Steel fish tank?

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H

Hansonc

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 23, 2012
140
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dunedin, florida
Well, I am a welder and I've been thinking of ways to cut costs, and the chance of plywood eventually rotting and causing huge problems. I was thinking of just taking 1/4"-1/2" steel plates that I can get in 8'x4' pieces, welding together what I need to make a 12'x6'x4' frame then cutting out 2 5'x3' viewing windows on the front and then where could I go from there as I don't want to leave it as steel,because of rusts and it can't be good for the fish, I was thinking build like crown molding around the bottom so it's not such a sharp corner and laying in pond liner? Or going ahead and just making a plywood tank inside the steel frame to make it super supported..? This will be housing rtcs, hybrids, maybe tsns and potentially 2 arowana. But for now just the monster catfish. "Tank" you!


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If you have a way to move it, it sounds like it could be a great idea. I wouldn't do ply on the inside, just use an epoxy that gets a good seal so there is no contact between steel and water.


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I know my welds would not leak, I wouldn't be concerned about weight and cost as there is only one chance with this with that much water inside, it would be built inside, sounds crazy yes I know, but I'd rip up all carpet in the room it will be in, leave the sliding glass door open and windows, and put fans to blow everything towards the windows and door, plus do it in the center of the room to avoid burning walls. Not really sure what they cost as I don't fabricate, I just graduated welding school and am a pipeliner, so I'd have to look into it and find out exact cost. But I have the resources to make it happen. It would only take me a day to have the steel structure put together after all the cutting and grinding.


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If weight and cost of steel isn't a concern I say go for it! But tally up the cost of liquid rubber or epoxy and remember the taller the viewing window the thicker the glass needs to be and that will probably be te biggest part of your cost.
Instead of going with standard mild steel in 1/2" sheets why not do a 2" square tube frame with 16ga. or so sheets of 304 or 316 stainless so you can have the option to go with saltwater in the future? Might be cool.


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Well go for it..I guess.. Just seems more practical to go plywood and there is plywood tanks out there older then 10 years still working like new... So you like to weld..So do I.. Design and weld a tube steel frame together then bro and go 3/4" plywood for the tank... Fiberglass corners and edges and either epoxy or use liquid rubber for your sealer.. I'm building a 370 gallon now and is my first build. Just a few thoughts for ya brother ;)
 
Great thoughts but it wouldn't get converted into saltwater, tubing came across my mind but i want too excited about it. Then again I could just do this as a plywood build and build an outside "shell" for bracing out of tubing. Instead of having all the 2x4 bracing and what not I could do it with the "exo-skeleton" of course this is kinda the same thing mentioned in the tubing and plywood combo... Lol


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