Hi, this is my first time building a tank and I have some experience with carpentry and plumbing. All measurements are in US inches and gallons unless otherwise specified. I prefer to find as much of the products in stores rather than online so I can inspect the quality and less hassle with returns if needed.
The Tank
Phase 1: Building the plywood box
I plan on using (2) 96" x 36" Whole Piece Birch Domestic Plywood from Homedepot for the front and back,
and the same type of wood for the (2) 36"x 36" sides and (1) 96"x 36" bottom. Then screw in #8 2-1/2 in. Phillips Square Flat-Head Multi-Material Screws every 6" apart and glue the sides with Gorilla Glue 2 fl. oz. All-Purpose Adhesive.
Phase 2: Liquid Rubber
I plan on using 5 gallons of Universal Rubberizeit and 2 small rolls RubberizeIt! ReinforceIt Cloth for the sides and glass.
Phase 3: Cutting the side for the glass
Cutting the front panel for the glass (I'm going to go with glass, not acrylic because I want this to last for a very long time without scratches and yellowing) I don't know how thick the glass should be. I heard 1/2" thick 92.5" x 32.5" safety glass with rounded edges is sufficient. If I stick with the 92.5" x 32.5" for the glass, how much room should I leave to use silicone adhesive? What type of silicone should I use? I heard the mildew resistant kind is toxic over time and the aquarium silicone is the same as the silicone without mildew resistance, but more expensive.
Phase 4: Bracing and stand
2x4 boards for every foot for the bottom, the top and the sides. I'm going to reinforce the bottom with the remaining amount of plywood since Homedepot uses 4'x8's. For the stand I'm just going to use cinder blocks and then cover it up with some thin pieces of plywood. I'll be painting everything once I know it works.
Phase 5: Testing
I'll fill up the tank halfway with water for about a 5 days to see if they'res any leaks and then fill it up all the way for 5 days before I put anything into the water.
Phase 6: Filtration (Haven't done enough research for this part yet)
The Tank
Phase 1: Building the plywood box
I plan on using (2) 96" x 36" Whole Piece Birch Domestic Plywood from Homedepot for the front and back,
and the same type of wood for the (2) 36"x 36" sides and (1) 96"x 36" bottom. Then screw in #8 2-1/2 in. Phillips Square Flat-Head Multi-Material Screws every 6" apart and glue the sides with Gorilla Glue 2 fl. oz. All-Purpose Adhesive.
Phase 2: Liquid Rubber
I plan on using 5 gallons of Universal Rubberizeit and 2 small rolls RubberizeIt! ReinforceIt Cloth for the sides and glass.
Phase 3: Cutting the side for the glass
Cutting the front panel for the glass (I'm going to go with glass, not acrylic because I want this to last for a very long time without scratches and yellowing) I don't know how thick the glass should be. I heard 1/2" thick 92.5" x 32.5" safety glass with rounded edges is sufficient. If I stick with the 92.5" x 32.5" for the glass, how much room should I leave to use silicone adhesive? What type of silicone should I use? I heard the mildew resistant kind is toxic over time and the aquarium silicone is the same as the silicone without mildew resistance, but more expensive.
Phase 4: Bracing and stand
2x4 boards for every foot for the bottom, the top and the sides. I'm going to reinforce the bottom with the remaining amount of plywood since Homedepot uses 4'x8's. For the stand I'm just going to use cinder blocks and then cover it up with some thin pieces of plywood. I'll be painting everything once I know it works.
Phase 5: Testing
I'll fill up the tank halfway with water for about a 5 days to see if they'res any leaks and then fill it up all the way for 5 days before I put anything into the water.
Phase 6: Filtration (Haven't done enough research for this part yet)
