Brian's 520 gal. Plywood Build + Fish Room

I just built a 72x18x10 glass tank. Was 2 tubes that go in a reg calking gun. If just the 1 pane of glass 1 tube will be fine
But
Having an extra on hand is nice. So get 2

The difference here though is that the silicone will be more of a gasket, rather than a conventional super-thin layer between the glass. I'll be using 1/8" spacers and the bead will be 1-3/4" wide all the way around, so I'll probably need quite a few tubes.
 
Looking real good Brian! I used white rtv on my sump to hold the baffles and a eurobrace and it has held onto the epoxy very well! I did my epoxy work in a closed garage and the fumes were nothing at all. Very nice work so far Brian, looking forward to the glass install. I figured out how much rtv by figuring the actual volume of what I needed and converting it in a calculator I found online.
Keep the pics coming!
 
I.... used PL Premium and a mountain of 2" premium screws for the assembly....

When you say "PREMIUM" are you referring to deck screws or stainless steel screws that won't rust?
 
I watched a video some time back on YouTube about building a plywood tank, I'm trying to do as much research I can only this. I'm going to be doing a 450 gallon tank.. Anyway they had used something called pond guard maybe? It was a 2 part epoxy if I remember that they just painted on the plywood to make it water proof.. I don't think they used fiberglass? Any thoughts on this? If you don't mind how much did you pay for the glass? I'm going to be ordering mine from glass cages.com.. Also going with 3/4".. My tank will be 96"x36"x30".. I'm going to go with your typical bulkheads and overflow and returns in the back.. Anyway keep up the amazing job. Can't wait to see this finished
 
Also, I may have missed it but what's the gallons on this? And what is your equipment list.. Return pump, skimmer, light's etc.. I'm going to be doing a shark/ray tank and just gonna do a few rock piles so I can keep some softies up high..
 
When you say "PREMIUM" are you referring to deck screws or stainless steel screws that won't rust?

These are the screws. I pre-drilled them to make sure the plywood wouldn't split, although they have the self-drilling barbs on them. It's not going to be a good day if water makes its way to the screws, so it really doesn't matter what type of screws I went with. The important thing is to keep the water away via epoxy.

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Anyway they had used something called pond guard maybe? It was a 2 part epoxy if I remember that they just painted on the plywood to make it water proof.. I don't think they used fiberglass? Any thoughts on this? If you don't mind how much did you pay for the glass? I'm going to be ordering mine from glass cages.com..

Here's a good thread which provides a brief summary and pros/cons of the various methods of water-proofing plywood aquariums. Personally I think 2-part epoxy is the definitive and best way to go about it, but that's just my opinion. There are other products and methods out there.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/how-to-waterproof-a-plywood-aquarium.356641/

I called around to a few local glass companies before deciding with Miracles. Not only was their price competitive, but they build aquariums for a living so it made sense to get the glass from them. I'm not familiar with Glass Cages but I'm guessing if you're in the USA then you'll have plenty of options available to you.

Also, I may have missed it but what's the gallons on this? And what is your equipment list.. Return pump, skimmer, light's etc.. I'm going to be doing a shark/ray tank and just gonna do a few rock piles so I can keep some softies up high..

It's somewhere around 500 to 520 gallon. Regarding all the other equipment, I don't have a complete list because I tend to take this project one piece at a time. I've got an overall vision in my head but I haven't yet translated that to specific gear. Next up will be the sump / refugium / frag tank, which I am currently emailing a couple acrylic manufacturers to see about some custom builds.

Lighting will more-than-likely be LED because I really like my current Kessil 360WE's, so I may go with their new light or something similar.
 
Your build is fantastic! I have been searching for a great documented build, and with your thread, have been able to answer many, many questions I had.

I do have a few others. From my reading, 2 inches seems the smallest you can cut your plywood to support your viewing panel. What size did you go with? It looks bigger than 2 inches.

I really like the 45's you did in your corners. Do you think you would have had the same outcome if you would have put in wood 45's, glassed them, then epoxied over that? Same strength, while still looking flawless?

Once again, thank you for your documentation. I plan on building a couple 450-500 gallon later this year, and you have given me great insight!
 
Your build is fantastic! I have been searching for a great documented build, and with your thread, have been able to answer many, many questions I had.

I do have a few others. From my reading, 2 inches seems the smallest you can cut your plywood to support your viewing panel. What size did you go with? It looks bigger than 2 inches.

I really like the 45's you did in your corners. Do you think you would have had the same outcome if you would have put in wood 45's, glassed them, then epoxied over that? Same strength, while still looking flawless?

Once again, thank you for your documentation. I plan on building a couple 450-500 gallon later this year, and you have given me great insight!

Thanks, glad to hear it's been helpful.

Regarding your first question, the front panel of wood is about 4" wide around the perimeter. However after accounting for the edge epoxy chamfers/filets and the other plywood walls, this leaves ~2" of flat space around the perimeter of the opening on the inside. I have ordered my glass such that it overhangs the wood by 1-3/4" (so less than the 2" you mentioned). Based on the reading I did from other builds, it seemed to me that the general rule was anything over 1" was sufficient, and I am certain you reach a point of diminished returns very quickly.

