cost of diy tank

[platax88]

I am planning on upgrading to a 6' tank and have not found any used ones in the area... I figured that before i dish out $500 for a new one i would entertain the idea of a dyi tank.

Do you guys think the cost would be dramatically lower? I was planning on buying either a 135, 150 or 180 tank.

Who has made one and what was the total cost?

 

[BumpinTJ24]

it will cost about 500 just for materials. I was quoted $250/sheet for 1/2" Cast. It would take two sheets to make any of those tanks. So you are looking at about 500 just for the acrylic. This does not include the time and if you have never worked with acrylic I would say to just buy one made already. It's to much money to take a risk of getting a bad joint or such. HTH

Ram

 

[platax88]

i was planning on a plywood tank, so i would just need a piece of glass or acrylic for the front

 

[fallen4378]

i was looking at plywood tank but got a great deal on 150 glass tank

 

[kgross]

Even with the plywood tank, the cost will not be a lot less than a factory tank, unless tanks are pretty expensive in your area. The biggest expense with the plywood tank is the sealer for the inside either epoxy paint, fiberglass or what ever you end up using. The sealer could cost you over 200 depending on what you go with and if you .

Here is a great thread going through making a plywood tank and most of the costs.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=7650194#post7650194

Kim

 

[Catharsis70]

A Cichlid guy I met made a 200 from plywood. Sealed it with thin (cheaper) acrylic and used heavy acrylic only for the viewing window. Said it saved him about $100. For the $100 personaly I would just buy a tank.

 

[ChemE]

platax, Nash Vegas was my old stomping grounds for 10 years! You're just down the road from www.glasscages.com so you could order a CHEAP glass tank and save yourself the freight charges. I have seen some killer deals in N-Town in the selling forums so keep your eyes peeled. I recall a complete 120 for $250 a few months ago that took forever to sell.

 

[psusocr]

i built a 205 gallon all glass tank and i built it all for about $500 bucks..i also have a step by step on how i built it

 

[platax88]

Thanks guys for all your help... i think dyi is out of the question

ChemE - i just move to Nash from Miami and i love it! I already scoped glasscages and he can build a 135 for $220. The thing is then he charges $20/hole and $40/overflow. Dosent end up much cheaper than one from a LFS.

I have kept my eyes open for a used one with no luck yet, but i think something will come up.

Thanks again!

 

[cougaraug]

drilling holes and installing overflows are both things that you can easily do yourself to save some $$

 

[ChemE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7719566#post7719566 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by platax88
Thanks guys for all your help... i think dyi is out of the question

ChemE - i just move to Nash from Miami and i love it! I already scoped glasscages and he can build a 135 for $220. The thing is then he charges $20/hole and $40/overflow. Dosent end up much cheaper than one from a LFS.

I have kept my eyes open for a used one with no luck yet, but i think something will come up.

Thanks again!

Heh, I just moved from Miami (ok Pembroke Pines) to Illinois and love it here. The best reef shops down there hands down are The Reef's Edge (Katie is awesome!) and Big Al's. Don't buy any livestock from Big Al's their stuff is always sick but it is worth the trip just for the spectacle of the place. The livestock at The Reef's Edge in Davie in fantastic and inexpensive. Good luck down there the cost of living is madness.

 

[platax88]

reefs edge was awesome i also loved a small lfs in pompano beach called coral sea pets ... and reef life

 

[ChemE]

I got a few fish from Reef Life that died shortly after I got them home. They were breathing shallow and acting like they were caught with cyanide. Might have been a fluke but I never went back there; the guy was pretty rude to me and my wife too. Fish's Paradise down on Hallandale Beach Blvd is worth checking out though some of the staff there is pretty clueless. All told we got the best advice from Katie and Mark at Reef's Edge. The clubs down there are very very active and there are tons of members which is always good. Are you down there for a while or for good? If you're like us you'll regret trading fall leaves for hurricanes. I hope everything works out for you down there.

 

[platax88]

Hey Chem!

I think you got it backwards i moved FROM Miami TO Nashville about two months ago... trust me i dont regret it!

Bring on the fall leaves!

 

[ChemE]

Ah, now that I look more closely I see that I did get it backwards! Congratulations, Nashville is far nicer to live in than Miami! Monel's is some of the best food you can get in Nashville you should check them out for sure. I've no idea what the reef scene is like there but if it's anything like Urbana IL it can't hold a candle to SFL.