WP's 55gal to 270gal plywood tank conversion

Wasserpest · 09-03-2009, 10:05 PM

I don't think so... the leaves of my TLPW are much narrower than what I remember from M.u., making it look a bit different.

Wasserpest · 09-17-2009, 11:00 PM

Just an updated FTS...

A bit unkempt, since I am working on the big tank I don't spend that much time to prune back things.

Amazingly, there are absolutely no algae issues in this tank. Well, now that I said it I probably jinxed it...

CL · 09-17-2009, 11:05 PM

What a jungle!
It looks great

JDowns · 09-18-2009, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wasserpest

I don't think so... the leaves of my TLPW are much narrower than what I remember from M.u., making it look a bit different.

I had a quite a bit of HM that was of the two leaved variety and looked exactly like your photo's.

Great looking tank W.

CaliEAB · 09-21-2009, 08:53 PM

Wow! I just spent a very nice lunch break enjoying this great thread and your absolutely fantastic (and plywood !!!) tank. Thanks for posting this.

Wasserpest · 09-22-2009, 08:47 PM

Thanks for the comment, I am glad you liked the write-up.

If everything goes as planned, I am going to start filling my 250gal plywood tank in a month or so. The plants from this tank will move over there, and I will empty this tank to inspect and repair it, and perhaps re-design a couple of things.

Planning to remove the compartments in the top tank, and add a coat of the leftover black epoxy paint from my other build.

This tank will then catch the water change water from the big tank, which should make dosing unnecessary. Not sure what else will be in it's future... I might just grow some plants in it, without much maintenance.

Hilde · 10-09-2009, 12:54 AM

[/quote]

Are you going to shellac the wood for protection? Will the lights cover the entire length of the tank?

Wasserpest · 10-09-2009, 01:10 AM

I used Polyurethane Spar Varnish to cover all the wood surfaces. It has been working pretty well so far.

And yes... the bulbs cover the entire (planted) tank at the moment. The area to the right is where the canopy covers the compartments.

mistergreen · 10-09-2009, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wasserpest

Amazingly, there are absolutely no algae issues in this tank. Well, now that I said it I probably jinxed it...

no way are you going to get algae issues. There's no room for algae.

airborne_r6 · 10-09-2009, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistergreen

no way are you going to get algae issues. There's no room for algae.

Lol so thats the secret.

Mjc20 · 10-11-2009, 05:38 AM

WOW...just wow.

you make me want to go buy a house so i can try this out! How many hours do you think you put into this building it?

Wasserpest · 10-11-2009, 06:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistergreen

no way are you going to get algae issues. There's no room for algae.

Ya know, you could be right. Lots of plants always seem to be detrimental for algae. Provided they are growing. Lots of dead plants don't help much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mjc20

WOW...just wow.

you make me want to go buy a house so i can try this out! How many hours do you think you put into this building it?

Thanks... you should! Living in your own house, and building wacky plywood tanks is well worth it.

How many hours... that's a tough one. I didn't keep track well. If I had to give you a number, maybe 100? Now I know someone is gonna multiply that by some dollar number and say that's nuts, but it's a hobby, and the time spent with this was almost priceless.

Mjc20 · 10-11-2009, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wasserpest

Thanks... you should! Living in your own house, and building wacky plywood tanks is well worth it.

How many hours... that's a tough one. I didn't keep track well. If I had to give you a number, maybe 100? Now I know someone is gonna multiply that by some dollar number and say that's nuts, but it's a hobby, and the time spent with this was almost priceless.

i was never intending on putting a monetary value on it....like you said, its priceless. the mere satisfaction of building something yourself is reward enough IMO. I was just curious to see how much time it would take to build something of similar dimensions, lets say working on it for a few hours a day (although there are variables that would need to be accounted for too much for me to want to delve into for one post :p). Although, id like to talk to you more about this once the day comes that im a home owner

.

once again....WOW!!!

Wasserpest · 10-12-2009, 01:08 AM

There are many variables that determine the time you spend on a project like this.

If you are (unlike me) an experienced woodworker, and have high quality tools available, putting together the box will go very quickly.

Depending on the materials you choose, things can go fast or take forever. For example, high quality plywood doesn't need much prep time for painting. If you go with the cheap stuff, allow for some added hours of filling voids and sanding.

Likewise, the choice of sealant will make a huge difference. Painting two or so coats with Sweetwater Epoxy paint is really quick. If, on the other hand, you take the fiberglass route, you will be applying several layers of West (or such) epoxy, with sanding in between, and spend many days doing that.

Last but not least, consider the time hunting/buying all the materials. If you have a big box store like Home Depot just a couple of minutes away, it will save you many hours of driving and gathering those last O-rings that are missing.

Having a supportive significant other makes all the difference in the world. If you have to secretly sneak away to spend a few minutes with the project it will not be as much fun as if you get several weekends to yourself, and maybe even an additional pair of hands here and there.

Wasserpest · 11-09-2009, 01:30 AM

Time for confessions...

A week ago I set up my new plywood tank, and emptied this one out. Starting to cut out the compartments I realized that the plywood is in bad shape: waterlogged in some places.

This could be for three reasons -

1) I missed some spots with the Coat-It epoxy
2) The epoxy layer was too thin
3) The epoxy isn't entirely waterproof

The bottom tank has the same issues.

Now I have a fan running in the top tank to dry out the wood. In a week or so I am going to re-coat it with Sweetwater Epoxy paint. I hope the wood underneath is not too compromised by the moisture.

Anyway... Knowing what I know now, I would not recommend using a thin layer or two of Coat-It to waterproof a tank. Hopefully the Sweetwater paint will hold up better.

