My 400 gallon plywood build so far.......
- Thread starter toddhgr
- Start date
Hate to burst your bubble, but very bad idea using those chip board I beams. The first bit of moisture and they're going to start breaking apart, especially under the weight of the tank.
Personally I think the I beams will be fine. They are used because they are light and strong. As far as them getting wet, if they're getting wet, then you already have serious issues and a little flaking plywood will be the least of them. Plus, it would take a serious soaking to compromise all 4 of those beams, which, again, indicates much more serious problems with the whole project. As long as the tank is waterproofed, there should be no reason to worry.
water is going to be spilled at some point. Its a part of the deal? tanks overflow and people like us fall asleep while filling them up haha.
wednesday13;3857976; said:
Yah, but these are going to be inside the stand, beneath and behind layers of plywood. If you manage to spill enough water into the stand, through several layers/seams of plywood, to soften and wear down enough of those beams to cause a collapse, then you should hang up your hat as a fish keeper, imo.
I guess the OP could change his plans, since he isn't that far in to the whole project (and personally, I think the beams are overkill for tank support. 2x4's would be sufficient).
I'm just saying that, if the tank and stand are made properly, then this will never be an issue.
I plan on sealing the two exposed surfaces on the joists(front and back). Also I can cap both ends of the stand. Hopefully that should eliminate the risk of the tank being run over and soaking the OSB. As far as strength, these things are used daily at 16" on center in spans up to 18' in houses.
