Building Tank On Trailer

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A

AFOUTDOORS

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 7, 2008
6
0
0
Alabama
This is one cool site,

I ran across the site researching for an upcoming project and after searching through it I realized that I may have found the perfect people to help me. I want to build a 36h x 24d? x 96w tank on a trailer to use at fishing tournaments and kids fishing days so that the kids can look at the fish from the lake up close. I will pull the trailer to the lake on Friday fill it up and put some fish in and put the fish back in the lake and drain the tank on Sat or Sun. So the tank will only be used for 24-48 hours at a time a few times each month. Below I will post some questions and thoughts to try and give all the info that I have now.

I have a trailer company that is probably going to sponsor the trailer and construct the tank if we use welded metal walls.

What would I need to do to the inside of the tank if it is metal with welded seams.

It only needs to be viewed fron the front. Glass? Lexan?? Thickness??

How many gallons would 36h x 24d? x 96w hold.

Would plywood hold up to the travel?

What about pumps or filtration for short term use?

Of course money is an issue, so the best and least expensive is my goal.

Thanks in advance for your help

Tim
 
AFOUTDOORS;2285679; said:
This is one cool site,

I ran across the site researching for an upcoming project and after searching through it I realized that I may have found the perfect people to help me. I want to build a 36h x 24d? x 96w tank on a trailer to use at fishing tournaments and kids fishing days so that the kids can look at the fish from the lake up close. I will pull the trailer to the lake on Friday fill it up and put some fish in and put the fish back in the lake and drain the tank on Sat or Sun. So the tank will only be used for 24-48 hours at a time a few times each month. Below I will post some questions and thoughts to try and give all the info that I have now.

I have a trailer company that is probably going to sponsor the trailer and construct the tank if we use welded metal walls.

What would I need to do to the inside of the tank if it is metal with welded seams.

It only needs to be viewed fron the front. Glass? Lexan?? Thickness??

How many gallons would 36h x 24d? x 96w hold.

Would plywood hold up to the travel?

What about pumps or filtration for short term use?

Of course money is an issue, so the best and least expensive is my goal.

Thanks in advance for your help

Tim
Click to expand...
Welcome to MFK!
360 gallons, 3000+ lbs in water alone...
Are you going to be pumping lake water into this tank?
 
Thanks for the welcome, I may be catching this Big Tank disease!!

Yes we will be pumping water from the lake when possible.
 
I tried to reply earlier and it would not post.

Thanks for the welcome. I may be catching this big fish disease. This stuff is awesome.

Yes when possible we will fill the tank from the lake

Tim
 
AFOUTDOORS;2285679; said:
What would I need to do to the inside of the tank if it is metal with welded seams.

It only needs to be viewed fron the front. Glass? Lexan?? Thickness??

How many gallons would 36h x 24d? x 96w hold.

Would plywood hold up to the travel?

What about pumps or filtration for short term use?

Of course money is an issue, so the best and least expensive is my goal.

Thanks in advance for your help

Tim
Click to expand...

A lot of info will suggest that you not build 36" high with that long of a tank. Possibly if you doubled up everything(Wood & Glass), you might have a chance.

I would suggest putting an epoxy coat on any metal that will be inside the tank

For a mobile tank that would be prone to more damage, I would strongly suggest Glass.

Sealed plywood would have no problems standing up to the travel. I would ensure that the Plywood has been made completely water tight, inside and out.

If you are talking 24- 48 hours, filtration will not be that crucial, especially if you are pumping in lake water. Fish whould do fine with just surface agitation of some sort, air bubbler or powerhead.
 
This project reminds me of my school's dunk tank. I work at a small elementary school and we have a mobile dunk tank that we use for fundraising.

The tank measures about 6x5x4 (900 gallons), not exactly the shape you want. The tank is made entirely out of welded steel, it's got two 2" drains in the bottom. I will try to take a photo later.

Our tank is painted with an automotive-type paint. I think for short term use any good quality paint should be fine.

Instead of filtration you should pump water continuously into the tank. Install an overflow and a drain hose to return the water to the lake (to avoid making a mess).

The viewing window will be the trickiest part. Glass is a lot less prone to scratching, but if your trailer has much flex it could crack. If you build an all metal tank you may want to use acrylic and bolts.

Sounds like a cool project, keep us posted!
 
Great thoughts from you guys,

I had not even thought about the drains!! and the thought about continuous pumping with a overflow tube. That is some cool info. If I buy the right pump I could just pump it in from the lake and let it overflow right back into the lake!!

Why is my height a problem? What are the formulas for that?

Also what is the formula to figure gallons for the size of the tank?

I think I am leaning toward acylic instead of glass, but I am still open to suggestions. Are there sponsors to this sight that sell this stuff?

I am also leaning toward the metal like the dunking booth, because the trailer company that I am working with should be able to do this.

I am still open to suggestions and discussion.

I will post pictures when we get started. Which probably won't be for another month or so.

Thanks
 
If you have the access to the metal, build the frame out of metal. that will definitely save, plus make it stronger. As far as acrylic goes. Look for a local plastics dealer. They should be able to get you a decent price on a sheet or two. Height is not a problem as long as you buy acrylic/glass that is thick enough to hold the pressure.

Here is the calculator that I always use.
http://www.fishlore.com/ConversionCalculator.htm
 
AFOUTDOORS;2290441; said:
Great thoughts from you guys,

I had not even thought about the drains!! and the thought about continuous pumping with a overflow tube. That is some cool info. If I buy the right pump I could just pump it in from the lake and let it overflow right back into the lake!!

Why is my height a problem? What are the formulas for that?

Also what is the formula to figure gallons for the size of the tank?

I think I am leaning toward acylic instead of glass, but I am still open to suggestions. Are there sponsors to this sight that sell this stuff?

I am also leaning toward the metal like the dunking booth, because the trailer company that I am working with should be able to do this.

I am still open to suggestions and discussion.

I will post pictures when we get started. Which probably won't be for another month or so.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Click at the top of the page for all the conversions you'll ever need for aquaria...
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/calc.php

conversion page.jpg
 
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