Critique My Tank Build Design & Fish List - Please

[USMCVET]

I'm in the process of designing my 500+ gallon tank with overflows and a 50 gallon sump.
It's an odd pentagon shape - 8.5' x 5' (should allow adequate turning radius for larger fish).
Please look at my drawing and provide me with any comments, pointers or tips. GOOD, BAD, or UGLY!

The entire frame will be custom made with 3/16" thick stainless steel ( in green).
The 2 front main glass panels will be 5ft wide x 28in high x 3/4" thick.

HERES WHAT I'M LOOKING TO HOUSE:
1 - Tiger Shovelnose Catfish
1 - Lima Shovelnose Catfish
1 - Spotted Gar
1 - Ornate Bichir ?
1 - Black Shark
1 - Leopard Sailfin Pleco
2 - Stingrays
2 - Oscars
1 - Clown Knife
1 - Short Bodied Red Tail Catfish = (Optional - Man I'd love to try to fit one of these in!)

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!
John

 

[Polypterus_36]

I would be worried about the TSN or the sb RTC eating the other smaller fish. Just my 2 cents?.

 

[USMCVET]

* I should mention that the cross support "T" channel is on the top of the tank.

 

[USMCVET]

I would be worried about the TSN or the sb RTC eating the other smaller fish. Just my 2 cents?.

True!
Even when you think things are good, catfish can do the unexpected.
Did you ever see the video of a Gulper swallowing a TSN twice his length and the TSN blew a hole out of his stomach?
That's why owners always do a fish count first thing in the morning.

 

[USMCVET]

I would be worried about the TSN or the sb RTC eating the other smaller fish. Just my 2 cents?.

The Polypterus Ornatipinnis was the first fish that we bought for this tank. I haven't even purchased the "Big Boys" yet because I wanted him to get a growth head start.

 

[Backfromthedead]

I dont have any advice at the time but looking forward to updates! I like the design.

 

[Toby_H]

why 8'6"? going 8' would allow this wall to be built with a single piece of standard lumber. By adding this extra 6" you add an extra seam and seams are by nature the weak point in such a build (waterproofing).

How do you intend to anchor the Glass to the Plywood? Most plywood/glass builds I've seen have a cut out in the plywood with glass imbedded into/over the cut out. Sealing a glass/plywood 90* corner will be a challenge.

You site 1" thick plywood for the rear & right side wall. Will there be framing behind that plywood? If not I'd expect bowing and I'd not trust the corners to seal. Also, what do you plan to seal the plywood with? There are several product that can do this. The trustworthy ones are very expensive and the cost effective ones are risky.

 

[USMCVET]

why 8'6"? going 8' would allow this wall to be built with a single piece of standard lumber. By adding this extra 6" you add an extra seam and seams are by nature the weak point in such a build (waterproofing).
Good question. I plan to have 5 vertical steel posts on the back wall which will be welded to the top and bottom frame channel. The center and end posts will be "T" channels. There will only be 1 plywood seam on the center of the back wall and that will be split by the main "T" support. So there will be no actual "seam", just 2 butt joints in the center on each side of the "T". And the way pressures apply themselves, the force will hold the sheets against the steel channel. And I'm not concerned about the cost of an extra sheet of plywood. Those scraps always come in handy.

How do you intend to anchor the Glass to the Plywood? Most plywood/glass builds I've seen have a cut out in the plywood with glass imbedded into/over the cut out. Sealing a glass/plywood 90* corner will be a challenge.
Glass will not touch any plywood. I plan to set all the panes directly on the inside of the stainless steel "T" channels. Making the caulking of them fairly easy.
My plan is to form all stainless steel "T"s out of 3/16" x 3" wide stainless steel plates with a 3/16" x 1 1/2" SS strip mig welded between them. For strength and as a partition or joint for the glass or even plywood.

You site 1" thick plywood for the rear & right side wall. Will there be framing behind that plywood? If not I'd expect bowing and I'd not trust the corners to seal. Also, what do you plan to seal the plywood with? There are several product that can do this. The trustworthy ones are very expensive and the cost effective ones are risky.
There will be vertical steel supports as mentioned, I don't see any bowing possible.
I haven't dug into the research on this yet. In my line of work I'm familiar with numerous epoxy coat products. But I would like advise as to what is best for an aquarium. I believe there's causticity any anti-fungal properties that need consideration. And I'm not up on that type of information.

 

[USMCVET]

why 8'6"? going 8' would allow this wall to be built with a single piece of standard lumber. By adding this extra 6" you add an extra seam and seams are by nature the weak point in such a build (waterproofing).

How do you intend to anchor the Glass to the Plywood? Most plywood/glass builds I've seen have a cut out in the plywood with glass imbedded into/over the cut out. Sealing a glass/plywood 90* corner will be a challenge.

You site 1" thick plywood for the rear & right side wall. Will there be framing behind that plywood? If not I'd expect bowing and I'd not trust the corners to seal. Also, what do you plan to seal the plywood with? There are several product that can do this. The trustworthy ones are very expensive and the cost effective ones are risky.

I have the ability to get stainless steel mig/tig welding done. So the structural support will be completely steel framing. I may even reduce the width of the channels because I'm thinking 7 1/2" of total steel is way too much overkill for a 30" high wall.

 

[Toby_H]

It's been a decade since I've built a plywood tank, and was far from expert on the subject then. There are several newer products on the market. I suggest searching You Tube for Plywood tank builds and see what they have to say. From watching them, Pond Armor is the one I am currently interested in exploring. I've worked with fiberglass resins. They work very very well, but have a near zero margin for error.

I've never built anything like this using steel framing, so I'll withhold my speculation. The one suggestion I will give, over seal everything. If water might be able to find or create a path to escape, it will. And watching big projects leak is heartbreaking (and the reason I stopped building them).

I don't have much input on the stocking. My personal preference is to aquascape a natural'esque environment with a lighter and varied stock. I would picture this list living in a lightly scaped open water tank. I'm not criticizing this approach, just offering a lack of experience of this approach being why I don't have anything to offer.

Please keep us up to date on your build and I'm sure others with experience will join in.