DIY surround for 300gal stock tank

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koigirlfl

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 22, 2007
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Gainesville FL (70 miles from any beach)
I have a 300gallon Rubbermaid stock tank 68x69x25 on an outside patio. I want to build an enclosure around it so that it is insulated and helps with temperature control.

I thought I would bubble-wrap the outside of the tank and put down a styrofoam underlayment. I was going to build pony walls 24" center and insulate with the same styrofoam inside the walls.

Ok now for the questions, what kind of material do I frame out the wall with? Does it need to be waterproof wood, or is plywood ok and just paint it? Does the inside and outside of the frame need to be covered? And I have no idea about what to do for a top cover.

Also I'm looking at heating the water, what would be best? I'm in Florida so it doesn't really get cold and stay cold, but overnight variances from daytime temps can be killers.

Any ideas or suggestions?
 
how much was the stock tank? didi you have it shipped? I was just looking at the same item last night and this is what i was thinking about.

If the tank is empty start by putting newspapper underneath the running it up the side. About 50- 100 pages thick and lay black garbage bags outside of that. To keep it all in place wrap the tank with a surgical tube on the top edge.
 
You can use composite deck material or PT lumber. I would use the 2" styrofoam insulation from the building supply. You don't need to wrap the tank just insulate the walls and bottom.

Is the box going to used for other purposes like a bio tower, seating, planting, waterfall?
 
I got the tank from Tractor Supply locally for $200 and they delivered it for $55 since I don't have a truck. http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp...10551_10001_28499_-1______?rFlag=true&cFlag=1

If you want to try the internet this is the cheapest place: http://www.stockyardsupply.com/page11/index2.html but the shipping will probably kill you.

As for the tank, I will probably go all the way and DIY a TT, skippy Filter, & Falls. I plan on adding plants. Knowing my friends and family I will need to make the cap strong enough for people to sit on, because they will do it anyway :D
 
Ok now for the questions, what kind of material do I frame out the wall with? Does it need to be waterproof wood, or is plywood ok and just paint it? Does the inside and outside of the frame need to be covered? And I have no idea about what to do for a top cover.
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I would build a frame around the tank with treated pine 4x2s and use 6x2s as a frame around the top. Make it an octagonal box that sits right over the plastic pond. That will be solid enough for people to sit on the side and watch the fish. Then clad the whole thing with treated decking or fence boards. You can paint or stain them before you put it togther if you want, or just let it weather naturally. Use treated timber, or a naturally durable one like red cedar if it's going to be outside and intermittantly wet. I guess you could use plywood, but make sure it's well treated and well painted if it's exposed to the weather.

Cheers

Ian
 
:mwave::welcome::mwave:

Where in FLA?

If you want to have a little fun while your doing this, get a few cans of GREAT STUFF spray foam (gap filler type, it expands more) Turn the stock tank upside down and spray/spread it all over the sides and bottom. Use 2" Styrofoam to insulate like tunerX said (under the bottom too).

Build the top rail around the pond like a bench in the DIY books.

Building materials...Home Depot/Lowes is your playground :D.

If you use something like Thompson's water seal, you need to let it cure completely, then wash (scrub) & rinse it well to remove residual material (don't get it in the stock tank).

Heat the sump with (2) (redundancy is our friend) submersible heaters (300w ea.?, I will know better when I know where you are). If your a real DIY'er you could go solar pretty cheap.

Dr Joe

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koigirlfl;1356477; said:
this is the cheapest place: http://www.stockyardsupply.com/page11/index2.html but the shipping will probably kill you.
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1,000 gallon pond for $251.00 :naughty:

Thanks for those links. My goldfish and koi stay outside even during the winter. I don't heat their water (they are a cold water fish). The largest goldfish producing farm in the US is in Missouri. Therefor I am comfortable thinking that goldfish can tollerate anything our weather can throw at them.
 
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