Why not pond liner?

For those of you out there with plywood tanks. Why not build the tank using pond liner.
- It costs less
- As far as I know it doesn't leach anything into the water
- UV resistant?

I have seen a few other tanks made with it, but never a reef tank. Any thoughts?

My Tank

 

I think that building a tank with pond liner would work fine, but, if you plan on installing a glass or acrylic window to view the tank, i think there would be many problems. I do not think that you would be able to easily bond/glaze the window in place; I think that a pond liner would have too much flex and it may be difficult to get a completely flat surface so one would have difficulty getting a proper seal with silicone. Its a cheap way to go as long as you were able to securely glaze in a window.

 

you'd never get it sealed around the glass, too flexible.

 

Here is a pic of a freshwater version

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj150/loachfan/350 Gallon Tank/Tank22.jpg

There is a complete build here:

Project: 350 gallon plywood tank - MonsterFishKeepers.com

But are there any reasons it wouldn't work in a reef tank?
My Tank

 

Looks very unsightly IMHO.

 

Doing a quick google, most pond liners are PVC, so there will be no risk of leaching or anything like that. But like I said, I find that tank that did it pretty hideous Kinda works as a fresh water/planted, but I wouldn't want it as a saltwater/reef.

 

Hmmm. Well, I was able to find prettier completed tanks. That was just the one with the best explanation of how to attach the viewing window. I am asking about this because I am trying to come up with a cost effective way to build a plywood nano.

 

I have never researched to build a tank. So this is just my opinion.
I would want to use aqurium silocone...He used Window and door not sure if thats a good idea?

The weekness in this build would be the virticle sides of the glass. Doesn't seem like you could get as good of a seal as the bottom.

The fact that it looks kinda crappy doesn't matter. A little trim work and it could look nice.

But I think I would consider it for a giant tank 350+

I dont think it would be cost effective for a nano. You can pick up a nano pretty cheap on craigslist.

But would be fun to try just to say you made it yourself

Pics please if you try it

 

Good idea, maybe for a pond, and it's cool you're thinking about saving $$ and trying to find other ways of doing things .

IMHO however, that tank looks like ass. The epoxy that is used normally not only adds strength but makes it look better. If you're going to spend thousands of dollars on your tank, why not make it look the best you can, even though it may be more money initially. It will look so much better in the long run.

My LFS sells the JBJ Nano cube 24 for $99. Very nice tank with nice built in "sump".

 

I have a 24 gallon Aquapod, and I like it a lot. However, I would like my next tank to be custom. It doesn't get much more custom than plywood. I know you can make acrylic and all glass tanks fairly easily. Just weighing all the options.

My Tank