Thanks again...So do you think I should look at another method instead of the stacked 2x8's for the main support structure? BTW, the actual dimensions of the tank are 12ft long, 7 feet wide and 6ft tall. Those are outside dimensions so when you consider the wall materials the actual water height would be more like 65" or so...
FLoor leveling and other advice for 2500g tank build
- Thread starter Kentrob11
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We consulted an engineer regarding the structural integrity of the floor under our tank. We poured cement over the old garage floor. The area under the tank was specially reinforced.
At 15' x 4' x 4', our acrylic tank is much smaller than your proposed tank. But our stand made out of 3 1/2" tubular steel and is quite a beast, but is movable with a heavy duty pallet jack. You should get an engineering consult for your project.
I suggest you PM VLDesign and ask him if he had any floor slope issues before he built his 2600 gallon tank.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...16005-My-new-2600-gallon-plywood-tank-project
At 15' x 4' x 4', our acrylic tank is much smaller than your proposed tank. But our stand made out of 3 1/2" tubular steel and is quite a beast, but is movable with a heavy duty pallet jack. You should get an engineering consult for your project.
I suggest you PM VLDesign and ask him if he had any floor slope issues before he built his 2600 gallon tank.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/f...16005-My-new-2600-gallon-plywood-tank-project
Thanks Pacu mom- I didn't consult an engineer but I did have a 12" thick concrete footing poured under the floor in the location where the tank would be when I built the house, with a 4" thick floor, that's 16" of solid concrete under the tank...I would assume that would be enough...I actually consulted with a professional concrete guy who is involved in pretty complicated construction projects and he seemed content with the footing that was in place. The tank itself would basically be built on the floor. The plan was to have the viewing pane start about 12" off the floor...
I guess my thought is that the back wall alone would take 48 2x8's and three sheets of plywood. Plus since you won't have a perfect interface between the stacked lumber you'll need a lot of thick construction adhesive. You're looking at close to $600 just for the back wall.
Concrete block, on the other hand, would only be like $100 for the block itself. Of course you'd need rebar and mortar and concrete to fill the block. And labor if you don't know how to do it yourself.
I guess my big concern with the stacked lumber design is how hard it is going to be to keep things level and square vs. a traditional framed tank. If you really want to use a welded (whether thermal or solvent welded) plastic liner I just think that's going to make things more difficult for you. With the size you're considering you're going to have a lot of seams and the more irregular your walls are the harder it's going to be to match those seams up.
If you feel most comfortable with the stacked lumber design I do think you need to consider a liquid seal of some sort. Are there polyurea contractors in your area?
BTW, the picture Pacu Mom showed was what I was thinking about leveling your floor. Even though you have a lot of concrete there now you would need the leveled floor to be well supported. Honestly I don't think it's worth the money just to level out the floor you have now, assuming there's plenty of rebar, etc.
How much is a sheet of 3/8" HDPE nowadays?
Did you also put in some floor drains? We put in two 3" floor drains. Probably should have gone bigger, but oh well. Drains do not go to the septic system, but to the back yard over the cliff.
Yes. When you reply, right under the title box you will see three rows of icons. (at least that is what shows on mine) If you hold the cursor over each icon, it tells you what it's for. The envelop one is for email. The "insert image" is two icons to the right of it. Just click the icon, and follow the directions. You can post pics right off your computer that way without loading to a site like Photobucket and then posting pics from it.
Thanks guys- So would concrete block/cement and rebar be better for this for this or a 2x8 wood framed style tank? I'm not dead set on anything here...I just had some ideas as to what would work.
I would want perfectly smooth walls so I could scrape coraline algae off so I imagine I would do a few layers of pond armour over the concrete block if I went that route and then a layer of 1/4" black acrylic glued to the walls for aesthetics?
Pacu- I have a single 3" drain on this system that drains to the sewer system...
I would want perfectly smooth walls so I could scrape coraline algae off so I imagine I would do a few layers of pond armour over the concrete block if I went that route and then a layer of 1/4" black acrylic glued to the walls for aesthetics?
Pacu- I have a single 3" drain on this system that drains to the sewer system...
Here's a picture of the basement before the floor was poured...the large square footing is the one I am talking about...
