DIY 225gal

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
T

thing124

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 14, 2006
85
0
0
Toronto, Canada
Alright ladies and gents, after much anticipation and planning i have finally put together all the peices of my new 225 gallon tank and stand to go with it, i constructed the stand out of 4x4's and it is strong enough to park a car on. the tank itself is 5 feet long , 2 feet wide and 3 feet deep. the front viewing window is 1/2inch temperd glass. the only things left to do are apply the fiberglass resin, then paint with the 2 part epoxy, seal seams, glass, and install the plumbling. I also made a DIY wet/dry and i am going to be using a mag drive 1200 to pump the water back into the tank all in all so far im very pleased with the outcome of this project. i forgot to add the the plywood is 5/8 Concrete forming plywood i figured that if it can stand up to concrete it can stand water. i will keep everyone posted because i know how much you MFKers love DIY projects.

Picture.jpg
 
ok photo update, i have applied 1 coat of Cold Cure Epoxy then i let it cure and applied the second coat along with the fibreglass resin 1 more day and the final coat along with the colour in a few more days ill have new pictures up soon.

Picture001655.jpg


i overlapped the corners with the fibreglass resin to add extra strength

Picture003.jpg


Picture004.jpg


Picture005.jpg


i need some suggestions on how to do the plumbing on this bad-boy heres my idea so far any input is greatly appriciated

tankplumbing.jpg


heres my idea so far in terms of plumbing the tank , im not to sure if i should have the returns halfway down the sides just because ive never used a check valve before so i have no idea how much pressure these things can withstand, im also using a mag drive 1200 on a 225gallon tank so i think the water turnaround is really good. i was also thinking of putting in a spray bar along the top. Thats my idea so far if anyone else has any input i would really like to hear it and remember no idea is a stupid one thanks everyone
 
I would put your returns up higher, if they are half way down and you have a power failure, then 1/2 of the water will be on in your sump or on your floor, dont trust a check valve, (unless you are going to use a closed system, like canisters)
 
HMT, i was thinking the same thing im going to call some plumbing stores to see if they have some check valves that can withstand a large amount of pressure
 
I still wouldnt trust them, If you put your returns equal to your intakes there will be very little water to be siphoned into your sump or your floor. Over time the valve could fail and you wouldnt know it untill its too late. By the way, thats a very nice looking tank. Im planning on building a 225 this spring. Please post updates on your progress so I can see what is ahead of me.
 
Yup, check valves are a no-no. They have their place and are great to have but if something as simple as plumbing the return at the surface will eliminate them, then there is no reason to use them. Gunk grows and builds up on the insides of our equipment and when the day comes that you need your check valve to do its duty, that gunk can allow a leak. If the power goes out for an extended period while you are away, you can have nearly 100 gallons on your floor. That is unless you design your sump to hold a surge volume of half your tank.
 
Update Jan. 20/07

Ok, i am finally finished sealing this bad-boy i added the final coat with the colour tint and its looking amazing, a few more days and im going to seal the seams. but here it is so far
Picture009.jpg


Picture011.jpg


Sump and Mech Filtration Components
Picture016.jpg


now i have a question about bracing the tank, i was thinking at work im going to Weld some angle-iron so it would be a pressure fit around the top of the tank and the bottom but i am unsure if this would do the trick, it would be impossible to the pressure to crack the weld but i dont know if it would still bow out on the sides, anyways tell me what you guys think
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom