Need help from carpenters on dimensions for tank

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Linemanbrad

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 25, 2009
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Texas
I was planning on building my own tank =) my first try and i was wondering about how much the total cost would be...

I want it to be around 200-300 gallons... I want a pair of EBJDs in there and maybe some other fish

but any ideas on the dimensions needed??? I have a whole wall in my room to work with basically and i wanna say its roughly 9 feet long? so please post your ideas

I want it to take up MOST of the wall, maybe not all but I want a really large tank that wont just completely break me...

I am 16 and work 12 hours a week at 8.50 an hour and get paid bi-weekly lol
 
Start saving your money. Look in the DIY forum. THere are plenty of threads on tanks built by mfkers
 
Custom made tanks can be just as expensive as buying a tank. When you go larger, there is a cost savings associated with building larger tanks, but at $8.50/hr with 12 hr weeks, you should have a lot of time to save and read through the DIY section to start planning what you want.
 
alright =) thanks you guys but i cant seem to find anything =/
 
No offense dude, I started cage building at 16, and I'm gonna say at 16 with no carpentry experience, it'd be cheaper for you to just buy a tank. Wait and keep your eyes open. You'll find something. At 16, my carpentry skills had something to be desired. I had no experience, and even when I thought I knew what I was doing, I still screwed things up. The cages (for reptiles) I built ended up costing just as much to build as the would have to buy, but they turned out pretty crappy compared to what I would have bought. Now, that said, cheaper doesn't mean better. You have to start gaining experience somewhere. But, be prepared for your first build (or first few builds) to not be perfect, and to probably not last as long as something store bought/professionally made.

But there's SO much information in the DIY forum. Just look through it, or do a search for "plywood aquarium".
 
I agree, and suggest that you build a few smaller tanks first (if your goal is to develop your tank-building skills). It's easy to get small pieces of plywood, liner, and glass from contractors and suppliers for cheap or free, if you just ask nicely. Hardware, plumbing, and sealants are fairly cheap. Then you just have to worry about the cost of filters, heaters, etc.
 
You can build a tank that size for relatively cheap. Actually surprisingly cheap if you use 5/8 plywood you can make a 8 foot long by 24 high by 3 wide which would be 300 gallons. I'm going by the prices here for wood but you should be ably to use two sheets of plywood that should come out to about thirty dollars. Plan on spending about 60 dollars in screws and another 50 dollars in wood for the stand. They sell a tank sealer from aquatic eco systems which I don't remember the name right now but its 80 dollars a gallon not including shipping that should be more than enough to coat the inside of your tank.

If I did the math right it should cost roughly 200 dollars to build the structure.

Now if you want a window you can more than double that and once you include plumbing, lighting and filtration you can easily expect a few hundred more. That's if your really frugal and know how to make use of your material.

To be honest I've built a plywood tank before and I'm not going to atempt again unless I have the money and time to make it a grand slam.

I guess I'm saying what everyone else is saying. Study hard save up and one day make your dream happen.
 
I built my first tank for $478 start to finnish. that included tank,stand,tops. It was also my first tank build and is 237galllons. I have built several stands for aquariums, but never a tank. not as hard as it looks. heres mine: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=236174&highlight=zavlar

i am far from a carpenter, but if you research enough on this site, then it should be a breeze.

If you were to build a little at a time, you could have it done in 3 pays if you budget your money.
Plywood,screws,wood glue on the first pay
Water proofer on the second pay
glass on third pay
by the time you get the glass, the tank will be ready for to install the glass.
 
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