L shaped plywood tank (55g conversion)

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foothead

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May 5, 2010
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I just got an awesome idea on what to do with my 55g tank. What do you guys think of building a 5'x5' L shaped tank using the glass I could salvage from it? The back and bottom will most likely be made of plywood coated with blue max or liquid rubber. I was thinking of using my current canister filter with an old 29 gallon as a sump.


This is just an idea right now, but it seems much more promising than spending $1000 I do not have on acrylic.

Comments/suggestions/questions?
 
Got a question: will I need a vertical column to support that joint where the two 48" panes meet, and if so, should it be on the inside or outside? I imagine that that joint would be a bit of a weak point in the tank's construction. I imagine that sealing it would be a major issue too.
 
I'm not much of a structural engineer, but I would imagine that the column should be on the outside of the glass (i.e. in the right-angle between the two pieces of glass). The glass could be sealed together behind the column in the traditional overlapping manor.

It would look a lot cooler without the column though. You could probably make it strong enough to achieve this if you run some braces across the top of the tank. I suppose it also depends on your glass thickness.
 
Yeah, I plan to run a rim around that top either way, because the glass is only 3/16". For some reason, one side appears to be tempered while the other isn't.

I have been drawing up the plans, and this build does not look too complicated. I think I am gonna do it this summer.
 
I just added up the cost of everything, and it came to about $200. I think this project is a go!

Couple more questions: what type of silicone should I use?
Will 1g pond coat be enough for 23.4 ft sq?
What is the best place to order pond coat?
Do you think that 8" spacing of 2x4s on a 3/4" sheet of plywood will be enough?
what type of paint should I use for the stand? I want it black. Same with the tank rim and such.
 
john73738;4128661; said:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=296341

Check this out when the attachment problem is fixed. This is a great build that is l shaped using 90g tank for the glass
Click to expand...

Interesting. It is very different than what I am doing, but it still helps.

Should I use vertical or horizontal reinforcements on the back of the tank? I was thinking vertical with a horizontal strip on the top and bottom would be the most effective because of the direction of the plywood's grain.
 
I just redrew some very basic plans for the tank and scanned them. Sorry for the bad images, the page is like twice the size of my scan bed.

EPSON002.jpg


EPSON001.jpg


In case you did not figure it out, blue = glass, red = plywood, and black = boards.
What do you all think? I have plans for the stand as well, but they are completely illegible, so I am gonna have to redraw them. They will probably be up tomorrow.
 
The only thing i see it that you might have the build a bit over worked. the boards that you have on the bottom i think should be turned on end. a 2x4 is stronger it the weight is on the 2" side rather then the 4" side. Also with it being a about 100 gallons don't think you need to worry about to much bracing on the bottom since it will be on a stand. I might be wrong but you can prob get away with a plywood shell to attach the glass.
 
Valous;4130037; said:
The only thing i see it that you might have the build a bit over worked. the boards that you have on the bottom i think should be turned on end. a 2x4 is stronger it the weight is on the 2" side rather then the 4" side. Also with it being a about 100 gallons don't think you need to worry about to much bracing on the bottom since it will be on a stand. I might be wrong but you can prob get away with a plywood shell to attach the glass.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was going for overbuilt, so I feel safer.

The bracing on the bottom is mainly part of the mounting for the glass and plywood. The 1x2s would simply be leftover material, so I threw them in as well.
 
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