600g DIY plywood build

[Niners4952]

I had Lowes cut the wood for me

1 full sheet 4' X 8' is the bottom

3 sheets cut cut to 32"

2 left alone at 8' X 32" tall

1 cut to 2 pieces 46 1/2" for the sides

 

[FisherMcFishy]

I had Lowes cut the wood for me

1 full sheet 4' X 8' is the bottom

3 sheets cut cut to 32"

2 left alone at 8' X 32" tall

1 cut to 2 pieces 46 1/2" for the sides

Thanks, 8x4 Would be too long for the space where I'm going to put the tank but that does give me a better idea of assembling the body. What did you use for bracing, more ply or 2x4s? Is there a link to your build too?

I like that all 4 sheets were used for the body and bracing in this 7' build. It'll give me the plumbing space i need on the side of the tank once its in place.

 

[DIFish]

Great build! Looking to do a build just like this without the over building. I can't get my head around how you used just 4 sheets, can you share how cut your sheets to get full use of each sheet?

Good question! So believe it or not I actually can't find the cutting diagram on graph paper that I used, but even if I did still have it it was mostly chicken scratch and overlapping lines which would make it very hard to decipher. Looking back on using 4 sheets, once I was done I had literally less than a square foot of scrap wood. Every single cut had to be exact and this limited supply actually made me do the braces as 5 inches instead of 6 like I wanted. So without actually getting out some graph paper and drawing up a diagram, my recommendation would be to use 5 sheets of plywood. This might be frustrating as that an extra 20-40$ depending on where you live, but in the grand scheme of things, using an extra sheet probably would have saved me hours of cutting and planning and also added to the security of the tank. It CAN be done in 4 sheets, but that money saved becomes nothing once you start comparing what could happen if you mess up and your tank fails. Not buying an extra sheet and getting my exact dimensions is one of the few things I would change about this tank if I had to do it over. Hope this helps!

 

[FisherMcFishy]

Good question! So believe it or not I actually can't find the cutting diagram on graph paper that I used, but even if I did still have it it was mostly chicken scratch and overlapping lines which would make it very hard to decipher. Looking back on using 4 sheets, once I was done I had literally less than a square foot of scrap wood. Every single cut had to be exact and this limited supply actually made me do the braces as 5 inches instead of 6 like I wanted. So without actually getting out some graph paper and drawing up a diagram, my recommendation would be to use 5 sheets of plywood. This might be frustrating as that an extra 20-40$ depending on where you live, but in the grand scheme of things, using an extra sheet probably would have saved me hours of cutting and planning and also added to the security of the tank. It CAN be done in 4 sheets, but that money saved becomes nothing once you start comparing what could happen if you mess up and your tank fails. Not buying an extra sheet and getting my exact dimensions is one of the few things I would change about this tank if I had to do it over. Hope this helps!

Definitely helps, thanks! Ill take your advice and go with the 5 sheets and 6" braces. Ill probably need the extra sheet never building anything like this before, mistakes will be made lol.

 

[DIFish]

Definitely helps, thanks! Ill take your advice and go with the 5 sheets and 6" braces. Ill probably need the extra sheet never building anything like this before, mistakes will be made lol.

Mistakes are fine as long as you are learning from them and fixing them as you go! Nothing wrong with being inexperienced, everybody has to start somewhere. Goodluck with the build!

 

[Niners4952]

I used 2X4 for bracing, was not concerned with looks as it was built into the wall. I did not do a build thread I was going to but I lost all my pics. Be glad to answer any questions

 

[Scottf83]

Firstly, I want to 'doff my hat' in recognition of your infinite patience in continuing to post here with guidance and advice for all us enthusiasts.

And secondly, congratulate you on an excellent build.

I'm very happy to have found a plywood tank thread that has lasted a decent amount of time, and seems to follow the King of DIY floor plan, as I am also looking to build a similar tank in the very near future.

Mine will be a 6x2x2ft marine sumped aquarium on a steel frame stand. So just have to build the tank and make it look good enough for a dining room. I'll also be having glass in the right hand side as it will sit in a left corner and I want to maximise the viewing space. I think I'll also go the whole C2C route for overflow , with a secondary closed loop system, as I plan to keep SPS and need the water as clean as possible with high turnover.

Keep up the good work and would love to see a recent FTS!

 

[Niners4952]

I am going to build a 300 plywood tank 8'X2'. It will be half the size of my 600 so I am not as concerned on bracing. I am going to use plywood bracing for a clean look as it will be visible. I will also have a side view panel. I have the glass so it won't cost too much, ill do a build thread

 

[DIFish]

Firstly, I want to 'doff my hat' in recognition of your infinite patience in continuing to post here with guidance and advice for all us enthusiasts.

And secondly, congratulate you on an excellent build.

I'm very happy to have found a plywood tank thread that has lasted a decent amount of time, and seems to follow the King of DIY floor plan, as I am also looking to build a similar tank in the very near future.

Mine will be a 6x2x2ft marine sumped aquarium on a steel frame stand. So just have to build the tank and make it look good enough for a dining room. I'll also be having glass in the right hand side as it will sit in a left corner and I want to maximise the viewing space. I think I'll also go the whole C2C route for overflow , with a secondary closed loop system, as I plan to keep SPS and need the water as clean as possible with high turnover.

Keep up the good work and would love to see a recent FTS!

Thanks for the kind words, I would be very interested to see a saltwater plywood tank, as I do not see them very often compared to freshwater. Coast to coast is probably your best option as far as overflows go, especially if you can blend it into the background. Best of luck with the upcoming build!

 

[DIFish]

Just another picture update, things are going well and the tank is holding up great. Had a close call with the stingray, he decided to jump the overflow and was sucked onto the siphon pipe all night. Found him in the morning and pulled him off, his body was cupped where the pipe was and it was also on his eyes. Figured for sure I was going to lose him as there was some blood around the wound and in his eyes, but just hours after he was eating again and now a couple months later he has completely recovered. Adult stingrays seem to be very hardy in the right conditions. Other than that hiccup all the fish are doing well, interestingly enough my altifrons seem to be the most aggressive fish in the tank.