Budget ISO container aquarium concept with scetches 12,000 liter (2,600gal)

[Griller]

The best advise I can give if you go down the "using steel for a tank" route is to have the tank blasted and painted by an industrial standard company. That way it will last for ever. They should be able to spray a 100% solid epoxy that will be fish safe.

Thanks Bassinkorea. Herculiner is the DIY version of rhinoliner which used for steel shrimp tanks. It is a polyurethane truck bed liner which is chemically inert once set. Is epoxy a better option for steel?

My options on how to build this thing are still very much open. Best option will win. I'm still checking out local tank fabrication companies and above ground swimming pools. I found some great companies in the US that build giant aquiculture tanks and can add windows to your specifications - but I haven't found anything similar in Australia. I used to manage a large aquaculture farm and aquaculture tanks are dirt cheap but too damn hard to modify!

I'm also still thinking about plywood but am concerned about having a wood structure mounted outdoors in the elements. Does anyone have experience with outdoor wooden tanks? I'd have to seal the whole thing inside and out.

I would like to caution you just a tad though - I think you may be underestimating the difficulty and the amount of work involved in building the tank yourself

Hahaha - unfortunately I am aware of how difficult this will be to make. When the boilermaker started giving me weight figures I started getting dizzy spells I'll need 2 strong guys for the initial assembly, to hold the bits in place while it gets spot welded together. Once the box is formed then the helpers will only be needer for tipping the box as it gets welded up properly.

I've been thinking about your suggestion for using a frame and lighter steel - sort of like those above ground swimming pools. Is that the sort of thing you mean? The strength would be more in the frame than the tank itself.

how do you plan to get this beast into place? dont forget to contact a crane company and find out if you will need to pull permits from the city unless you have a way to drag that sucker into place..

My original envisagement involved a forklift for moving the thing, but the boilermaker said it would not be too difficult to "walk" using a couple of levers. While I was brainstorming last night I considered building the thing onto a 4 wheel 10T trailer, but the big triangular hitch would take up too much room in the yard

Oh boy - so many possibilities! I'm itching to build this thing!

 

[Bassinkorea]

Thanks Bassinkorea. Herculiner is the DIY version of rhinoliner which used for steel shrimp tanks. It is a polyurethane truck bed liner which is chemically inert once set. Is epoxy a better option for steel?

I work on building ships and offshore rigs and the fresh water tanks are steel and are blasted and painted with 100% epoxy safe for drinking water, and these tanks last for the life of the ship.

Edit....I just had a thought though, if the steel in your plans is rather thin and somewhat flexible, then my idea may be bad as the epoxy may crack in the tank flexes. If the steel is supported so that it doesn't flex, then I think blasting and painting would be a great option.

I would worry about a rhinoliner type material adhering well to steel.

 

[Griller]

cvermeulen - is this the sort of thing you are talking about?

 

[cvermeulen]

Yes that's what I was getting at. You may not need to divide up the windows like that, depending on how thick of acrylic or glass you use.

 

[Thalan]

I would worry about a rhinoliner type material adhering well to steel.

That's exactly what its designed to do though.

 

[Bassinkorea]

That's exactly what its designed to do though.

In the back of a truck I agree, but under pressure from 1000's of gallons of water. In something this size I would be concerned and thinking about different alernatives. Just my $0.02

 

[Griller]

I think this covers this line of discussion. I'm not concerned of the ability of the liner, only how well silicone adheres to it for sealing in the windows.

[FONT=&quot]Hi Alex[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Thank you for your interest in Herculiner. The product will certainly line your aquarium, However we only supply black and its proprties are more along the lines of providing a slip free surface and preventing rusting of steel truck beds rather than just a water tight seal. As such it may be more than you need for a water tight barrier. Once dry it is inert and can only be removed or modified by the use of xylene or acetone, neither of which will be present in water. It will present a water tight barrier to clean steel and prevent rust. The manufacturers list lining bait tanks as one of its uses but they have obviously not considered aquariums. You would beed our buddies, 4 kit pack, for a 2 coat application to do the required area.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I will peruse the product specs re silicone sealant but the product achieves a water tight seal by adhereing to itself, ie it is not just paint it has was very vhigh sheer strength and achieves this by a strong bond between itself. However I am coating a variety of substances with Herculiner to take to a trade show tomorrow. I will paint some over clear silicone sealant as well and place it in water for a day or two and give you my assessment later this week.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]regards[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]Barry Jones[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Herculiner Retailers Australia [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]

 

[Griller]

OK, I've got some figures for the big beast:

Dimensions: 9' x 6.1' x 7.2'

Dry Weight (not compensating for windowsor frame):
Made from 5mm steel 955kg (2100lbs)
Made from 3mm steel 573kg (1260lbs)

Water capacity:
10,680 litres (2300gal approx)

Water pressure at bottom:
3.1 PSI

1st window
Unsupported dimensions: 94"x 22.4"
Thickness: 12mm
This glass can bear 6264lbs when supported by a frame
Divide by 4 for safety = 1566lbs
Area of glass is 2120 cubic inches
Therefore max PSI load is 0.74 PSI
Depth at top of glass: 7.9"
Actual PSI load on glass: 0.70 PSI

2nd window
Unsupported dimensions: 94"x 14.5"
Thickness: 12mm
This glass can bear 9648lbs when supported by a frame
Divide by 4 for safety = 2412lbs
Area of glass is 1376 cubic inches
Therefore max PSI load is 1.75 PSI
Depth at top of glass: 38.2"
Actual PSI load on glass: 1.67 PSI

3rd window
Unsupported dimensions: 94"x 11.8"
Thickness: 12mm
This glass can bear 11504lbs when supported by a frame
Divide by 4 for safety = 2876lbs
Area of glass is 1116 cubic inches
Therefore max PSI load is 2.67 PSI
Depth at top of glass: 60.6"
Actual PSI load on glass: 2.44 PSI

Note:
Formula used for glass strength is P=Strength of Glass*2*Length*thickness^2/3*Width
Strength of glass = 10,000 PSI (normal glass)

 

[MaddMaxx]

Sounds good man. You still thinking of welding this together yourself?

 

[cvermeulen]

Keep in mind the recommended allowable surface stress in glass is significantly less than it's actual breaking strength. Inclusions, scratches, and just the inherent unpredictability of the material make for a much higher safety factor. Also, your strength calculation looks very simplified. It's been a while since I looked at compound bending in a thin sheet, but I do recall it being a lot more involved than a single formula. 12mm may indeed be enough for a pane that is so narrow, but I would spend some more time with those numbers.