275 gallon oil tank into a fish tank

[Tyyost1697]

OK so I have a 275 gallon oil tank I wanted to recycle into a fish tank. Picture below is what the tank looks like. I want to cut the top off where its rounded and use that as a lid for the tank. Then I want to cut a window running about 4 and a half feet by about 2 and a half feet and put a plexiglass sheet in for a window. Note this is still being thought out but any tips or ideas would be great. I work for a powder coating company so i would burn off and then blast the whole tank to remove chemicals and the oil but what would a good coating be for the tank to keep it from rusting? Are the pet safe coatings? Is there a rubber coating I could use? How thick should the plexiglass be? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[ShanerBock888]

Should be interesting! I used Pond Armor on my plywood tank. It's a non-toxic 2-part epoxy and is pretty easy to use. It works on almost any surface and I think metal is one of them. I would definitely recommend looking into it.

There are also rubber products, though I have no experience with them.

Keep us updated on your progress!

 

[ShanerBock888]

Here's a link to the Pond Armor:

https://www.amazon.com/Pond-Armor-S...t_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=B4YD38NHZQCFKBXH0RY4

 

[Tyyost1697]

Thanks will definitely look into it.

 

[Brian Rodgers]

I used Herco Koi Pond Coat on our 2600 gallon tank. It is spendy and only after we thought we were finished did we notice that it says "three consecutive coats" Doh! http://www.hechtrubber.com/Pages/FishPondCoatings.htm

 

[Brian Rodgers]

I'm looking forward to seeing how you interface the steel with the Plexiglas. I did a concrete to Plexiglas interface

 

[PDRed302]

Very interested to see where this goes, so make sure to keep us updated!

I've heard good things about Pond Armor but I myself used a product called Rubberize It when I sealed the DIY top for my large aquarium; It has held up well for 4+ years

 

[krichardson]

This sounds like an awesome project that I hope to see completed.That tank is similar to the one in my basement lol?

 

[Tyyost1697]

So I'm almost a 100% positive I'm going to get it burned. Blasted and powder coated. After doing some research the powder should hold up fine and not give off any toxics sitting in the water. That's going to be the cheapest route. How thick do you think the glass should be for the viewing area? Can I get away with 1/4" glass if I brace it? It will be a few weeks until I get started. Have a trip to the beach and some bills to take care of first. But I'll definitely keep you guys updated. Thanks for all the help.

 

[ShanerBock888]

Here's another thread that talks about glass thickness. In general I think it's always better to play it safe and go a little thicker than you need.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/glass-thickness-guide.139898/