Oddball, some spiffy looking tanks indeed. I suppose this one comes down to one's perspective. To me those are a bit on the pricey side to the point where I'd rather DIY a plywood tank, but I understand everyone's budgets are different and you can't beat the headache-free factor of those fiberglass tanks. However, in the context of the original post it's not entirely clear where the OP draws the line. States he/she will prob 'break the bank for this one', yet asks for cost effective DIY solutions. Anywhoo, I was just personally shocked when I saw the price on these things were so low at this store and hoped the info would be useful to other members.
Thought a big cat would be outta my league FOREVER, turns out, it's just until I can find space for a 9' circle