1200 Gallon EPDM Pond Liner/Viewing Glass build
- Thread starter stingray keeper
- Start date
yes i dont see many liner builds so i wanted to document this for others to see how to build one. i got a great deal of help from another member here who has built these in the past. i appreciated the help so much that i though why not pass on the info.
Great read. What a thorough reporting job for our sake. Great many thanks.
On Glass-to-EDPM seal. Why 3M5200? Have you looked earnestly into Dow 795? I am under an impression it is used in most professional aquaria builds... or is it only / mostly for acrylic windows? Or into the sealer Wednesday13 used - Gold Label Aquarium and Pond Sealer/Silicone from across the pond?
On Glass-to-EDPM seal. Why 3M5200? Have you looked earnestly into Dow 795? I am under an impression it is used in most professional aquaria builds... or is it only / mostly for acrylic windows? Or into the sealer Wednesday13 used - Gold Label Aquarium and Pond Sealer/Silicone from across the pond?
Well the 3M5200 was one of the suggestions that Wednesday mentioned. Upon my research I believe the gold label was either too hard to get my hands on or too expensive for me to get in canada. I don't quite recall. I only looked into those 2 options. Thanks for the kind words.
Any documentation to prove the use of dow corning 795 for professional tanks/zoos? Been curious of this stuff for a while but the gold label and 3m were proven by our members before i used them. Back in the day "Nolapete" posted pics of his friends liner tanks. They used dow 795 and a rubber gasket to make the seal. I never fully understood the use of the rubber gasket. "Johnptc" also used dow for an acrylic to polypropolene seal but those are the only 2 i know of. If it really is what the zoos use it worth trying. Ive yet to find anything comparable to gold label, itd b nice to save some money somewhere lol...
See the input from a professional builder Phixer (Sam) here: page 6, 3rd post from the top is a part of our email exchange with him http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=33968&start=100
Plus this is what Dolphin Fiberglass uses in their tanks, incl. my two 4500 gal and this seal looks and feels identical to what I have seen at many Public Aquaria. I can't say if it's used in most or (almost) all large Public Aquaria tanks I ever have been to and seen because I've not always paid attention.
Such places don't use liners or maybe rarely or they are hidden but it looks like they use sealed concrete or fiberglass for the enclosure and acrylic for windows. I think glass is rarely used, esp. for liability reasons.
Plus this is what Dolphin Fiberglass uses in their tanks, incl. my two 4500 gal and this seal looks and feels identical to what I have seen at many Public Aquaria. I can't say if it's used in most or (almost) all large Public Aquaria tanks I ever have been to and seen because I've not always paid attention.
Such places don't use liners or maybe rarely or they are hidden but it looks like they use sealed concrete or fiberglass for the enclosure and acrylic for windows. I think glass is rarely used, esp. for liability reasons.
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sorry, busy as always my friend... all this work in the coral industry is rotting my fresh water brain lately. Good read u posted for me, i appreciate it. gives me some more confidence in using it on my next build... only way for me to be certain is to order some dow 795, test it out and feel for myself. i sure do like the price of $6.95...gold labels up to $49 a tube and noone wants to sell it to me at wholesale in bulk. as for professional places/zoos and liners.... they have the money not to use them lol... id rather not personally, but im poor over here and its the cheapest option for me. Jealous of ur new setup down there.... simply amazing! jaw dropper lol... i like the fact the fish greenhouse/room is bigger than the house 
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back to liners to keep from derailing.... cheap... pretty durable... can be patched or replaced fairly easily and there seems to be more than one way to put windows in em. every liner tank that pops up has got a different method. gaskets, sealants, bolts, seam tape like this one... very interesting imo... i recently had my first one leak (1400 gal) and too my surprise it was not the window or 3m5200 failure....not the fish chewing through either.... it was human error lol... a mag 24 and pump strainer was wearing down an area in a corner/seam and lead to a pin hole leak from a sharp corner of the strainer... nightmare lol...
i believe this tank by stingray keeper may be more efficient than my own with the use of seam tape and cutting the liner to fit each wall/floor... his tank corners are all doubled up, no folds, and no air gaps behind the liner. this method saves even more money as liner "pieces" are alot cheaper than one large sheet. just some food for thought lol... ive been rethinking my next tank lately to possibly be more like this one... maybe even double layer liner floors and seams for extra assurance. Really great job improving my own methods Stingraykeeper! now ill take what u did and change it up a bit again haha... thanks for MFK! we gotta keep it goin guys... the industry is going down hill lately and im not sure y.
..... back to liners to keep from derailing.... cheap... pretty durable... can be patched or replaced fairly easily and there seems to be more than one way to put windows in em. every liner tank that pops up has got a different method. gaskets, sealants, bolts, seam tape like this one... very interesting imo... i recently had my first one leak (1400 gal) and too my surprise it was not the window or 3m5200 failure....not the fish chewing through either.... it was human error lol... a mag 24 and pump strainer was wearing down an area in a corner/seam and lead to a pin hole leak from a sharp corner of the strainer... nightmare lol...
i believe this tank by stingray keeper may be more efficient than my own with the use of seam tape and cutting the liner to fit each wall/floor... his tank corners are all doubled up, no folds, and no air gaps behind the liner. this method saves even more money as liner "pieces" are alot cheaper than one large sheet. just some food for thought lol... ive been rethinking my next tank lately to possibly be more like this one... maybe even double layer liner floors and seams for extra assurance. Really great job improving my own methods Stingraykeeper! now ill take what u did and change it up a bit again haha... thanks for MFK! we gotta keep it goin guys... the industry is going down hill lately and im not sure y.
