LMAO i wish i could find such a deal!

[ryry123]

well i hope you can to and i hope all your future plans go alot better than your plywood tank that i thought was going to be very good as i scrolled throught untill it leaked.

[root81]

I have been following this thread with interest because I just started construction of a 55 gal corner tank. I'm going a glass front, and plywood the rest of the way. Guess I'll epoxy the thing, and forget the fiberglass idea.

I know I can get a corner tank of roughly the same dimensions I'm looking for cheaper, but I am going custom for the fun of it, and to have a piece of furnature that matches the rest of the room. All visible woodwork is being done in cherry, and I want the back 5" free at the back to run the plumbing completly out of sight. I can't wait for my friend to finish the woodwork so I can get started on the plumbing and electrical work, and build the sump.

[Cory Keeper]

Root, this also give you great experiance when you decide to build a larger tank.

[root81]

Not likely to be going any bigger for a while. I have a 13 room farm house, with no place left to install any more tanks, unless I finish the basement, and set up a new office.

[scootrnerd]

ok i found a 120 long today on Cl i am going to look at tomorrow. its a leaker so if i cant fix the leak, booya! more glass to give it another try! will have to wait and see i really want a wide aquarium i don't care for a 120 gallon tank that is only 18 inches wide. so if i cant fix the leak (i doubt it) i will be building another plywood tank a 240 this time! at least i know what NOT to do
:wall:

[7faces]

ok i found a 120 long today on Cl i am going to look at tomorrow. its a leaker so if i cant fix the leak, booya! more glass to give it another try! will have to wait and see i really want a wide aquarium i don't care for a 120 gallon tank that is only 18 inches wide. so if i cant fix the leak (i doubt it) i will be building another plywood tank a 240 this time! at least i know what NOT to do
:wall:

keep in mind, for my 225 the recomended glass thickness was 3/8...
if the "parts" tank is 3/8, you can get two tries out of it...lol
..goodluck man!

[Cory Keeper]

correction, 3, if you use enough caution. Front, Back, Bottom.

[scootrnerd]

well someone beat me to the 120 :wall: so i gatta keep a look out. i am not going to pay 150..00 for a single pane of glass:headshake2:

[Rbishop]

Wish you better luck on the next build...

[7faces]

another idea if you dont want to pay premium price for glass is, check CL for plate glass...
if your not as critical on the size as i was, you might find something there..
i looked in my area, and found several plate glass window panes, sliding door glass, and even a tempered glass coffe table (wich i thought was perfect) but not long enough .. all for less than 50 bucks


example:
Reply to: sale-595314868@craigslist.org (sale-595314868@craigslist.org?subject=1/4%22%20Plate%20Glass)
Date: 2008-03-04, 12:26PM CST


4 pcs. 1/4 x 35 1/2 x 78 1/2 plate glass, 1pc. same size broken in half, 5 pcs. total.Make reasonable offer, all or none.



Location: Millstadt
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
PostingID: 595314868


too bad i needed 3/8 .. this would be perfect if you were in the St.Louis area

[Reefscape]

Such a shame to hear this did not work mate......

[duneenworywifit]

I dont mean to pry ,but the plywood you used ,was it marine ply?also I didnt see that you put a fillet in the corners of your tank before you glassed it up.fiberglass wont stick to right angles,thats why you must put a fillet there.If you want a crash course in epoxy go to west system online,their product is really good( I work on alot of boats)drylock paint is crap,they dont even use it here in bermuda.reading this thread has been very interesting,you have given me alot of ideas,yesterday I went to the glass co here and scored a door thats tempered starfire glass.for my 290 that I would like to build.Im so stoked!thankyou for the insentive

[ITHURTZ]

I would like a explanation of why fiberglass wont stick to angles. Fiberglass will stick to all angles, custom car audio not everything is always round.

[duneenworywifit]

if you want to get into carbon fiber we can,if you dont put a fillet on the inside corners ,air gets stuck there right?a fillet allows the glass to lay up better,it rounds off the inside corner.on the outside corners ,you cant glass an outside rightangle.try it !you have air pockets allday long,you have to use 2 pieces of glass and come together with it.with carparts,the piece is stuck in a vacuum bag for resin to penatrate into the choth.who the hell in their own basement an everyday average guy has that gear?unless its his job,I dont think to many people understand what im really trying to say.how much experience do you have with polyester and epoxy resins?

[ITHURTZ]

Air pockets are caused by the user. Iv never had problems with air bubbles laying down 'glass.

[Sploke]

I used fiberglass mat on all the inside corners of my plywood tank without issue, no filleting involved.

[scootrnerd]

no it was just regular old outdoor plywood. i have seen them built with and without fillets, this was mainly an experiment it just didn't work out this time. i am going to build another plywood tank just don't know when it will get started. if i had to guess i would say a few months off. i have to much other stuff going at the moment. i did score another piece of glass though. 25"x73"x1/2". i am trying to get my mud truck finished right now. summer is coming!

[duneenworywifit]

I look at a fishtank like a boat,instead of keeping water out .youre keeping the water in,Im glad to here that people have been successful with there tanks and no fillets involved.Im looking for more dyi plywood tank threads,are there anymore?

[ITHURTZ]

dune take a look at monster fish keepers they have TONS of info

[boggs]

Ithurtz, Do you race rc?

[ITHURTZ]

You must be stalking me because I was just looking at gas rc boats.

Race as in a track no, for fun yes! I used to have a Nitro XTM mammoth but I parted it out. Now the only quick thing I have is a CEN aquajet electric boat. Goes 30 but thats fine for me right now, by the time it goes past me I have to turn around before it runs away. Want to go nitro again but engines and water dont mix and thats what I want to drive in.

Pics are fun so why not. I started out with the Traxxas Stampede, I had a 12T in there, had some nice balls, sold it to get the nitro 4x4
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/4045/stamprims664x4977qp.jpg
The XTM Mammoth I had, lots of mods
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/9755/31999883la7.jpg
My boat I painted myself
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/1792/10033004uf.jpg

[plumberman]

Hey, just wanted to revive this post due to my Drylok experience. I converted an old desk to a 112 gallon aquarium. I am using the drawer towers for the biofilter area, and built the tank right to the desk. Overall it weights about 175lbs empty, not to bad for two person carry. I built the box out of 1/2in ply with 1/2 in ply ribs and lined the inside with 1/4in hardiboard. Filleted all the corners with wood, then hardiboard using acrylic latex caulking to adhere everything together. Made sure all my seams were smooth with several layers of caulking, making sure each one was dry first. Then I applied 6 coats of drylok, 2 coats normal color, two coats slightly tinted, then two coats of more tinted. My inside dimensions are 47 1/2in x 22in x 23in. I only have the water filled to 16, which gives me about 75 gallons in the tank with another 25 in the sump/filter system. It is a community FW with turtle. It was been holding water for several weeks now, I have pulled / pushed, tipped over, spun around, and no leaks, craks, or stress spot what-so-ever. Hardiboard is the savinf grace of Drylok in this type of application. Dont give up, just adjust!

[ITHURTZ]

pics

[elpulgarverde]

Yes- Pics, Pics, Pics.
and Congrats!