another giant tank construction

[cbui2]

got a lil more work done huh, looking good matt, also did you check to see how much you gonna spend on the glass and what thickness you plan on doing...my friend built his 600gal not too long ago and use thick grade woven fiberglass boat material, aprox. 5 layers of it all around and then alot of clear caulk was use to hold 3/4" glass in place... seeman fiberglass of harahan is where most materials came from.

 

[tank watch]

interesting. i dont think 5 layers of fiberglass is necessary, but if that is what one wants...
so far, these boat craftsmen are an elusive bunch. they seem to be out of touch quite often. I may just do the fiberglass myself because self accomplishment is at the top of the list

 

[tank watch]

well. I purchased the West system epoxy, and fiberglass woven material. It was the right weight, 6 oz. , and cheaper by the foot, so I bought it from a roll. I bought 12 yards, probably too much, but there is plenty room on the outside of the tank if I have leftovers. this will be a slow, learning process....more pics coming when I have progress....Matt

 

[TandN]

where did you get it from ?

 

[OnlyCrimson]

Awesome, can't go wrong with the fiberglass.

 

[cbui2]

hey matt my tank just made here past friday, everything came out very nice, love it..check it out
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=9447818#post9447818

 

[tank watch]

tanya, I drove 20 minutes to another town and picked up the West System epoxy. Be prepared for that bill! By the time I finished throwing stuff in the basket, WOW! A small fortune. The salesperson said I could return any unused supplies.
cbui2, lookin good. Whats up with that sump? I dont know what it does, but I want one! what are all the covers for? More pics of that sump, please!

 

[cbui2]

ok no problem, judging by that build at least $800-$1000 easy for that size of tank, and don't stop there still need more just in case you don't have enough...sure no problem more pic's coming, they have removable covers, i don't need them but just in case

right side sump (from overflow 2 1.5") goes through strainer
than 1st 1"media foam 20ppi filter than 2 more 2" pc's. to egg crate which sits 2" from the bottom, also at the end of the sump i will be making chamber about 12"Lx30" for addtional returns

left side refugium (from overflow 2 1") made custom spray bar and has overflow to sump-simple setup

 

[Tigger240]

how many layers of glass are you planning upon using?

 

[tank watch]

as far as progress goes, its been slow. so far I have only 2 coats of epoxy on the overflow box(with the seams filleted). I cant turn the tank by myself, my boys are never home and its too heavy for the Mrs. the low ceiling height in the garage doesnt help either.



I will have one sheet of glass. still looking for a place to shop.
I want the best available, probably starfire, in 3/4 inch, which would be 2 sheets of 3/8 laminated together.
Anyone have a recommendation for a glass dealer?

 

[cbui2]

is this the correct size 90x28, I will pm number for you tomorrow

 

[Alphabet]

nice cannot wait to see the finished product, how many gallon sump??

 

[Alphabet]

never mind read the other thread....

 

[rppvt]

cbui2-- maybe the dawg would rather sleep in that sump than that cage

 

[cbui2]

yeah would be nice huh, she will be the princess then, which she is already..ashey (2 yrs. old) she will be having pups in couple months. looking forward to that...every time I let her out, she just tear up my whole garage.

 

[rppvt]

Got one of those--- hide the sneakers! OT-sorry

 

[Tigger240]

oh i meant are you going to fiberglass the tank or just coat it with epoxy and how many layers?

 

[tank watch]

tigger240, sorry I didnt catch that at first. I bought 12 yards of fiberglass. that should be enough for one generous covering and several inches of overlapping strips in the corners. I'm thinking one layer in the large flat areas and 2 or 3 layers in the corners and critical areas. After all glassing is done, I hope to get down 3 additional layers of epoxy, and 2 coats of sweetwater paint.

 

[pitbullpooch]

Hey tankwatch, Im planning a plywood tank in the future but i was wondering why some people are using fiberglass and the 2-part. from what ive read the fiberglass was only needed if there were seems. I know ive seen large plywood tanks with just the 2-part epoxy that have lasted for over 10 years so i was just wondering if they last so long with just the 2-part for so long why use the fiberglass? If it doesnt cost much and wasnt so hard to apply like ive heard that it was then id use it myself just to be safe. so is it really needed or is it really that hard to apply and as expensive as ive heard? and did you get directions on your build from somewhere? if so can i get a link to it? sorry for all the questions

 

[tank watch]

pitbull: is that columbia, MS?
the fiberglass makes it stronger. thats it. A tank this large needs to be strong, and if I can bond one side to the other, I'm all for it. The corners where the plywood meets is subject to the most pressure. Better safe than sorry has a lot to do with it. If I dump over 600 gallons of water and a ton of sand and rock on the carpet, SWAMBO would come unglued.
(SWAMBO= she who always must be obeyed). Cost of the fiberglass is a pointless argument in the scope of things. An aquarium this large will cost thousands to set up in the long run. Whats a few more dollars? I, for one, am NOT wealthy. I dont plan to skimp on the construction though. Maybe a few plastic fish later on, ( ha ha, lol )but it has to hold water. In theory, fiberglassing doesnt seem difficult. However, this will be my first time (not counting the shody repair job I did on a rusted out Nova), and well I am sure it will be a pain in the arse. (can I say that?)