Plywood or wood tanks

[FlammingWoodChuck]

how do I make one of thses??? Are they As reliable as a glass or acryllic(spelled wrong) tank?? How much would it cost to make a 240g wood tank on average??? Dose any1 have pix of a filled one??? How hard are they to build?? Srry about all the questions but im trying to get a bigger tank for less money(no job :()

[rallysman]

how do I make one of thses??? Are they As reliable as a glass or acryllic(spelled wrong) tank?? How much would it cost to make a 240g wood tank on average??? Dose any1 have pix of a filled one??? How hard are they to build?? Srry about all the questions but im trying to get a bigger tank for less money(no job :()
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=2/medium/300_front_2.PNG

This is my plywood tank. The frame was built out of 2x6" lumber and there are 2 layers of plywood skinning the tank, with fiberglass resin coating the inside. So far it is as strong as a rock and it has never leaked. The glass is sealed in with a bunch of silicone....i mean tons of it. I have searched google before and found some pretty awesome step by step guides on how to build them. It doesnt seem that difficult. The most expensive part is the glass ( resin coming in second place), but if you can find a glass factory or a fish tank factory you can go dumpster diving:). If you get serious about building one, let me know and i will see if i can get the size glass you need.....i know some people that work in glass factorys :thumbsup:

[FlammingWoodChuck]

I am serious but i think i will make a smaller scale on first. probly a 55g or so. Could i use pond liner instaed of using resine and make it cost less??

[mbierzyc]

it's not cheaper to build a plywood tank until you get into the very large sizes, 200gal+ I would say.

[FlammingWoodChuck]

k. i would only build the 55g to test what i can do and see if i did it right instead of doing a 240-300g tank and mess up

[hardb0iled]

Some info I have found on plywood tanks:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_1700g_tank_1.php

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=86577

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=54885&highlight=

http://www.garf.org/140.gallon.html

http://home.neb.rr.com/piranha/brodgers.htm

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/panis/frankpanis3000.htm

I'm thinking I'll build one of these to house my Murray Cod when he eventually outgrows the 6x2x2. Hopefully not for a few years yet! mbierzyc is right though, it is not worth the hassle to use this method unless you are getting to the sizes where a glass/acrylic tank is just too costly. Smaller traditional sized tanks would be better made in glass.

[islander671]

the epoxy resin you purchase normally doesnt have a long shelf life once its open, and you might have alot left over if your just doing a 55g depending on what you buy coz normally it comes in pretty big sizes. 4 gallons one part, and 1 gallon for the other part. pretty pricey stuff.

as for the pond liner, i built an experimental 35 gal tank that is lined with pondliner that has been holding water for several weeks, but before i stock it i want be absolutly sure that it wont leak. my main concerns with the ponliner were condensation if air were to get between the pondliner and wood. i used an adhesive to secure the pondliner to the would and im hoping that after a few more weeks, my experiment will prove successful.

good luck if you decide to build! really is a good project to do, i think i have pix in my gallery of one that ive built.

[FlammingWoodChuck]

Ok. After read the links Hardb0iled posted(thx alot) i have decided to go with a huge tank. 8' by 4' foot print like the guyn in the second link. I am gana line is with fiberglass instead of paint or pond liner(my friends dad builds plane wings and other stuff for planes and works with fiber glass soooooooo he can help me out with that part) a question i have is instead of glass can i use plexi glass???(cheaper and stronger) and how would i make the top?? another peice of plywood or a glass top and make a hood later??? the stand i will reenforce very well. Dose any1 have any other plans that i can look at for plywood tanks with sump????

[rallysman]

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=2/300pump.png
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=2/300wetdry2.PNG

Here is the wet/dry on my tank. its a very simple setup. Water goes in the overflow and into the white tube, the white tube has holes over the bio boxes wich lets the water flow through them, and then there is a pump that returns the water to the other side. You could do this fairly cheaply with a 55 gallon tank. Sorry about the crappy pix.

[FlammingWoodChuck]

Do u know anything about using plexi glass instead of glass?:??

[hardb0iled]

Yeah I like that tank, nice size!

If you read that thread all the way through, he is debating wether to use acrylic or glass for the viewing window, either can be used but they both have advantages/disadvantages. Acrylic scratches easy but is easier to handle. Dont know how price compares?

Sump trickle(wet/dry) filters are easy to make! All you need is a large enough container for the sump, a sectioned off box at one end which contains the media and some plumbing to direct the water over the media. then a pump to pump the water back into the tank.

This is a very good image of the basic system which I have stolen from another fourm(I hope they dont mind!)

http://aquaticpredators.com/forums/uploads/post-119-1109519186.jpg

I just built one for my 450l tank using a 30" tank with a glass divider/baffle in it to create the media section. The only other thng you need to worry about is the overflow for the tank and a return pump, but seeing as thoggh you are making a tank from scratch you wont have a problem building an overflow into it.

Make sure you post lots of pics and progress info, I cant get enough of these DIY monster tanks! :thumbsup:

[FlammingWoodChuck]

thx for the diagram. what do u think about plexi glass instead of acrylic or glass??

[rallysman]

That diagram is exactly how mine works, and it works well! I think glass would actually be cheaper....but i cant be for sure without pricing it. Plexi is stronger, but as stated, scratches easier. Glass can scratch too, and if it does its harder to repair that plexi. Try to find a place that makes plate glass for pricing, and if you get me the size you need, i might be able to help you out (there are a few glass factorys around here). If you are looking for plexi check with http://www.mcmaster.com/ and https://selectproducts.com/html/frame2/frames2.htm There are a ton of places that sell it but i'll have to dig some more to find it.

[FlammingWoodChuck]

thx. my dad said we have a "All glass and Paint" and they should be able to get me something

[FlammingWoodChuck]

When(if, depends on if my mom and dad want it or not(ill have to beg and beg to get probly:D) and if we have place for it) i build it ill take bunches of pix and post em so u guys can see. might be awhile i still have to figure out how much all will be, how to make a sump, how big sump has to be, what filter to use for return, and bunches of other stuff

[roamingmotoroman]

I built and 8 ft x 8 ft x 4 ft tank with 4x4 skelton and 1in thick walls of osb covered in eposy
I thenk took a pond liner and on the front of the tank I set a seal with west systems epoxy and cut my window out of the pond liner to my 1in thick acrylic front sheet

the window instead of being 8x4 is only about 7 x 3

but it is still a monstrous home made beast

[hardb0iled]

I built and 8 ft x 8 ft x 4 ft tank with 4x4 skelton and 1in thick walls of osb covered in eposy

Any pics!!? :D

[JnASabo]

WOW !
That is an awesome Tank, rallysman
Seriously makes me want to build one.

[rallysman]

WOW !
That is an awesome Tank, rallysman
Seriously makes me want to build one.
Thank you:D

[roamingmotoroman]

Got some unfishied pics of the 2000 gallon in my personal gallery

too long since i've worked with stuff like this I can figure out how to attach it

[guppy]

For an indoor tank of less than huge size I would just fiberglass the iside rather than use pond liner or resin, it is sturdier than liners and cheaper than resin.