I'm in the brainstorming phase right now, so I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to do my next big tank.
I can get an 8' long X 3' wide X 2' deep galvanized steel stock tank for about $200.
I know that the galvanization will leach stuff into the water if left submerged, and it could be harmful to fish.
This thread has been made before, but it was a long time ago, and there have been lots of new coatings and sealers that have come out for use in DIY aquariums since the last thread.
Has anyone thought of using wetsuit coating in one of these tanks? It seems like the perfect solution. It is known that these galvanized steel tanks will bow and shift a bit when filled, but they are structurally stable enough for holding water. So I figure with wetsuit being plyable and long term water proof, it should be the perfect solution. Plus, it's pretty cheap. I figure after buying the stock tank, wetsuit, and cloth, I'll have under $300 in a waterproof giant tank.
A note: The reason I am considering the galvanized tank over a rubermaid plastic tank is because of the strait-ish side walls. I have the ability to weld, so I am planning to make a rigid steel frame out of angle iron and mount a glass viewing panel. The angle iron will be beefy enough to prevent any bowing, and I can do some ball peen hammer work (essentially the same as body work on steel car panels) to remove the small amount of corrugation where the frame will mate to the stock tank.
Am I missing something here? I figure anything worth it's salt has typically already been done in the DIY world, but I can't find anything about a build like this. All together, it'd only cost about $400 to fully purchase all materials for a 360 gallon monster tank. Seems too good to be true.
I can get an 8' long X 3' wide X 2' deep galvanized steel stock tank for about $200.
I know that the galvanization will leach stuff into the water if left submerged, and it could be harmful to fish.
This thread has been made before, but it was a long time ago, and there have been lots of new coatings and sealers that have come out for use in DIY aquariums since the last thread.
Has anyone thought of using wetsuit coating in one of these tanks? It seems like the perfect solution. It is known that these galvanized steel tanks will bow and shift a bit when filled, but they are structurally stable enough for holding water. So I figure with wetsuit being plyable and long term water proof, it should be the perfect solution. Plus, it's pretty cheap. I figure after buying the stock tank, wetsuit, and cloth, I'll have under $300 in a waterproof giant tank.
A note: The reason I am considering the galvanized tank over a rubermaid plastic tank is because of the strait-ish side walls. I have the ability to weld, so I am planning to make a rigid steel frame out of angle iron and mount a glass viewing panel. The angle iron will be beefy enough to prevent any bowing, and I can do some ball peen hammer work (essentially the same as body work on steel car panels) to remove the small amount of corrugation where the frame will mate to the stock tank.
Am I missing something here? I figure anything worth it's salt has typically already been done in the DIY world, but I can't find anything about a build like this. All together, it'd only cost about $400 to fully purchase all materials for a 360 gallon monster tank. Seems too good to be true.
