My 480g plywood tank is nearing completion lots of pics.

[biodegraded]

frivera28 Also how do you put on the fiberglass?
Is that the hardest part?

I just saw this thread. I've made a few plywood tanks. For laying fiberglass, the easiest thing I've found is to tack it down to the wood with 3M 77 glue. Spray a very light amount on the wood. Have an assistant to help manage the cloth. Spray to lay in segments to prevent wrinkles while laying the cloth down.

A method I read about, but have not personally done, which is good for really large wood tanks, is to make the floor and side panels separately. Prep, cloth, coat, etc, then put them together with epoxy for glue and screw as usual. Reinforce the edge joints with 2" glass tape and a bit more epoxy. I will try this if/when I make another tank.

 

[Kent E]

I built a 450. I simply laid the glass and poured the epoxy onto the flat surface, Of course I could only do one surface at a time.

 

[mmd]

what are the down-sides to making a tank like this?
TERMITES

 

[robilium]

lookin forward to more pics

 

[pm8998]

a lot of people build plywood tanks on cichlid forum and there is a diy guide on it.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_list.php
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=86577
sry for the off site links but grate info on plywood tanks

 

[onetrickpony]

i have been following that tank from the start
my next tank is going to be
96x48x40 3/4 low iron glass
Ken

 

[Kent E]

The down sides are that it takes alot of time, Yet theres no room for cutting corners.

 

[JayC]

Thats going to be one sweet tank! Cant wait to see more pics of it.

 

[eddybabyhd]

Can i be the first to ask where you got ahold of all that tropical play sand...I would love to be able to get some...

pm me if you can release the source

 

[Shoestring Reefer]

When I purchased epoxy from a boat shop to make a tank they said you could probably use cardboard due to the strength of the epoxy/fiberglass. After finishing my small tank (approx 30 gal), I believe it.

Yup. At least one company makes fiberglass tanks for aquariums.

 

[myreef]

Very Impressive Scott! Beautiful tank!

 

[Kent E]

When does water go into it?

 

[scchase]

Well I will finish the skimmer this weekend and as soon as I get the pump for it on Tuesday I could start putting water into it though I will probably wait till I get my Lumanarc IIIs installed into the hood before I fill it and I wont be able to order them till the end of next week, so optimistically I should have live rock in it by the 22nd of October then Ill let it cycle and move the contents of my 150 into it after everything is looking good and some test frags look good.
I'll post photos of the skimmer this weekend its a beast at 36" tall and 5" diameter tube powered by double becketts with all top off water being directly piped into the skimmer before the sump. It will also have 2 ports installed allowing for all topoff water from my kalkwasser reactor and all efluent from my calcium reactor to be injected into the skimmer allowing for CO2 offgassing and extra removal of phosphate.

 

[TxAggie08]

im gonna tag along on this. the plywood tank idea is one ive been kickng around along time......and when that get this big it starts becoming worht it

 

[JodiLynn]

Holy freakin cow Scott. You probably don't remember me and Ben, but we always used to come look at your tanks (oh, and *kinda* hang out with Jeremiah) and you always talked about building this massive tank. That looks incredible man. Have you put live rock in it yet?

Hope you're enjoying the new house. Who are those cute dogs?

Oh, and all those corals you gave us back in the day before you moved are still alive. Even the tree coral. There's pictures of our tanks on here somewhere. You seriously got us addicted to this hobby.

That tank looks amazing.

 

[bendavis]

...and when are you going to invite us over to check it out? seriously scott. see ya later.
-Ben

 

[jaze36]

great project look forward to seeing more.

 

[Electrobes]

scchase - I love the tank... and avatar!!!

 

[scchase]

Finally got to test the skimmer I build last night a couple minor leaks and a problem with an air space developing on the out side of the riser tube need to find some way to let more water by so that I dont get burping there.

 

[killercoral]

OH NO the dreaded burping. I could not get my skimmer to stop burping so I actually had to put a U-tube in the box at the bottom so that the water was coming straight up the body of the skimmer. I have heard it has a lot to do with the pump that you are using but in my case I don't think that was the problem with mine.

For being so simple DIY skimmers are a real pain sometimes.