09-03-2009, 10:05 PM	#181 (permalink)
Wasserpest Born to be mild (View User Tanks) PTrader: (72/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 10,578	I don't think so... the leaves of my TLPW are much narrower than what I remember from M.u., making it look a bit different. __________________ All my tanks Cheap Autodosing Cheap Water Change Cheap Filter Acrylic Filter Pipes The Wasser-Controller

09-17-2009, 11:00 PM	#182 (permalink)
Wasserpest Born to be mild (View User Tanks) PTrader: (72/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 10,578	Just an updated FTS... A bit unkempt, since I am working on the big tank I don't spend that much time to prune back things. Amazingly, there are absolutely no algae issues in this tank. Well, now that I said it I probably jinxed it... __________________ All my tanks Cheap Autodosing Cheap Water Change Cheap Filter Acrylic Filter Pipes The Wasser-Controller

09-17-2009, 11:05 PM	#183 (permalink)
CL Aquascaper (View User Tanks) PTrader: (48/100%) Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Lexington, Ky Posts: 6,929	What a jungle! It looks great __________________ GLA 48 Rimless \| 10 Reef \| 7.2 Rimless Cube \| 5.4 Rimless Nano \| Pimp→ GLA #1 - Victor #49 - Eheim #298

09-21-2009, 08:53 PM	#185 (permalink)
CaliEAB Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (2/100%) Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Davis, CA Posts: 73	Wow! I just spent a very nice lunch break enjoying this great thread and your absolutely fantastic (and plywood !!!) tank. Thanks for posting this. __________________ "It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses, had it coming." -John Steinbeck "Everyone's got a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth." - Mike Tyson

09-22-2009, 08:47 PM	#186 (permalink)
Wasserpest Born to be mild (View User Tanks) PTrader: (72/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 10,578	Thanks for the comment, I am glad you liked the write-up. If everything goes as planned, I am going to start filling my 250gal plywood tank in a month or so. The plants from this tank will move over there, and I will empty this tank to inspect and repair it, and perhaps re-design a couple of things. Planning to remove the compartments in the top tank, and add a coat of the leftover black epoxy paint from my other build. This tank will then catch the water change water from the big tank, which should make dosing unnecessary. Not sure what else will be in it's future... I might just grow some plants in it, without much maintenance. __________________ All my tanks Cheap Autodosing Cheap Water Change Cheap Filter Acrylic Filter Pipes The Wasser-Controller

10-09-2009, 12:54 AM	#187 (permalink)
Hilde Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mableton, GA Posts: 1,114	[/quote] Are you going to shellac the wood for protection? Will the lights cover the entire length of the tank?

10-09-2009, 01:10 AM	#188 (permalink)
Wasserpest Born to be mild (View User Tanks) PTrader: (72/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 10,578	I used Polyurethane Spar Varnish to cover all the wood surfaces. It has been working pretty well so far. And yes... the bulbs cover the entire (planted) tank at the moment. The area to the right is where the canopy covers the compartments. __________________ All my tanks Cheap Autodosing Cheap Water Change Cheap Filter Acrylic Filter Pipes The Wasser-Controller Last edited by Wasserpest; 10-12-2009 at 01:47 AM.

10-11-2009, 05:38 AM	#191 (permalink)
Mjc20 Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Louisiana Posts: 62	WOW...just wow. you make me want to go buy a house so i can try this out! How many hours do you think you put into this building it?

10-12-2009, 01:08 AM	#194 (permalink)
Wasserpest Born to be mild (View User Tanks) PTrader: (72/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 10,578	There are many variables that determine the time you spend on a project like this. If you are (unlike me) an experienced woodworker, and have high quality tools available, putting together the box will go very quickly. Depending on the materials you choose, things can go fast or take forever. For example, high quality plywood doesn't need much prep time for painting. If you go with the cheap stuff, allow for some added hours of filling voids and sanding. Likewise, the choice of sealant will make a huge difference. Painting two or so coats with Sweetwater Epoxy paint is really quick. If, on the other hand, you take the fiberglass route, you will be applying several layers of West (or such) epoxy, with sanding in between, and spend many days doing that. Last but not least, consider the time hunting/buying all the materials. If you have a big box store like Home Depot just a couple of minutes away, it will save you many hours of driving and gathering those last O-rings that are missing. Having a supportive significant other makes all the difference in the world. If you have to secretly sneak away to spend a few minutes with the project it will not be as much fun as if you get several weekends to yourself, and maybe even an additional pair of hands here and there. __________________ All my tanks Cheap Autodosing Cheap Water Change Cheap Filter Acrylic Filter Pipes The Wasser-Controller

11-09-2009, 01:30 AM	#195 (permalink)
Wasserpest Born to be mild (View User Tanks) PTrader: (72/100%) Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Monterey, CA Posts: 10,578	Time for confessions... A week ago I set up my new plywood tank, and emptied this one out. Starting to cut out the compartments I realized that the plywood is in bad shape: waterlogged in some places. This could be for three reasons - 1) I missed some spots with the Coat-It epoxy 2) The epoxy layer was too thin 3) The epoxy isn't entirely waterproof The bottom tank has the same issues. Now I have a fan running in the top tank to dry out the wood. In a week or so I am going to re-coat it with Sweetwater Epoxy paint. I hope the wood underneath is not too compromised by the moisture. Anyway... Knowing what I know now, I would not recommend using a thin layer or two of Coat-It to waterproof a tank. Hopefully the Sweetwater paint will hold up better. __________________ All my tanks Cheap Autodosing Cheap Water Change Cheap Filter Acrylic Filter Pipes The Wasser-Controller

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