i would put an arowana for top level, 3 peacock bass,marble sailfin catfish(leiarius pictus) ,,adonis pleco.also a large piece of driftwood.its a deep tank so fish that inhabit different water levels would maybe make up a nice display
211 Gallon(uk) plywood build
- Thread starter rustyspurs
- Start date
nice choice, thats was my thinking in making it so tall, seemed a more interesting setup with different level fish.
thats just where i was in fish keeping, i love the fish ive got, but they were gathered by a newbie(me) and its a mix match of different fish...
the problem is you grow attached to some fish and they limit stocking options..
however as i lost a good few of my bigger fish last week
and the ones left are relatively peaceful, so this is my chance to make a decision..well i had a leak during watertest on sunday,
turns out the silicone i layed on inside of viewing window was too think and hadn't cured after a week.
ive stripped the old stuff, added a new thinner layer of silicone and painted over the seal with the same poly topcoat as the rest of the tank.
now its a waiting game,
will the topcoat stick to the silicone and glass?
ill let you all know in about 4hrs lol
turns out the silicone i layed on inside of viewing window was too think and hadn't cured after a week.
ive stripped the old stuff, added a new thinner layer of silicone and painted over the seal with the same poly topcoat as the rest of the tank.
now its a waiting game,
will the topcoat stick to the silicone and glass?
ill let you all know in about 4hrs lol
just a quick update for anyone thinking of building a plywood tank...
fibreglass resin topcoat does not stick to glass properly,
and £3 a tube normal silicone can not hold the pressure of a 3ft high fish tank.
ive tried the resin topcoat over the silicone- failed
ive tried resealing with the standard silicone as i thought id maybe applied it wrong- failed
the leaks ive had have been damp patches rather than drops or gushing water,
but its been 2 weeks of torture which i could have avoided by getting the stronger silicone in the beginning.
the inside of the viewing window is now stripped and ready for the dow corning silicone ( due tomorrow hopefully)
ill post a photo or two when its full and leak proof.
fibreglass resin topcoat does not stick to glass properly,
and £3 a tube normal silicone can not hold the pressure of a 3ft high fish tank.
ive tried the resin topcoat over the silicone- failed
ive tried resealing with the standard silicone as i thought id maybe applied it wrong- failed
the leaks ive had have been damp patches rather than drops or gushing water,
but its been 2 weeks of torture which i could have avoided by getting the stronger silicone in the beginning.
the inside of the viewing window is now stripped and ready for the dow corning silicone ( due tomorrow hopefully)
ill post a photo or two when its full and leak proof.
Keep moving forward. I know all to well how frustrated you can feel but it's definitely worth it in the end 
Don't give up!!
Don't give up!!
thanks for the words of encouragement bigdaddyk
ur right it is pure frustration, its taken longer trying to get this seal right than it did to build the tank.
im stubborn though, so i WILL sit in front of a full, leak proof tank with a cold beer, if its the last thing i do.
ur right it is pure frustration, its taken longer trying to get this seal right than it did to build the tank.
im stubborn though, so i WILL sit in front of a full, leak proof tank with a cold beer, if its the last thing i do.
Best of luck to you. And I want to see a picture of this pretty soon: "i WILL sit in front of a full, leak proof tank with a cold beer, if its the last thing i do. "
"Well i finally got there, the tank is filled with no leaks
the difference between the bog standard silicone and the aquarium grade is unbelievable,
thanks to all for advice and ideas along the way,
as promised heres me posing with cold beer in hand, proud diy'er lol.
as you all can see from the photo's its looking a little empty,
the ship is 3ft long and looks lost in there,
any ideas on how to fill the void will be much appreciated lol...
the difference between the bog standard silicone and the aquarium grade is unbelievable,
thanks to all for advice and ideas along the way,
as promised heres me posing with cold beer in hand, proud diy'er lol.
as you all can see from the photo's its looking a little empty,
the ship is 3ft long and looks lost in there,
any ideas on how to fill the void will be much appreciated lol...
