You seem to be very knowledgeable oompa, I'm going to have to keep an eye on you and perhaps I'll learn some new things from you.
What's the biggest plywood aquarium?
- Thread starter coolcomfort
- Start date
I appreciate that. I don't know nearly half the stuff there is to know in this hobby but if you've got any questions I'll do my best to help you out
Read the info and it’s great, loved the info on the radiant heating. I checked out some youtube videos on the radiant heating using the hot water heater, i have a ton to learn. How big of a tank should i have that the hosing will sit in to warm the water before it’s returned to the tank? you think it would be a good idea to insulate the outside of that tank being warmed? this concept is cool and definitely cheaper than putting glass heaters in the tank (which i know wouldn’t be feasible for the size tank i’m looking to build lol)
Definitely a very efficient way to heat a system, it's how a lot of larger tanks are heated. The size would depend on how much PEX piping you want to run. I wouldn't worry too much about it though, honestly you could get a 55 gallon drum or the biggest plastic bin that Home Depot sells and plumb that and you'd probably be fine. Or if you had a spare 90, 120, 125 or something around that size laying around (or found a good deal on one used), that would work just fine too.
Certainly wouldn't hurt to insulate that tank. The way the 2700 was built, there is a sump built into the side, and the PEX is placed in there. So it's just as insulated as the main system is.
yea good point, i know i can buy one or two of those 275 gal goats for super cheap so i might use those as my sump filter and heater tub. i’m doing some more research on humidity control and was planning on keeping most areas covered and using plastic on the ceilings and other areas plus dehumidifiers. however this guy at an aquarium store near me said i might have trouble keeping the PH from getting really acidic? i didn’t know covering a tank will make trouble for the PH balance in the tank? supposedly it will get more acidic? idk never heard of that before
Not sure what the aquarium store guy is talking about. No reason that covering things in plastic will change the pH of your tank.
If you can get a 275 gallon tote for cheap, I would pick up a few for sure and run them. You could get a heavy duty metal shelf from Home Depot and stack a few on there, easily 3 if not a full 4. That would add a HUGE amount of volume to your system, which will let you get away with smaller/less frequent water changes, and overall is going to really help keep your system balanced. Plus overfiltration never hurts.
No you are not crazy. VLdesign built a 1500 gallon tank and then he moved and built a 2600 gallon tank in his basement. Perhaps his build thread will give you inspiration. His radiant heater system is awesome too. He gives detailed plans for both of his builds.
My new 2600 gallon plywood tank project
No pictures yet because I know it drives you guys crazy not to have them.. :ROFL: Might post some later today or tomorrow of where it's going etc. Just wanted to get the thread started with the details. The actual work won't start for another week still. Total capactity: 2618 Gallon Outside...
www.monsterfishkeepers.com
Building a 1500 Gallon plywood & glass tank
I started on my 1500 gallon tank build project this past weekend and will post more pictures later when more progress takes place. The overall outside dimensions with stand will be 123x91x60 with the inside dimensions around 116x81x36 for a total of 1464 Gallons. I am using the same...
www.monsterfishkeepers.com
spiff44 built a 1700 gallon tank.
Pict of my DIY build- now recycling
I had to redo my tank, so its recycling now. Here's the latest picture. I'll post a build article later once cycled and filled with fish...
www.monsterfishkeepers.com
Tank resealing w/no silicon at all- 1700 Gallons
Silicon is just too much trouble... redid this tank with Sanitred only. You can see how it bonds straight to the windows. Sanitred makes a primer specifically for this, its harder to peel off that silicon on acrylic. Both water and air pumps relocated upstairs... not the ideal configuration...
www.monsterfishkeepers.com
The depth becomes the problem rather than the footprint. Mine is 4ft deep but as it's on a concrete garage base the bottom 6" is insulation to keep out the UK cold and the top 6" has no water so 3 ft deep water depth. That's about as deep as I would go with wood, although my design was also based around having space in the walls for further insulation. Built within large wooden shed, the shed also helps support the walls of the pond. Been in place 5 years and there is a definite bend to the wood after that time and that's the walls of the shed bowing slightly. Viewing panels can be bolted through wood if acrylic is used or indeed to angle iron frame as long as that's not in contact directly with the water. Wood gives options for sealing internaly, I found the butyl liner to be ideal, and a box welded version gets rid of any corner creases/folds and takes away most of the risk of good sealing (other than the viewing panes).
