Can use some expert imput on a 500g plywood build plan.

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fishnutham

Needs More Room!
MFK Member
Nov 25, 2005
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Brantford,Ont,canada
Starting to design my basement in wall 500g and have a few concerns about sealing and bracing.
Original idea was to fiberglass with matte and resin but after searching it seems that this not a good option because its not water tight .. I have seen the builds with rubberize they look good but i have seen a couple leak and i am worried that this may not be long term.
What other choices do i have to seal ? .

The bracing was going to be with beamed walls, but I also weld and the thought crossed my mind to use angle iron as the frame and build the plywood into this ,has this been done and is this a good/bad idea.


Cost is not the issue but more the longevity. I would have gone to a custom glass tank but i have a spiral staircase that is keeping me from getting a tank downstairs .
The other problem is there are train tracks near my house that cause vibrations so what ever route i choose has to be insanely strong and watertight.
The unexposed part of the tank dosnt have to look decent its just my fish junk room so if a cinder block tank is the way to go or whatever throw it out.
Thanks in advance.
 
I hope fibersglass is water proof/tight or my boat will sink lol
It is used to buld boats, line KOI ponds etc etc, excellent stuf but messy and smelly to use.
IMO opinion GRP if done correctly is a lot better than any kind of paint coverage, and adds to the strength of the build, even a few layers of 350g.
 
waynes world said:
I hope fibersglass is water proof/tight or my boat will sink lol
It is used to buld boats, line KOI ponds etc etc, excellent stuf but messy and smelly to use.
IMO opinion GRP if done correctly is a lot better than any kind of paint coverage, and adds to the strength of the build, even a few layers of 350g.
Click to expand...

Thanks I thought that as well. If i go the Glass reinforced route is it possible to get a smooth enough surface after laying the matte from my experience i always get bubbles and waviness .
 
I have done a bit of fibreglassing in the past but not needing a smooth finish i cant say how easy it is, but i know the from what i have been told that if you use flowcoat (need to add a wax solution to the gel coat for it to set ) , as in the same as gel coat, then you get a very smooth finish like a boat hull, but i would check on what you use with the supplier on, if any chemicals leached into the water once cured. I used to know what it all was that is to be used but i have forgot snd need to read up on it all again.

I do know thought that you need good paddle rollers to get all bubbles out and be thorough otherwise its waisted time, but it is easy, just dont rush, have a chat with your GRP supplies and they will advice with the best paddles to use to get the best finish.

is the need for a smooth finish for cleaning?
 
Just spoke to a mate and he says if a flowcoat is used then it is fish safe, and i know you can get pigment it all kinds of colours so black must be on the list, would be easier than to pigment the flowcoat than pond seal. As you know i ma in the build myself so i will let you know if i find out more about it all.
 
:WHOA:
fishnutham said:
Starting to design my basement in wall 500g and have a few concerns about sealing and bracing.
Original idea was to fiberglass with matte and resin but after searching it seems that this not a good option because its not water tight .. I have seen the builds with rubberize they look good but i have seen a couple leak and i am worried that this may not be long term.
What other choices do i have to seal ? .

The bracing was going to be with beamed walls, but I also weld and the thought crossed my mind to use angle iron as the frame and build the plywood into this ,has this been done and is this a good/bad idea.


Cost is not the issue but more the longevity. I would have gone to a custom glass tank but i have a spiral staircase that is keeping me from getting a tank downstairs .
The other problem is there are train tracks near my house that cause vibrations so what ever route i choose has to be insanely strong and watertight.
The unexposed part of the tank dosnt have to look decent its just my fish junk room so if a cinder block tank is the way to go or whatever throw it out.
Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Fiberglass is still a great way to add structure, build thickness to a plywood tank build. Technically polyester resin is not 100% impermeable to moisture but neither is epoxy or acrylic and they're used in plywood builds frequently. But on that same point, polyester does rank lower than those two on moisture permiability.

If you're concerned about that or whether polyester is fish safe or not you can always topcoat with something else, even rubberizit like you already mentioned.

Or you could just use epoxy resin on fiberglass cloth and avoid all of these concerns and the odor and fumes of polyester altogether. Since you're building this tank in place indoors I would suggest avoiding polyester anyways.

Epoxy resin is not recommended for use on fiberglass mat but works fine on cloth. And in general I recommend not using mat in plywood tanks to begin with.
 
I am a mason by trade and if you want strength use a cinder block core, and paint on some rubberizeit, or fiberglass. Put a nice frame around it and you got a nice tank. My friend did this a few years back still holding strong so I would recommend it!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
Brobstfish said:
I am a mason by trade and if you want strength use a cinder block core, and paint on some rubberizeit, or fiberglass. Put a nice frame around it and you got a nice tank. My friend did this a few years back still holding strong so I would recommend it!!!!


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Click to expand...


Im intrigued i was thinking pond liner also, but one thing i cant work out is how to do the viewing glass ..
 
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