2700 or 4000 will my basement floor support this?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
nolapete said:
If you're really paranoid about it. Have someone come in and drill in 6" holes i your slab, then dig them out a foot or so and pour in concrete pilings. :D I don't think you need it though. I added about 4-5" to my garage slab to raise the floor to the same as the rest of the house. I did that before I planned my tank when the room was going to be a workout room before it became my fish room. I regret not putting a floor drain in. Doh! It wasn't supposed to be a fish room when I did that.
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Not really Panoid about it Pete like you said before i already have that much water down there, i trust your judgement more than most people on here hah.. I've heard of drilling holes and filling with concrete pilings, i'd def do that myself before i called someone to take a sample and tell me im crazy for the amount of water in my house already.I think I've decieded on 8'x12' for the sake of space for humans in my home :) hah... The difference of 2 ft. seems nominal in the footprint for the fish. and theres room for a couch in front of my viewing window if i stick with coming 8ft. off the wall. Who knows, you know as well as i do things change during the actual builds. I have a feeling my better half will kill me or move out if its 10'x14' (assuming she'd ever take a tape out lol) My lengths of 2"x3/16" box steel are 10' and its killing me to cut them down so we'll see what happens. Started the thread for a bit of reassurance and youve given me that. Thanks. I'll start posting pics soon of this build and some old ones of my 650. No ones built a tank like it and alot of people told me it would never work in the original thread. My new design is basically the same thing but improved and cheaper. Funny thing is the cost for the 2700+ will b around the same as the 650 was. a good note for anyone else debating about tank size. 650 is a nice grow out tank but past that nothing spectacular.
 
Allrite my width is set at 8ft. from the back wall to front of tank. Cut my 8' sizes this afternoon and the 2 sides should b welded up shortly here. I will be building 4 individual walls out of steel and bolting them together in my house. Technically this tank can b disassembled and moved when its time for something bigger :). Steel is by far my favorite material to work with and weighs far less than wood. If you think of an above ground pool, whats holding it up is not much at all. The walls are a mere 3/16" thick? Anyway This tank will b like my last which consists of a steel cage, poly walls, 45mil liner, and acrylic windows. I will be substituting the poly walls with plywood this time to save $. I swear by pond liner tanks, no painting, no glassing, cost effective and your tank has the ability to flex unlike most wooden builds or with epoxy paint. I dont care who you are or how good your wood skills are, your tank will bow, every factory made acrylic tank i own bows so why not use a liner to your advantage rather than try to prevent bowing from happening. Way easier to replace a liner in 10 yrs. than a whole tank wall thats cracked imo.
 
My friend's tanks in his house are 26' long plywood tanks with liners in them. He rubber cements a hard rubber gasket to the inside of the pond liner then adheres the glass window to the hard rubber gasket with Dow 795. After the tank is all set, he cuts out the liner from the outside to reveal the windows. He's done everything from these tanks to 135,000 gallon 100 ft. long barbel shaped concrete and acrylic shark tank. He had 4 concrete tanks built into his detached garage. I was originally going to do my tank with a liner like his, but then I got caught up in the whole Blue Max then Permadri thing. Sometimes I wish I had gone with that original idea, but most of the time I am thankful for the innovation experience it gave me.
 
nolapete said:
My friend's tanks in his house are 26' long plywood tanks with liners in them. He rubber cements a hard rubber gasket to the inside of the pond liner then adheres the glass window to the hard rubber gasket with Dow 795. After the tank is all set, he cuts out the liner from the outside to reveal the windows. He's done everything from these tanks to 135,000 gallon 100 ft. long barbel shaped concrete and acrylic shark tank.
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I've read other posts where you've mentioned this friend. I've tried to find something, even anything, about this method. There isn't anything I can find. This method REALLY interests me. Can you go into further detail for me? Pm me if you feel this thread isn't the right spot. And thanks for all the info you've already shared in your epic builds.
 
nolapete said:
My friend's tanks in his house are 26' long plywood tanks with liners in them. He rubber cements a hard rubber gasket to the inside of the pond liner then adheres the glass window to the hard rubber gasket with Dow 795. After the tank is all set, he cuts out the liner from the outside to reveal the windows. He's done everything from these tanks to 135,000 gallon 100 ft. long barbel shaped concrete and acrylic shark tank. He had 4 concrete tanks built into his detached garage. I was originally going to do my tank with a liner like his, but then I got caught up in the whole Blue Max then Permadri thing. Sometimes I wish I had gone with that original idea, but most of the time I am thankful for the innovation experience it gave me.
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My original idea for my 650 replicated John PTC's white polypropelene tank (800gal) I got nervous and didnt trust my heat welding of the plastic so i opted for an emergency liner. I Probably didnt need the liner but it helps me sleep at night hah... I know you been struggling pete, its not too late to place a liner over ur liquid rubber. Only makes the tank more indestructable in my eyes. I didnt use a hard rubber gasket like your friend but i did use rubber cement to glue my liner to the top of my metal frame and to wrap my metal cross beams with liner. You wouldnt think rubber cement is strong but the liner is still in place after 2 yrs. Debating to use it on this build but i may just stick to what worked for me on my 650. My silicone is called "Gold Label" aquarium and pond sealer. Its expensive but well worth the extra change. It comes out the tube very similiar to the consistency of asphalt. I was sold the second i shot some out of my first tube. My 650 window cost me $420 for 12 tubes but not a drop of leakage since the install. I even did it wrong and cut the window out first and did not sand the acrylic like ive read with dow products. Maybe look into the product for the issues your having? you can shoot it underwater and it cures if need be. Im sure ur window is in place so u can cut the liner on the inside of the tank, Gold Label the liner to the window and fill it up. Just a thought? i read you and a friend are trying a couple more ideas soon but this product is really good stuff. It dries alot harder than regular silicone. Good luck Pete i wish you well with the completion of your tank and i appreciate you taking the time to help others like me
 
jsc said:
I've read other posts where you've mentioned this friend. I've tried to find something, even anything, about this method. There isn't anything I can find. This method REALLY interests me. Can you go into further detail for me? Pm me if you feel this thread isn't the right spot. And thanks for all the info you've already shared in your epic builds.
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I believe the rubber gasket prevents too much of the silicone from being squeezed out when you pressure the window up in place but i could b wrong. My 650 uses the same method without the rubber gasket and works too. I did use a special $pricey silicone though unlike most people called "Gold Label" aquarium and pond sealer. Its hard to find and i believe it comes from australia and the UK. A Local pond shop had it in there catalog and were able to order it for me. Hard to get your hands on but well worth it
 
Dow 795 won't bond to the EPDM pond liner, so that's why he uses the hard rubber gasket. The Dow 795 bonds to it very well. I used the hard rubber gasket material as spacers between the frame and acrylic and as a gasket around the back of the window where it joins with the 3/4" plywood.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...3600-Take-2)&p=3532337&viewfull=1#post3532337 is some video of his tanks.


See the very first post of my original thread for that method.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...ish-Room-Redux-3600-Gallon-Plywood-Tank-Build
 
nolapete said:
Dow 795 won't bond to the EPDM pond liner, so that's why he uses the hard rubber gasket. The Dow 795 bonds to it very well. I used the hard rubber gasket material as spacers between the frame and acrylic and as a gasket around the back of the window where it joins with the 3/4" plywood.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...3600-Take-2)&p=3532337&viewfull=1#post3532337 is some video of his tanks.


See the very first post of my original thread for that method.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...ish-Room-Redux-3600-Gallon-Plywood-Tank-Build
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Thanks for clearing that up for us Pete...makes perfect sense now
 
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