Dreaming of plywood...

[steven p]

could i splice my 55 gallon and salvage the front and back panels to create an 8 foot tank? I have read that the glass' thickness is dependant on depth, so the head pressure on the glass should be no greater than it is currently; correct?
it would be center braced in the front and top and will have crown moulded 2x4 support trim. i want the tank to look similar a shadow box in the end.. end dimensions will be roughly 8feetx2feet and 22 inches high, i believe.
i have not yet decided on which products in regards to sealants and epoxies and am entirely open to suggestion.

everything below this point is just me babbling...

i would like to house some brook trout, long ear sunfish or orangethroat/rainbow darters. so, the setting is still a toss up, it will be either a stream setting for the darters or trout(more rocky with lots of wood) or a pond setting for the sunfish(dirted, lots of wood, vals up the wahzoo and maybe ill cultivate some hair algae instead of moss, it would be a lot more like a local pond...)

i will be using some soft white bulbs instead of 6700k"daylights" to provide a more afternoon pond look.

all plants used must occur in the state naturally; accordingly all sand, soil, fish and water will be local.

i'll need a lifetime fishing licence and possibly a permit or two, depending on what fish i end up choosing.

a hardcore chiller is going to be on the to-buy list.

this is obviously not something i plan on getting done or even started on tomorrow as it will be a large personal investment.

sooo... lets talk wood?

[nokturnalkid]

Check this thread out. I know he's built a couple plywood tanks and has "perfected" his technique. You should also check out mfk, bunch of plywood tanks there.

I think the weak spot will be where the 2 glass panels meet up. I'm assuming you are going to have 2 "viewing panels" for the front of the tank. As long as you brace it, you should be fine. I've only built one plywood tank out of the scraps of a 55 gal. It was only ~4ft wide so I'm not sure how strong that midpoint would be.

[steven p]

the midpoint is also where i foresee the most risk of failure(part of why i wanted that extra trim, which is left off of most builds i have seen).. i had read through a couple build threads highlighting the good and bad of the experience. i might just have to register over at mfk..

thanks for the link.. i'll be reading it shortly, i have to run out right now.