Pondliner with window Tanks - products used and longevity

[hawkeye405]

Dont waste ur time with pvc especially ones from home depot. They decompose under UV lighting and or the sun. I know it will probable be indoors but i just wouldnt trust it. Its plastic compared to rubber? which has more give in your mind? i would say rubber will give before it will tear like pvc. Also Firestone EPDM are 45mil. Pvc is Leass than half the mill. I'm sure you can get one 45 mil pvc. but it will end up being as much as a Firestone epdm. I didnt even fold my liner and it still lays flat. You really cant tell its in the tank. p.s. You get what you pay for. By usuing a liner your already saving serious $ compared to fiberglass and epoxies. I would also suggest a 500Gal. or larger or theres really no price break for a build.

The more thought I give this tank the more EPDM makes sense.

I wish that I could build a 500 Gallon tank but I don't have the room for the 48" depth. I'm looking at a 13' long tank which would be 24" deep and 23" high. I have a group of 5 wild Red Hooks that nee the room to swim. This will be a SA tank.

 

[wednesday13]

13' long is pretty cool...i'm down with the odds lol my 650 is 9' long. If you can even squeeze out 30" or 36" deep it would let you keep bigger fish in it. On the con side 24" depth and height will save you on material cost. I really dont keep many fish over 18" in a 24" footprint. Silver hooks would prob have a blast in ur planned footprint though.

 

[hawkeye405]

These are in a 90 gallon that I built for some cichlids.

 

[hawkeye405]

Here's a better pic of them.

 

[wednesday13]

nice fish...they look super healthy. Whats that tank made of?

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[hawkeye405]

Thanks. It's made from 1/4" acrylic

 

[wednesday13]

Ahhh I see it now lol...from my phone it looked like there was a piece of wood in front like an epoxy build that's y I asked....it was just the stand...


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[CJH]

A few thought.

I agree that this should be a sticky.

Nolapete outlined a method a friend of his used involving hard rubber strips & I believe a silicone product. Pretty sure there is also a drawing & that it was in his first thread, not his current one.

As far as PVC vs EDPM, I wouldn't rule out a higher quality PVC liner if used indoors & if various caulks were shown to stick to it better than EDPM. But if all else were equal I'd use EDPM.

I think somebody mentioned it being cheaper & I don't believe that to be the case.

I believe EDPM runs about 50 cents per square foot? As it relates to this thread, you'd also have the cutout from the window area that would have to be thrown away if it wasn't useful for a sump or something else. Likewise, all of the folds in the corners are wasted square feet. Same with the liner that goes up & over the top.

Epoxy resin, which can waterproof as cheaply as 30 cents per square foot, has none of these waste issues but does have it's own.

But epoxy at 30 cents a square foot is nowhere near as thick or as simple as a liner.

Years ago on this forum there was a poster who touted the merits of preformed liners with welded seams instead of folded corners. Does anybody know about these or how much they cost?

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[wednesday13]

I've found the welded liners online in PVC and there pretty pricey...I just wouldnt trust it long term personally. It may in fact be better? I have debated making my own in this style with lap tape/sealent for an epdm but I can deal with some wrinkled corners in my tank for less chances of a seam popping. I have also found pond/window builds using roofing liner welded together. It is a grey material but i am not familiar with this option. Thanks for your opinions CJH! I thought epoxy resin would be more expensive. As for wasting the liner for your cutout, i used my extras to wrap my top supports across the tank. There was very minimial material i threw away. Lots of money to be saved though if epdm can be cut, applied to the walls in sheets and sealed at the seams. Someone on here has a tank in this fashion using 3m marine sealent. hopefully we get some more liner tanks to come out of the woodwork!

 

[wednesday13]

i'd really like to try a liner tank with no sealent but rather a rubber gasket tightened with bolts. If you have a leak you simply tighten your window bolts more. Only problem is where do you get? or how do you make a seamless window frame type piece of rubber. My build worked sucessfully but i spent $420 on my Gold Label Aquarium Sealent for one window. I have three 4'x4' sheets/windows of 1" acrylic for my next build and it will cost me easily $800 or more just for silicone. Not trying to be super cheap, just think there may be a better way out there.