Alright, I read up on GARF how to build a wood tank. I'd like to build a taller tank that's about 24" long and 24ish inches tall. The exact details have yet to be worked out, but I have some general questions anyway:
1. I'm uber paranoid about a wood tank blowing apart at the seams, as I live in an apartment and don't want 75 gallons of water everywhere. can I build a 2X4 frame for it and line it inside and out with plywood? In other words, build it like house walls, only with the 2X4's 2" thick and 4X tall (if that makes sense). Or does it even matter that much? I could just use 3/8" plywood, right?
2. Screws...what kind? Standard black 3" drywall screws?
3. Glue for the wood - umm...I can only think of wood glue (fancy Elmer's), but that's water soluble...does it matter?
4. If I can swing it, I want to use a glass panel from a 29G aquarium...will this be strong enough?
5. How about 3/8" plywood? Good enough if I'm using a triangulated 2X4 frame?
6. Here's where it gets kinda tricky - I don't want to have any sharp corners in the tank. I noticed on GARF that it says to use body filler for wood blemishes - will straight up Bondo work, or is there a special kind I need to use?
6a. To go along with that, if I bondo all of the seams, should I use silicone behind it?
6b. It was probably on the site, but should I paint a coat, then put silicone on it, or silicone before?
to go along with that, if I"m using bondo in the corners, should I lay a coat of sealer, then bondo, then another few coats, or just do all the coats over the bondo?
7. any reccomendations for what kind of sealer to use? I'd like to end up with a black tank.
8. GARF says to just stick the glass in on the back of the wood with a bunch of silicone. Will this really hold up to years of use? Remember that I am probably going to be moving this tank at least once a year for the next 2-3 years.
9. Are there any sorts of filtration that I could use that would NOT be a sump variety? With a 75ish gallon tank, what size canister would you reccomend, and would you reccomend spray bars or an overflow (durso standpipe style)? The main theme here will be angelfish and cory cats in a (hopefully) heavily planted tank...
1. I'm uber paranoid about a wood tank blowing apart at the seams, as I live in an apartment and don't want 75 gallons of water everywhere. can I build a 2X4 frame for it and line it inside and out with plywood? In other words, build it like house walls, only with the 2X4's 2" thick and 4X tall (if that makes sense). Or does it even matter that much? I could just use 3/8" plywood, right?
2. Screws...what kind? Standard black 3" drywall screws?
3. Glue for the wood - umm...I can only think of wood glue (fancy Elmer's), but that's water soluble...does it matter?
4. If I can swing it, I want to use a glass panel from a 29G aquarium...will this be strong enough?
5. How about 3/8" plywood? Good enough if I'm using a triangulated 2X4 frame?
6. Here's where it gets kinda tricky - I don't want to have any sharp corners in the tank. I noticed on GARF that it says to use body filler for wood blemishes - will straight up Bondo work, or is there a special kind I need to use?
6a. To go along with that, if I bondo all of the seams, should I use silicone behind it?
6b. It was probably on the site, but should I paint a coat, then put silicone on it, or silicone before?
to go along with that, if I"m using bondo in the corners, should I lay a coat of sealer, then bondo, then another few coats, or just do all the coats over the bondo?
7. any reccomendations for what kind of sealer to use? I'd like to end up with a black tank.
8. GARF says to just stick the glass in on the back of the wood with a bunch of silicone. Will this really hold up to years of use? Remember that I am probably going to be moving this tank at least once a year for the next 2-3 years.
9. Are there any sorts of filtration that I could use that would NOT be a sump variety? With a 75ish gallon tank, what size canister would you reccomend, and would you reccomend spray bars or an overflow (durso standpipe style)? The main theme here will be angelfish and cory cats in a (hopefully) heavily planted tank...
