Plywood Tank

[mshaeffer]

Has anyone here ever built a plywood tank? I have some leftover plywood and thought I would give it a try. I am just looking for some info on the process. If anyone can help that would be great, also I would love to see some pics of a plywood tank or two!

Thanks
Mike

[bharada]

No personal experience, but here's a link:
140 gallon plywood aquarium plans

[skabooya]

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com...lywoodtank.htm

[Troy McClure]

I built a plywood tank last summer along with the stand, and I'm sloooowly working on the canopy. What would you like to know?

I've got a ton of pictures:
Here it is from almost two months ago when I finally decided to fill it and use it as a holding tank for plants.

http://img50.echo.cx/img50/3269/img06670dt.jpg

This picture was taken last summer after the epoxy had dried but before the glass, silicone, and exterior paint was applied.

http://img50.echo.cx/img50/4616/picture0173ts.jpg

I don't recall exactly when this was taken. My guess would be early summer/late spring of last year.

http://img50.echo.cx/img50/1268/tank017kd.jpg

Glass installation picture. Exciting, isn't it?

http://img50.echo.cx/img50/6655/picture0161gs.jpg

"Artsy" shot from a few days after I got all the plumbing finished. The plants and wood came from the 10gal which was torn down on the day the picture was taken.

http://img50.echo.cx/img50/9789/img06820vw.jpg

[Spar]

i have a 100g plywood tank in my garage that I used to hold minnows. I just made it out of 2x4's and 2x12's and used pond-liner on the interior. You cant see in it from the side though. So if doing this for looks, dont do my style

[Rain_frog]

I built a 15 gallon hardboard tank for firebellies, that i'm still making. I have a sheet how to "coat epoxy for water tanks for consumption" sent to me by West System Epoxy. There is a special ratio for epoxy to hardener for tanks, and special curing must be done. I am making epoxy backgrounds for a giant xenopus frog tank as well.

I can send it to you in an email...

[johnnymax]

I was actually thinking about making a 70 gallon plywood aquarium out of one sheet of plywood. Here is the rough layout.

[sunfire99]

Wasserpest has built plywood tanks, and is planning another. Here is his journal on the first one. Lots of good info there. For a tank this size I think you may spend more for epoxy, glass or acrylic viewing panels and silicone then you could buy a standard 75 Gallon aquarium for on Craig's list.

[johnnymax]

i have not thought about Craig's list. cool

[houstonhobby]

120 gallons is the smallest tank you can make out of 1 sheet of plywood. Anything less than that is probably not worth it. I built a 120, a 240 (8x2x2) and a 360 (6x4x2). They are not as aesthetically pleasing as a glass tank, but they work just fine. I braced the front and back with edgewise 2x4s near the top, which made filter connections a bit of a trial. Sorry, this was about 1983 and we didn't have cameras then.

One thing I remember, the guide I was following (from the Chicago Shedd Aquarium I think) recommended that you paint the inside (of course) but not the outside. In their experience, aquariums painted inside and out tended to rot when small amounts of water became trapped between the paint layers.

2 inch #10 pan head screws every 2 inches along the seams, with the hole in the flat piece drilled extra big so the threads would not catch. Make sure to drill a pilot the same size as the screw body 2 inches deep or you will split the end piece. Paint the interior with a paint that is safe for contact with human water systems, then seal the seams with silicone.

Easy as pie.

For the really big ones, I built the stand first and constructed them on top of the stand. Otherwise setting them in place required throwing a party.

[tusk]

I've built one also. Going on 2.5 years now, no reall issues or complaints.



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