I've been reading here for a while, but this is my first post. I'm starting on a plywood build, approx. 230G. Last night I went and bought my plywood and I'm hoping to get some good progress over the upcoming 3 day weekend.
The outside dimensions will be 66x29x30. I don't own or have access to a truck, so the dimensions were partly based on what I could fit in my car. I had Home Depot make a few cuts so it would fit in the car with the seats folded down. I went with 29" for the depth because the door to the room the tank will be in is 31" wide. I will probably just assemble it in the room, but I wanted to make sure I could remove it later if needed without disassembling. The plywood is 3/4" oak. The glass will be supported by a frame of 2x3s which will be hidden behind oak trim.
Here is a basic drawing I did in SketchUp:
View attachment 1023209
I want the overall look to be similar to this build: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?214279
I haven't designed the hood yet, but I'm envisioning something that basically just rests on the sides and slides off the front for easy access.
I also haven't really given a lot of thought to the filtration/plumbing yet. On the other side of the wall it's going to sit up against is the unfinished basement with a floor drain, so I'm going to rig up some kind of drain pipe with a valve to make water changes easy.
I mostly came here looking for input on how to waterproof the tank. I had been thinking about fiberglass (at least along the seams, maybe the whole tank) and then paint it with an epoxy paint. But I've also seen some tanks that just use Pond Armor. I'm trying to keep the cost down as much as possible, but I also want to do it right the first time.
The tank will probably house a fahaka puffer.
I will of course be posting pictures of the build as it progresses.
I look forward to hearing your input!
The outside dimensions will be 66x29x30. I don't own or have access to a truck, so the dimensions were partly based on what I could fit in my car. I had Home Depot make a few cuts so it would fit in the car with the seats folded down. I went with 29" for the depth because the door to the room the tank will be in is 31" wide. I will probably just assemble it in the room, but I wanted to make sure I could remove it later if needed without disassembling. The plywood is 3/4" oak. The glass will be supported by a frame of 2x3s which will be hidden behind oak trim.
Here is a basic drawing I did in SketchUp:
View attachment 1023209
I want the overall look to be similar to this build: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?214279
I haven't designed the hood yet, but I'm envisioning something that basically just rests on the sides and slides off the front for easy access.
I also haven't really given a lot of thought to the filtration/plumbing yet. On the other side of the wall it's going to sit up against is the unfinished basement with a floor drain, so I'm going to rig up some kind of drain pipe with a valve to make water changes easy.
I mostly came here looking for input on how to waterproof the tank. I had been thinking about fiberglass (at least along the seams, maybe the whole tank) and then paint it with an epoxy paint. But I've also seen some tanks that just use Pond Armor. I'm trying to keep the cost down as much as possible, but I also want to do it right the first time.
The tank will probably house a fahaka puffer.
I will of course be posting pictures of the build as it progresses.
I look forward to hearing your input!
