SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT....

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ronp327

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 16, 2010
171
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roanoke,va
Hey everyone,
I have been talking to Pete a little about a build that i am thinking of doing and i thought i would get some ideas.
First off if i can pull off the space in the basement i want to build something along these lines.

24' long x 12' wide x 5' tall ( yeah i'm crazy)
i want 2 viewing windows both in the front that are 3' tall x 8' long
i would space them 2 foot off each side with a 4 foot gap in the middle and 6 inches off the bottom of the tank..(not the actual floor)

o.k here is where you come in.
i'm still planing integrity of the structure so please input.
second i'm going to use cell cast acrylic ( will 1" do the job?)
i think i will use pond coat like Pete.
3/4 inch plywood on everything
framing still not determined
o.k debate here.. should i fiberglass the whole thing first or not?
before the pond coat of coarse.
keep in mind these dimensions could change alot if i can't pull out the space but i would still like to stay around 5,000 gal.
thanks in advance for your input.
now fire away!!!!:)
 
Sounds like a great project to me. :popcorn:
 
I would also try and stay with nominal sizes for the window. Like a 4x8 you get more bang for your buck because you usually have to buy a sheet and have it cut down for a 3x4. I would look at Thefishguys build for ideas as well. The last thing I would do is to have the viewing windows closer together in the middle. I think it would look a lot better and not draw your eye away from the fish.
 
this is true about the space between the windows. my wife wants me to also build in my flatpanel in the space above the tank so i was going to build a box that was sealed off from the moisture and make shelves for the surround sound and satelite box in the space between the windows. then add recessed lighting under the tv in front of the tank. also i am getting 4x8 sheets of acrylic but i'm thinking of framing them in like nolapete. so with the frame and sealing area it ate up a little to closer to 3 feet of viewing. that was just to keep it simple.
 
I think you need to determine how you are going to frame the tank and what material you are going to use for that before considering fiberglassing anything. If you build a solid frame, line it with 3/4 plywood, use bondo on all of the seams and joints and then apply LR, there is no reason to be fiberglassing anything other then the frame around your viewing windows to get a good seal.
 
i'm still throwing aroud the 1/2 inch ply with hardi board idea instead of just 3/4 ply.
i have talked to several people who say this is the way to go.( even the guy from pond armor) He stated that the hardi board will give just enough not to break a seal but is still very strong after glued to the plywood. I'm thinking bondo all seams and screwholes then fiberglass all seames and screwholes just to make sure then fiberglass the viewing frames and the top of the tank to cover any splashing or such. I would rather over build and take more time and supplies than have something go wrong later on. I am however getting mixed comments on the fiberglass v/s the pond coat or pond armor. This is just what i have picked up from reading all the threads since i have not built a tank before but the ones that fiberglassed the entire tank did not seem to have any leak problems. they filled with water and fish and enjoyed. Please any comments are welcome. I want to do this right.
Also i have revised the build a little bit for space issues. the outside will now be 22' x 8' x 6' but my water level will be at only 60" about 6" above the viewing windows.
So roughly inside that leaves 251.5" space with 192" of viewing room.
Again everyone this is just planning stages so i want to hear what you have to say. Anything is open to change if you can supply good sound reasons for the build. I just want a nice home for the fish and safe for my home 2..LOL
 
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