Planning out a plywood build.

[scott_n06]

I am trying to plan out a plywood build I would like to do sometime after the first of the year,(after I move some place more permanent).
Before I ask a million questions on this I was wondering if there was a place to find things like, board thickness and glass thickness, good sealing materials. Basically just engineering stuff. I have read several threads on different builds but I havent seen much on that sort of stuff.

Thanks in advace,
Scott

 

[BadOleRoss]

At the top of this section there is a sticky with several of the DIY builds, I'd start there and read, read, read. There is also a link at the bottom of this post of my plywood build that I completed a few months ago.

 

[scott_n06]

I was actually wanting to build mine the same way you built yours. I feel more comfortable with the braceing on the outside. Basically you built exactly what I was planning in my head the only difference is I was thinking of making the inside 96inL X 36inH x 30inD.

If you dont mind me asking what did it cost you to build it?

 

[BadOleRoss]

I really dont recall. I tried to keep track of the cost but there were to many things going on at the time and to be honest, I got tired of tracking it. The glass for my tank was $210. The 5 gallon bucket of liquid rubber was another $235. When you figure all the lumber, stand, sump set up, bulkhead fittings, lights, blah, blah, blah....I probobly have $1000 in the tank but I'd build it again in a heart beat. One thing I would add to the tank from the start is a coast to coast overflow and some kind of filtration to pull waste from the lower levels of the tank. Even an Fx5 plumbed with bulkhead fitting would be good.

 

[scott_n06]

Thats still alot cheaper than buying an all glass one. My only other question is did you (or anyone else here) build a smaller one first to "test the water"(pun intended). That way you could get the feel for building a plywood tank and do it a lil cheaper.

I was thinking of building one that was 72Lx24hx24d cause I could build it out of one sheet of ply if I use 2x4's for the glass framing. I was thinking that way I would still have a 180gal which is a huge upgrade to my 55gal and I could use it for a few years then if I like how it holds up and hopefully by then I will be some place Im going to stay for good then I can drop a couple grand on my 500+.

Do you think this would be smarter or should I just go big or go home?

 

[scott_n06]

Anythoughts on my last post?