I can tell you that I have very high confidence in the width of this overhang. Obviously it hasn't been tested yet as I'm still waiting for my glass to arrive, but I have no reason to worry. My biggest struggle (as I mentioned a few times in this thread) was deciding whether or not to also provide support under the glass instead of just the front rim. Building a plywood aquarium is definitely a "choose your own adventure" kind of project... So, whatever you feel comfortable with.


Regarding the 45's, I know there are many successful builds that use wood in the edges (and then fiber / epoxy), such as one of the builds I linked in my first post. If properly fiber'd and epoxy'd, these tanks are virtually indestructible anyways, so yes I think it would be more than satisfactory. That being said, pouring an edge is arguably even easier to do assuming you have the space and manpower to move the tank, and it is obviously super strong and water tight. My recommendation goes to pouring the edges.

I appreciate your comment about it looking flawless! haha. There are a few aesthetic details here and there that are not quite perfect, but I had to remind myself that it's all being covered with rock / sand / coralline / etc... so most of it didn't really matter at the end of the day. The most critical areas for making the epoxy "look" good in my case are the inside back, and the entire outside including the overflows. I wanted to feel proud of the tank when I'm working on it in the maintenance room so it was important to me to try and make those parts visually appealing too, even though they won't be seen from the display side.

I poured the outside back of the tank and just let the epoxy flow over the edges (where I brushed it off and later completed the sides). Since the epoxy thickens quickly, a 1/16" - 1/8" or so layer remains and forms a meniscus of sorts at each edge. I then popped the microbubbles with a hair dryer for the large sections and a lighter near the edges or for tough bubbles. That's how I achieved a smooth surface on the exterior back, top, and front. I found working with tape dams to be far too irritating and difficult so I scrapped that idea quickly.

Longest reply ever, but hope this helps. Thanks for your comment.
 
Wow, I have read about plywood aquariums before and never gave them much thought. Honestly at first as I was reading this I thought you were buying the plywood to use as a frame to build a glass aquarium, but to see the end result is amazing. I think putting that much work into something is what makes this hobby so enjoyable, to me at least.

Do you have any rough estimate of how much it weighs? Are you able to rotate and move it by yourself?
 
Wow, I have read about plywood aquariums before and never gave them much thought. Honestly at first as I was reading this I thought you were buying the plywood to use as a frame to build a glass aquarium, but to see the end result is amazing. I think putting that much work into something is what makes this hobby so enjoyable, to me at least.

Do you have any rough estimate of how much it weighs? Are you able to rotate and move it by yourself?

Thanks! It has been very enjoyable working on it and I'm much happier with this new plan for my rec-room and fish room.

I've been wondering how much this thing weighs (without the glass) for some time now... I've just now spent the past few minutes coming up with a rough estimate based on the weight of the wood, epoxy, and approximate amount used:

Approximately 120 lbs of epoxy used.
Approximately 190 lbs of plywood used.
Add another couple pounds for all the screws? :)

That puts it around 310 lbs prior to the glass, which will add another 160.

470 lbs.... Yikes.

So far I have been able to move it around all on my own. This has basically just been rotating it around every which direction, always using the floor to take most of the load. I certainly wouldn't be able to lift the whole thing, but I can lift one end up at a time and drag it around (a little) if need be. The epoxy really added up quick though and it's quite a bit for one person at this point, and the glass isn't even installed yet. I've asked a couple friends to come over and help me with the glass when it arrives this weekend.

Now, given the tanks size, I think this weight still compares favourably to an all glass aquarium.
 
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Here a few more pictures of the tank while I wait for the glass. I gave it a dust off so it's looking pretty shiny. I've been working a bit more on the bar top and casing around the stone veneer, so you can see a bit of that in one of the photos too.

First photo is of the inside of one of the overflows and the next photo is the inside back of the tank (although difficult to photograph).

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Great job!!! Almost looks like acrylic with that black finish - piano lacquer quality!

Seriously, super job.
 
Great job!!! Almost looks like acrylic with that black finish - piano lacquer quality!

Seriously, super job.

Thanks! Yes I was telling my wife that the finish reminds me of a piano lacquer look too.

Alright, I've got some more photos to share. First off, here's some detail on the oak casing I built around the stone veneer on the display side. I picked up some oak hobby wood and routed it to make trim. I stained it "red oak" and finished it with polyurethane sealant. Then I installed some hanger bolts in the wall and mounted the casing with some nice gold acorn nuts, which I think gives it a little bit of a nautical look.

I've got some cast iron brackets arriving in a few days which will mount at the top of each vertical casing and support my bar ledge. My red oak "Chicago style" bar rail also arrived from Hardwoods Incorporated in the USA. I'm very impressed with their craftsmanship and plan on working more on the bar top this weekend - I'll share some photos of that a little later.

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Wow! i don't know what I am am impressed with more, your skill and forethought that went into it or your craftmanship and attention to the most infinite detail! years ago there was a LFS that had done a few corner wood tanks in their shop which was in the basement of a late 1800's building. nothing square anywhere in this place!
first time i had seen wooden tanks. i really love the "anything size wise goes" with these tanks!
i will we watching this build 'til the end!

AG

I couldn't have said it any better. Your skill, craftsmanship and attention to detail is amazing and your work shows for it. I am truly impressed with your skill. I will be following this.
 
Thanks a lot everyone. It's been a busy weekend so far and it's only Saturday. A lot of things I had ordered all arrived at once so I've got lots to do...

I'm just working on getting some photos together and I'll be posting another update with a significant milestone. ;)
 
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