Ply Wood Tank Help

Discussion in 'I made this!' started by kramfinz, Jan 27, 2009.

to remove this notice and enjoy 3reef content with less ads. 3reef membership is free.

  1. Froc3

    Froc3 Fire Goby

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2007
    Messages:
    1,318
    Location:
    Saskatoon, Sk
    I don't know if I'd go with Black. Check to see if they have other colours. I went with blue because it reflects more light back into the tank for the inhabitants that require the light, rather than the algae growing on the walls - Just food for thought.
     
  2. Click Here!

  3. kramfinz

    kramfinz Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2009
    Messages:
    35
    Most tanks that are colored are either black or blue. While that is true about the blue, i think i'm done with reefs. This tank is going to be LR&fish only. Who knows I may change my mind in the future, but for now after having my last reef tank for 8yrs I don't want the hassle of maintaining corals. Also I can have fish that I couldn't have with a reef tank because some of them eat coral. I believe the black will really contrast with the colors of the fish as well.
     
  4. kramfinz

    kramfinz Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2009
    Messages:
    35
    anybody know if 1/2" glass is really thick enough for a tank that is 36" high. most of the calculators i've used say it is but i was thinking of going with 5/8 just to be on the safe side. also was planning on building a wet dry from a 40ga tank everyone agree that will suffice?
     
  5. JasonSquared

    JasonSquared Spaghetti Worm

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2008
    Messages:
    197
    Location:
    Rochester NY
    Please don't use the sweetwater stuff. It's paint and is not epoxy, it will not add very much to the strength of the tank at all. The MAS and West epoxys are fish safe, and even safe for drinking water. A close friend has had lengthy conversations with the manufacturers and it is currently in use in MANY reef tanks. The sweetwater paint will not bond with the wood like the west or MAS epoxy, and it will not fill gaps as well either. It will work, but over the long term it is not as long lived or as strong as the epoxy. Jus ttrying to save you from an unlikely headache, but one that would be completely eliminated if you use the correct epoxy. This isn't the place to skimp on a plywood tank IME. An epoxy coated tank is literally as solid as a rock. It's like it was built out of painted iron, in fact if you check out the site I listed earlier, there is a thread where a guy is hitting wood coated epoxy with a sledge hammer and it doesn't break!

    As far as the glass is concerned, I'd go 5/8". 1/2" will hold, but for anything over 30" I'd like the piece of mind of the added thickness.
     
  6. JasonSquared

    JasonSquared Spaghetti Worm

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2008
    Messages:
    197
    Location:
    Rochester NY
    Also, just becasue it's been used before (see pond liners) doesn't mean that it has worked well in every case. Most of the time people don't post -The idea that I had, didn't work out so well... But trust me on the epoxy, use the 2 part resin. It's a bit of a pain, but well worth doing it right.
     
  7. Matt Rogers

    Matt Rogers Kingfish

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2000
    Messages:
    13,466
    Location:
    Berkeley, CA
  8. Click Here!

  9. tigermike74

    tigermike74 Panda Puffer

    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2008
    Messages:
    2,116
    Location:
    Southern CA
    I read on another forum where I guy made a plywood tank and all it did was leak and he could not find the source to save his life. He had gone through countless tubes of silicone and cans of epoxy paint only to be stripped and redone, only to get stripped again and redone. This process went on for well over a year now.
    Then I read on another site where a guy made a 1,500 gallon shark tank and got it right the first time through without a single hitch or a single drop of water leaking. As Jason said, you do it right the first time and not cut corners or do it the fast way, it can be done. Personally, I wouldn't want to do it.
     
  10. JasonSquared

    JasonSquared Spaghetti Worm

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2008
    Messages:
    197
    Location:
    Rochester NY
    What happens is that the 2 part epoxy basically turns into an enamel that is COMPLETELY watertight and foolproof. It's so tough you can't smash it with a hammer, and it effectively makes all the pieces of plywood ONE single piece, like the liner of a truck bed -except far more resilient. It's basically the same stuff that you see in bars and restaurants and stuff where the baseball cards and other memoribilia and whatnot are sealed underneath a surface that seems like glass, but you can't break it. (Not that I've tried... except that one time and I can't go back there...)
     
  11. kramfinz

    kramfinz Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Jan 27, 2009
    Messages:
    35
    Ok then you guys convinced me I'll use the West or Mas system. Is the West epoxy the can that says 105 on it? Isn't this epoxy clear as well? I would like the inside of the tank to be black. Can I paint the the tank with something first or what? I don't really want the interior of the tank to look like plywood. Thanks for all the input guys this is really helping with the research. I would have never thought of building a tank out of plywood but after getting a quote of 1400-1800$ to have a glass tank built to spec this sounded like a more cost effective way of doing things, plus a glass tank empty would weigh 900-1000lbs and i would have to get that down to the basement somehow. Also, I am definitely not in a hurry or trying to cut corners at all I just saw where someone else suggested using the sweetwater paint. I assumed it was the same thing because it was a 2 part epoxy as well.
     
    Last edited: Jan 29, 2009
  12. JasonSquared

    JasonSquared Spaghetti Worm

    Joined:
    Jan 2, 2008
    Messages:
    197
    Location:
    Rochester NY
    You can get pigments to tint it any color you want! These are from a few local plywood tanks. One is up and running, and the other is on hold for a while... But you can see what I was talking about for the 45* pieces in the corners. It's tricky cutting that inside corner, but it adds to the strength in a monumental way.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jan 30, 2009