steel aquarium

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
It might work, but you'll need to wrap the liner and silicone around to sit between the steel and glass on the outer side, as this is where the glass will be pushed by the water pressure.

glass500overdraw.jpg


I would test how well the silicone bonds to steel and pond liner first before fabricating anything elaborate.
 
yeah definately... the silicone will bond to the pond liner well i think, i could use somthing else to bond the liner to the steel.... but yeah thats what i was thinking...

might be a couple months before i get stared but i think i got a good start...

only other questions is do u think 12 gauge steel would be enough? how would i go about determining what strength of steel i would need
 
I dunno, but I wouldn't want any long stretches of unsupported sheet metal. There's too much opportunity for bowing. Make the frame more of a grid, with openings at maybe 2' X 2' so that there is little opportunity for the sheet metal to bow out.
 
I would be concerned about the steel pinching and tearing the liner at the lower right edge of the C section in that diagram. Perhaps continue the silicone around and up the right-hand side between the liner.
 
not sure if 12 gauge would work with out bowing alot. 12 gauge is less then a 1/8th inch. if you can get 1/4" sheets you shouldnt have any bowing even without braces. I have made in truck bed deisel fuel tanks out of 1/4" around 400 gallons with no bowing in the past.
 
well what im thinking now is to weld it all together using 12 gauge, silicone in the window so thats all one unit, then building a frame that would bolt together that would sit snug around the outisde... like an exoskeleton. i would like to leave my options open for moving the thing so i dont want it to weight 800 pounds.

ooorrr... i could just weld all the supports directly to the sheet metal and just make sure the thing wont move for a looonnng time lol

weld some angle on the corners, some supports across the top... i could prolly get away with only paying for the sheet and using scrap for supports,

i was thinking of the dimensions 100 x 40 x 30 .. for and approximate 520 gallons.

i would go plywood, but with steel this cheap y not... this thing will be a tank.
 
I am currently building a 650 using the same idea. Dimensions are 9'x4'x29'' i think polyproplene would be the best thing to line the inside but, wood with liner might be cheaper. I used 2.5"x1/8" angle for the frame and it was not that sturdy. if you deciede to use alot of braces you can get away with thinner material on the inside. My design is basically a cage, supports are 7.25" apart around the sides and back of the tank. the supports are square stock .5". If you use sheet metal for the sides and back i would be worried about it rusting. There was a post of a steel tank that was not stainless rusting and resisting the epoxy paint. I plan on getting my frame powdercoated or rhino linered to prevent rusting.
 
I dont think there is any eay to get away with 12 gauge sheet metal.
It will bow and bend, youd have to brace it every foot in the back and sides. You prolly want 3"x 1/2" angle for the corners. Id run 1" square schedule 40 braces. Meaning youd have to weld a strip of 1/2" x 3" onto the outside piece of the Angle, to be able to weld the braces properly.
You will also need to brace the Sides in the same fashion, except you will want to run a additional piece of schd 40 x 1" lenght ways from front to back in the middle, on the sides to keep the frame from bowing. Steel is strong but 520 gallons is 3744 Pounds. I believe the frame will bow with out the front to back brace on the side.

Now if you were to go with 1/4" sheets, you be able to get way with probally only on brace in the back and none on the sides. IF it is WELDED all the way around, all seems welded(waterTight).
Then coat it with whatever epoxy you choose to seal, put your glass in, and you should have a strong ass tank. Fill it and figure out your filtration.
 
Oh forgot dont forget to Brace the TOP, Id say with the 1/4" sheets
youd need 2 braces about 2' 8" from each end will leave you 3' in the center
 
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