350g Coffee Table plywood build

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A

AcePearce

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 17, 2010
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Charlotte
Ok, so I have this great idea. I'm gonna build a 90"x30"x30" (350g) stingray tank to look like a coffee table. I'll have 4 plywood walls, a plywood floor, and a plywood and lexan viewing top. Here are the two options I have come up with so far.


Option A: The tank will have an endtable attached to it that is taller than the tank, so that the water level can be higher than the lexan viewing window, causing the surface of the water to be flush with the top of the tank. This will allow me access to the tank from the endtable, which will also house the pump and filtration.

Option B: The water level will be kept below the lexan viewing plate, which will have a hinge on it to allow tank access. The pump and filtration will be in an endtable, and piped over to the tank.

I'm not sure how to go about sealing the plywood, but I have a decent background in carpentry, metalwork, aviation, and general construction, so assembling it shouldn't be that bad. Is there anything I need to know from you experienced tank builders?
 
MP10000400504_P255045_500X500.jpg


30" wide is not really that wide for a flat bottom dweller. Id be tempted to make it more squarish like 54 x 54 x 30 (378 gallons) or 54x48x30 (336 gallons).

if money isn't an object, I'd make all 4 sides out of acrylic as well as the top, and just fiberglass the plywood bottom. I'd have all the plumbing and filtration in the bottom

If money were an object I'd do 2 sides in acrylic, and search craigslist/freecycle for a large glass top dining room table and base my size on the largest glass table top I could find. I'd then build it more like this one
Belgium.jpg
and put 4 DIY PVC tube filters in the corner 'pillars' at the corners.

There are lots of options for sealing plywood tanks, the most common two being pond coat and fiberglass/epoxy.
 
I just moved back up north from Charlotte about a year ago. I hope you take advantage of Fintastic down by lake Wylie, I found them to have great stock and fair prices. Best of luck on the build.
 
Cookie*402, I live right up the street from Fintastic.

More importantly, I am constrained by the size of my apartment when it comes to building the tank. However, I am on the bottom floor and there is concrete under my carpet, so weight isn't much an issue.
 
I used to take a half hour drive to Fintastic every weekend and spend about a hour just looking at the stock. It's a great place to lose yourself for a bit. I love their round show tank.

Be sure to post progress on the build, I'd be interested to see how it comes together.
 
I live in Spartanburg SC. Fintastic in great. Also Wetpets in Gastonia is nice. It's not as fancy but usually has good stock.
 
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