First plywood tank

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

Catfish Jones

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 25, 2010
19
0
0
Las Vegas
Well first off hello everyone,

I have been looking in the forums for a while and just now signed up. I see all these amazing plywood tanks and I have been contemplating building one. I cant seem to find any real good plans or perspectives on tanks though. Can one of you experienced plywood tank builders help me out? Just like the size of your tank, your plans. Step-by-step instructions(most important) The instructions step-by-step is really what I am looking for. How did you build yours? and any tips?:confused:
 
yeah, there are a lot of threads that go into a great deal of detail...
 
Welcome Vegas,

I read many thread prior to starting by ply build. Garf.org is a good reference too.
 
I went to Garf and got the basic diminsions for a 299 gallon. Ive looked at ALOT of tank threads, and I mean I spent almost all night reading through getting Ideas. I saw BadOleRoss' build and like the structual integrity of his frame and I hope he doesnt mind me borrowing it. Ive also seen many mistakes in peoples and learned alot of do's and dont's.

Im just looking to ask people for info on what they used to seal their tank because Im heading to Lowes or home depot today or tomorrow for sealer,plywood, and 2x4's.

I have this image in my head of what I want it to look like but this is my first build and I dont/cant afford mistakes.

I have no clue what a sump is for, why people have one, or if I actually need one. The same goes for the protein skimmer.

I dont have monster fish YET. lol im working on that. All I have as of the moment is a 60g with Columbian Sharks. There arent exactly lakes in the part where I live in Vegas.So hopefully John would help me with finding where I could see/get some.
 
I dont mind at all if you barrow my design, that's one of the reasons we all post stuff on here. Right now, if I were you, I would design your tank and figure out the dementions and get that built and then decide what you are going to seal the tank with. Whether you go with liquid rubber, pond armor, fiberglass...it can all be done after the tank is built. You dont want to use any treated lumber or put any kind of sealers on your tank until you decide which direction you are going in. I know liquid rubber does not care for treated lumber and you dont want to risk anything leaching into the tank. A sump, is a mechanical and or biological filter that usually sits under a tank and is gravity fed. In my tank, water overflows into my bulkhead fitting and falls doen into my sump where it will go through several different stages of mechanical and biological filtration before it is pumped back into me tank. The return pump is located within the sump. That makes a sump nice is that all of the filters, pumps, and heaters are out of sight. Protien skimmers are for saltwater tanks.
 
Tankidea.jpg
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True true but the reason im so hesitant with the sump system Is because Im not sure I will be in the house im in for long, so wouldnt the sump complicate moving the tank?
 
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