Pre build assessment.

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808_fairladyz

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 19, 2006
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Hilo, Hawaii
I'll be starting my plywood aquarium build this weekend, but before I do, I'd like to just throw my plans out there and see what kinds of reactions I get. Dimensions not set in stone so all feedback will be taken into account.

I picked up enough 3/4" hard plywood yesterday to complete my build. I won't be building a frame work around the aquarium, but it'll have a full top. I'll be reinforcing the interior with fiberglass cloth and marine grade resins. Additional reinforcement will be applied to all seams including the top. I'll be painting the interior fiberglass with a paint called "zophar". I'm still doing research on that particular product but was told that it is suitable for storing water for human consumption. Aquarium will have an open front for viewing. Viewing material undetermined at this time. Wood glue will be used during construction, all screws will be counter sunk and pre drilled. Additional layer of plywood over the exterior is still under consideration and will be determined during final stages of build. I'm not bank rollin, but I'm committed to making this happen.

Aquarium dimensions : 96"x36"x36" external.
Residents :1 silver arowana, 2 Achara cats, 1 pleco. Possible 15" black ghost.
 
Ok, found the paint zophar @ Ace Hardware and it is listed as being meant for sealing water storage containers where smell and taste are a concern. It cost 89.00 a gal.

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Why are you not going to build a frame work? All that water and all that force is going to push 3/4 inch plywood. Do you just think the fiberglass is going to be the load bearing object to keep it all together.b

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DIDYSIS said:
Why are you not going to build a frame work? All that water and all that force is going to push 3/4 inch plywood. Do you just think the fiberglass is going to be the load bearing object to keep it all together.b

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X2. Even 3/4 inch ply won't hold thousands of lbs of water pressure forever. If it survives the initial fill then it will almost certainly bow and crack the fiberglass causing a leak.
 
Point taken. My design is not a whole lot bigger than Uaru Joey's design and all he used was a rubberized sealer to seal his aquarium. Not to say that his aquarium will hold up long term, but regardless, I've already started my aquarium build. If needed, I'll triple up the layer of fiberglass being used. I'm using 7.5 oz fiber woven mat and marine grade laminating resins to cover all surfaces and additional reinforcement at all seams. Have you guys ever worked with 7.5 oz weave fiberglass mats and resins? With each additional layer applied, it get heavier and substantially stronger. I haven't started laying the glass yet, but I guess I could start with a 64 oz weave fiber glass mat. I'd have to work a portion at a time to make sure I can get a full penetration of resin through mat that thick. Keep the feedback coming, it ain't to late yet.

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Keep in mind also that I've seen boat Aku boxes 2-3 times bigger with less fiberglass being used than what I have listed above. Those things hold thousands of lbs of fish and ice. Just a thought.

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I think the biggest problem is the height of your build, any particular reason you want a 3' deep tank? The fish you've listed certainly don't need it.

All the ply only [no framing] builds I've seen have been quite shallow, 2' or less, and it is the pressure from the height of the water that will ber putting the most pressure on the joins between the base and the walls (and the walls themselves). The only one taller I can think of off the top of my head is greenterra's ~800g build, which was about a metre tall IIRC, and he used 32mm ply with additional bracing around the joins. Look it up if you want to see how to do a frameless ply build right!
 
Well I could go 30 inches high instead of 36, but! That seems so marginal. I wanted to build the biggest aquarium that I can support in my home in regards to space, location, and water usage. Living off a water catchment system, I'll have to invest in additional water storage containers. You guys realize that 64 oz fiberglass weave mats is what they use for boats right? I'm thinking that's overkill, but I'm game. Thank guys, Aloha.

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I would go 30 at the very tallest. Even that 6 inch drop will take 800 lbs of pressure off the seams. You could always make it wider if you wanted to but the height will be the biggest issue. The fiberglass sounds good though. I've never glassed a tank as I've always used pond liners but it is a solid way to do it for sure.
 
Thanx for such positive feedback. Your opinion is very reasonable and makes sense. I'll cut off the the top, re drill, re glue. Not to much drama. At least I didn't start laying the fiberglass yet

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