225 Gallon Plywood Tank Build

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
im building a ply at the mo. i opted for generalised exterior plywood.im in the UK its stronger than the "normal" ply and it has the benefit of being water resistant.

i have no idea what the wood is...

if ur in the US id opt for ruberizeit. check out "how to: diy plywood aquarium" on u tube. the 1 by urarajoey
 
I've seen all his videos before I even signed up here. My tank and stand designs all came from his videos. I also already have my Liquid Rubber from Rubberizeit.
I'll have to look into exterior plywood though. I didn't really notice if there was an exterior type or not, so I'll have to ask next time I go to the store.
I'm sure either of the types will work just fine. I personally like to go a bit over the top to make sure things are for sure stable, so if I find one of the types is stronger than the other I'll spend the little extra money for some more reassurance.
 
Well I should finally have some pics later tonight or tomorrow morning. A few friends of mine and I are working on clearing a spot in the basement so I can complete the stand build and finally start on the tank build! Check back later for pics!!

p.s. SORRY it's been so long without pics. Things have been moving slower than I planned
 
Finally a small update.. WITH PICTURES!! lol
No tank shots yet, but once you see the mess I had to work with in the basement, you'll see I have my work cut out for me.

This is where the tank will be:
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I layed down some duct tape just to give me an idea of the amount of space I needed:
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Took down one of the shelves that didn't really need to be used once things were rearranged better:
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Now on with the stand:
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The stand is still not 100% done because of the immense amount of cleaning I had to do. I should have more pictures in the next couple days when I have some off time to work on it. I plan to have this tank fully done and fish ready by mid or late August. The entire basement will eventually be transformed into my Aquarium/Chillaxation room. I have an old TV ready to go down there with a small couch and a few chairs. Once everything is done it won't even look like the same room. Anyways, let me know what you guys think so far. It's not pretty yet, but it's something.

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Water weighs a little over 8 lbs. per gallon (US) so 225 lbs would be about 1800 pounds which is like nine 200 pound friends in your room. the difference is that the weight would not be spread out over a large area, but concentrated in a small space. I dont know the construction of your building, but if you do put it in your second story room you may want to put it near the wall or diagonally in a corner rather than in the middle of the span. I dont think that should be a problem. As far as plywood goes I would use either oak or birch. It is just personal preference unless one has more layers of ply than the other and then I would go with that one. Good luck
 
danielz said:
Water weighs a little over 8 lbs. per gallon (US) so 225 lbs would be about 1800 pounds which is like nine 200 pound friends in your room. the difference is that the weight would not be spread out over a large area, but concentrated in a small space. I dont know the construction of your building, but if you do put it in your second story room you may want to put it near the wall or diagonally in a corner rather than in the middle of the span. I dont think that should be a problem. As far as plywood goes I would use either oak or birch. It is just personal preference unless one has more layers of ply than the other and then I would go with that one. Good luck
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Well if the tank did go in my bedroom it would be againt an outside/load bearing wall, but I decided on the basement. My house was built in 1954 so it's pretty old, but not ancient. I'd say it's constructed pretty good considering it's age. Thanks for the adive though!

rwellbaum said:
good luck i hope it turns out nice! hope to see more pictures!
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Thanks! should have some more updates in the next few days. The stand doesn't need much work to finish. I have a couple more vertical supports to add then I can wrap the stand, add cabinet doors, and start the tank build!
 
Steve Manly said:
LOL, frame looks familliar... check out my thread in the DIY section!!!
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ha like I said, I modeled it exactly like UaruJoey's stand build. Only difference is dimensions and even those are really close. I think his was 60"x35" and I'm not sure on the height, but mine is 60"x36"x30". I've been watching his videos for a long time, way before I signed up here.

and your stand looks great. You went a bit overkill with the bracing, but more is better than less so I will say you did a great job. I'll be following your thread as well! Always great to see people do their own DIY tanks considering a pre-built glass tank this size in the U.S. is over $2,000usd just for the tank alone. Stands can be just as much, if not more. I wanted to purchase a stand for my 10g saltwater tank and it was $100 which is insane when the tank itself only cost me $12
 
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