Looking for advice on a potential plywood tank.

[Friller2009]

G'day MFK, seeking some advice on a plywood tank that i'm planning on making.
Got a couple of questions as my old man is quite sceptic on it.
So the tank is to be made for an Australian Lungfish, and an Australian White throated Snapping Turtle, as well as my Australian Bass and potentially a Southern Saratoga.
My plan is to make it out of Marine Grade plywood, and dimensions would be 5x4x3ft.
My main questions are as follows;
1. What thickness plywood? 12mm or 18mm?

2440 x 1220mm 18mm Plywood Hardwood Marine AA Grade

Find 2440 x 1220mm 18mm Plywood Hardwood Marine AA Grade at Bunnings. Visit your local store for the widest range of products.

www.bunnings.com.au

2. Can normal wood glue be used?
3. What is the life expectancy of a plywood tank?
4. What kind of bracing would be required to prevent bowing?
5. Is just pond sealant good enough to waterproof the tank?

Thanks

 

[platy21]

I don’t have experience with building plywood tanks so I can’t be of much help. But if you have Instagram, check out Mahina_Corals. He did a few videos building plywood sumps for his new fish room and did a great job discussing the process and products he used.

 

[jjohnwm]

Do a search on here, there are lots of threads detailing plywood builds. I've been building them for years, and have put together a bunch; as counter-intuitive as they may seem at first, plywood tanks work.

I won't presume to answer any of your specific questions, as all my builds were 24 inches or less in height; going to a height of 36 inches is a huge step which I never felt comfortable taking. Way more pressure, way more potential for major damage in case of failure. At 24-inch height, tanks hold up just fine, for many years, with simple 3/4-inch exterior-grade plywood box construction, glued/screwed together, epoxy-sealed interior, braced around the top...no exterior skeleton or framework, no fibreglass reinforcement inside, no fancy construction techniques/materials/designs. If you are going 36-inches deep, I would be looking into all those factors and likely more.

It's not uncharted territory, just take your time and do your research. Good luck!

 

[hartebreak]

Not to Jinx myself, but mine is going on 3 years now without even a hiccup.

New member, new build

Hey everyone, new member, Nathan here from Portland OR. I have an addiction and the addiction is African Cichlids. Here is the issue, and plan. The issue is we have 3 tanks in our family room (125, 120 and 55), and its just completely overtaken the room. Also sick of the electric bill...

www.monsterfishkeepers.com