Idea of plywoodaquarium

[Vellu]

I have planned a 400 gallons plywood aquarium but I don't want to use any epoxy, pond liner or fibreglass.

First, build an aquarium body from plywood plate. Then saw a hole for a in front glass. Then buy exactly samesized glass, than what is the plywood in front off, and glue it to it.

Then buy some (cheap) thin glass sheets, and glue them into other walls (and bottom) with silicone, non-toxic.

It is hard to explain (especially with my bad english), but maybe this picture helps... or not.

 

[redm18]

Short answer this does not work.
This idea has been expressed many times before and I have never a tank actually built this way. The problems are I believe;
1. Methods that have worked and been proven to work are fairly cheap. You can do epoxy paint or fiberglass for less than $300 probably way less for a tank your size.
2. Thin glass is not that cheap in the sizes your talking about.
3. Its really hard to get the plywood to be perfectly smooth and and flat to have the thin glass sit on. The plywood will flex some when the tank moves when you do water changes. When the thin glass is not directly against the plywood then its exposed to the full preasure of the water and it probably breaks. Your talking about glueing the glass to the plywood with silicone but unless you somehow lay a thin layer of silicone on every bit of the plywood then put your glass down you will have voids between glass and plywood and the glass will break here.

 

[Pharaoh]

Thin glass and plywood are not a good combination. Wood and glass have different flex rates. you would ultimately crack the glass and have a mess on your hands.

 

[Vellu]

Short answer this does not work.
This idea has been expressed many times before and I have never a tank actually built this way. The problems are I believe;
1. Methods that have worked and been proven to work are fairly cheap. You can do epoxy paint or fiberglass for less than $300 probably way less for a tank your size.
2. Thin glass is not that cheap in the sizes your talking about.
3. Its really hard to get the plywood to be perfectly smooth and and flat to have the thin glass sit on. The plywood will flex some when the tank moves when you do water changes. When the thin glass is not directly against the plywood then its exposed to the full preasure of the water and it probably breaks. Your talking about glueing the glass to the plywood with silicone but unless you somehow lay a thin layer of silicone on every bit of the plywood then put your glass down you will have voids between glass and plywood and the glass will break here.

Okay...

Thin glass sheets ARE cheap. Aquarium: maybe 8' * 4' * 2'. There a 3' * 2,5' glass sheet ( 4 millimeter thick) costs about 6 € = 8,8 dollars.

To this tank I would need those sheets maybe 15, and it costs about 90€ = $130. Not very much...

But if it bad idea, okay, then I don't know what to do...

 

[redm18]

Why so against the methods that have been used sucessfully. Is it an expense thing or what? I know if your really afraid of applying the products yourself their is I guy on here that had talked about having some place glass his tank for him you could look into that.

 

[Pharaoh]

You could always try thin sheets of ABS plastic inside of a plywood box. then, all you would have to do is seal the corners just like with glass.