Mega clear vinyl prototype tank build (concept building)

[Andyroo]

Subscribed.
Are you going to be selling just the liner, or a whole package with plastic-coated angle-iron and/or PVC frame as a snap-together kit?
I think the breeders are going to gobble these things up, both basement/garage and us tropical wanna-bees. Cheap to transport and/or export- a small farmer with 2 acres and a well would buy a dozen and make his money back in 6 months. Sell with basic 1.5" bulkheads @ upper & lower of one side for filtration. Easy to monitor for activity & disease.
Price of knives, arowana & Cichla (anything without pointy parts) will fall to pennies

To all of us complaining about the 7-10yr lifespan, we tend to upgrade within this timeframe anyways- what's the problem?
A

 

[DFishFox]

Subscribed.
Are you going to be selling just the liner, or a whole package with plastic-coated angle-iron and/or PVC frame as a snap-together kit?
I think the breeders are going to gobble these things up, both basement/garage and us tropical wanna-bees. Cheap to transport and/or export- a small farmer with 2 acres and a well would buy a dozen and make his money back in 6 months. Sell with basic 1.5" bulkheads @ upper & lower of one side for filtration. Easy to monitor for activity & disease.
Price of knives, arowana & Cichla (anything without pointy parts) will fall to pennies

To all of us complaining about the 7-10yr lifespan, we tend to upgrade within this timeframe anyways- what's the problem?
A

+1

That was like poetry.
When can I get some already?
At the current or pond bottomed liner version's manufacturing process and cost; what would the consumer likely pay for one?(like the one in the picture)

 

[jkayden]

Big Fill 01

 

[soulpatch]

Highly interested in this myself. This woudl alleviate many of the hurdles for me to build my sting ray pond in my basement (mainly my wife's objection to the cost).

I like the idea of normal pool liner to be more flexible and easier to work with. Heck I think many of us would be fine to have that on the bottom and back in matching color like blue or black. Then have the three viewing sides (or perhaps only one) be clear so long as you can get it worked out so that the glass with the vinyl on the back is super clear as if it were only glass there. That is SUPER important to many of us and woudl make this either feasible or not for the home hobbyist.

If nothing else you created one hell of a set up for the typical pond, breeder, or other setup uses.

 

[jkayden]

two of the "dings" were actually holes...They've been patched.

 

[chief420]

 

[jkayden]

The top rail is starting to bend, and yes, that is my awesome truck in the background.

The back was even worse.

Almost totally filled

Bad news is it didn't explode in a spectacle of watery horror. Good news is it didn't explode at all. Between the flex in the black pipe vertical supports and the top rail 2x4s it came dangerously close to failure. I thought for sure the liner would fail before the frame, but I was wrong.

The liner held up fine except for the leaky "dings" and the fact that it bulged out so much.

Next step is to add a vertical support to the middle of the 6' span and additional support at the top rails (I think someone on here owes me an "I told you so"). I'm hoping that the mid span vertical supports will majorly reduce the bulge.

 

[jkayden]

Subscribed.
Are you going to be selling just the liner, or a whole package with plastic-coated angle-iron and/or PVC frame as a snap-together kit?

To start we are just going to produce the liner, but we intend to eventually create a complete turn-key aquarium set-up including heater, filter, frame etc. I'm going to start futsing around with a smaller pvc frame collapsible quarantine "tank"--an idea that one of my guys came up with.

So basically, If I pour a cement slab, Order a piece of glass the size I want the front of my tank to be. Build a mold of wood and pour a three sided concrete box, with the glass front embedded in the concrete. I can then potentially have you make me a liner, set the sucker in it and fill er up.
Right?

Well yes, but we are still trying to work out visibility issues when the liner is pressed against the glass. It kinda looks funny because there are little pockets of air between the two. It doesn't look horrible, but it is definitely not crystal clear.

 

[soulpatch]

Why not add on the window and siding that many of us woudl expect to do with this anyway. This test showed the strength of the vinyl but in real life many of us will have most of that encased in wood for strength ans have a couple viewing panes. I think if you went that step next you would prove completly that this is the next step in tank evolution and have many of us lining up to buy. LOL.

I know I would make the 2 hour drive north for one.

 

[meBNme]

You probably wouldn't even need a cross brace, if you went with some good angle iron bracing all the way around the top.
That would also add strength to the corners, if it were welded at the corners. (I Like the lag bolt addition)

So, we need to find some fish safe gel or clear lubricant than can be spread or sprayed between the glass and vinyl. Then spray it on the interior of the liner and with a squeegee, work out any air bubbles. Just like any window tint application.

Then, that lends to another issue. Will the same process have to be performed every time there is a water change? With the removal of some, or all water will the liner separate from the glass causing the same issue again?

These are problems, but there IS a solution. We/you just have to find it.

Is it possible to somehow mate the liner to acrylic?

Some way to weld them together, even with additional bracing would eliminate the problem.

That way, the front would be a peice of acrylic and just the two sides and bottom would be welded/molded to the liner.

"Maybe" you could have an acrylic manufacturer make up panels for you, with a strip of your liner molded into the acrylic on three sides.
If it were say, a 1 inch thick panel, and your liner were molded into it one inch, with a U shaped overlap, I imagine that would be quite strong.
If the sides were supported and angle bracing for all corners the full length of the panel, then there would be very little pull against the seams.

Then when you get the panel from the manufacturer, you attach your liner to those strips, pop it into the frame, enclose the back and sides with rigid material, add your bracing, and have your tank with no distortion in the front glass.