So I made the leap

GreenBay1

GreenBay1

New member
After reading about so many plywood aquariums here on RC, I finally decided to take the plunge and do my own. I didn't want to go too big just in case something were to go horrifically wrong, so I decided to go with the small size of 225. This is going to be a work in progress thread and I will update with plenty of pics along the way. I went to Lowe's and got my wood last weekend along with the screws and liquid nails to start. I work nights so my time is limited as to how much I can do each day. That is fine though, it gives me a project to work on for a while. The guy at Lowe's I must say needs some credit, he made my cuts for me right on and there is nothing off.

I first set everything in my basement for staging and put it all together with some duct tape to make sure it all fit tight and it did.
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My little helper anxious to get started.
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After I took everything down, it was time to start laying out the lines so I could drill the screw pilot holes.
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Next I put all the screws in the pilot holes for the back and sides, flipped the bottom over and put a healthy bead of liquid nails along all the joints. I then proceeded to screwing the pieces in place.

One end and back done.
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And now the other end.
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So now I am at the point where I need to let what I have done setup before I do the seam trims and the front of the tank. Here is what it looks like right now.
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I know it is not going to be a giant setup but I think it will be a nice size for tangs and LOTS of coral. Like I said earlier, this is going to take some time and I hope some of you will hitch along to see how it comes out. I know I can already see a school of Anthias cruising this tank as well as my favorite fish in the whole wide world, a Powder Brown Tang. And don't forget "LOTS" of coral
:lol:

Until the next post, happy reefing and have a wonderful day.
 
Re: So I made the leap

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12424345#post12424345 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by GreenBay1
The guy at Lowe's I must say needs some credit, he made my cuts for me right on and there is nothing off.
Click to expand...
Looks great! Any time I get plywood cut at Lowes or Home Depot it's always a "rough cut" and never lines up. Your guy must be the master of less efficient equipment or they have a nice table saw there.

Looking forward to following this build.

--Ed
 
Thank you for the kind words. I will be working more tomorrow morning, need to layout the front and start trimming the inside seams. I hope to order my sealant before this weekend.
 
This is interesting. Please post the detail building, what kind of shielding/glue finish... so that other can learn. These kind of tanks could be cost effective but most importantly many people have more experience with woods than glass or acrylic... it would be useful for those who want to DIY tank...
 
There are several ways to do a plywood tank, you can search here on RC to see what I mean. The cost effectiveness of a plywood tank really doesn't start till you get to a certain size. I am going to use 2x2's ripped down the middle to make triangular wedges that I will glue and staple in all the inside seams. Then I will use fiberglass cloth over those seams to make them rock solid. As for the sealant, I am going to go with this epoxy paint http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/3048/Epoxy-Paint-1-Gallon
I like them because I have used this paint before on ponds in my moms yard as well as mine. Very durable and the price is not bad either, plus I can get it in black which is my color of choice.

The best advice that I can really give for a plywood tank is to make sure you don't skip on the reinforcement and the waterproofing. Mine is also going to have an outside framework for support and I am going to use a eurobrace for the tank top. With the eurobrace, I do not have to worry about working my lighting around center braces.
 
Hey man! How the heck are you? Are you doing a plywood as well, must be if you are fiberglassing. Where did you get your fiberglass materials from? I am just about to that stage and any advice would be great.
 
Alright, I have an update for everyone. Today I got the front all cut out, glued and screwed in place. Went to order my epoxy paint and the place I was going to go with is like 3 months in back order......GRRRR!

Anywho, I got a few new pics to share with you.

Don't worry about the lip on the end of the tank, it is there for a reason :)
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Remember the whole tank will be trimmed up on the outside to make it beautiful.
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As you can see, I have plenty of sanding to do.
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I was really happy with how my cuts came out on the front. I free handed all four of them to make one solid front piece :)
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That's all for now, more to come soon. The really fun stuff is about to start happening, like the over flow and the eurobrace. Keep watching and I will try to keep posting updates so you don't get board. Have a great day.
 
Greenbay, I did the fillet with bondo and a 1/2 pvc 45 coupler, then did 2 layers of polyester resin, cloth on the seams, and mat all over. I will topcoat with 2-part epoxy this week. I tore the fireplace out this weekend and getting ready to start the demo in the living room!! I am remodeling the living room, and have to have the tank done to build the wall and all custom cabinets around.
 
Alright then, I took pics of the overflow notch (too many probably). I apologize for so many pics, it's just this project has me so excited :)

First a couple before the cut.
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And now the pics of the cut out overflow notch.
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Well that is all for now. I am going to build the overflow box here in the next couple days and get it all glued and screwed in place. Of course I will probably have too many pics of that step as well :)
 
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