DIY tank idea... it's ludicrous i know

djfsolo

djfsolo

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Nov 2, 2009
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I was wondering, if there was a way to build a tank out of hybrid materials, namely wood and glass.

I have never constructed a tank so I don't know the technicalities of it. What I was thinking was a tank, with wooden sides and bottom, just the front viewing space would be glass, therefore the only piece of glass that would have to be bought, would be the front. I don't have anything drawn, but I figured some sort of design where 1/2" or thicker plywood would be used for the walls, joined on the edges via wooden beams. The front part with the glass, would sit in side a metal lip that stuck out from the wooden walls, to enclose the glass, Attached to the wood by screws. Would it be possible to silicone the glass to the metal, silicone the metal to the wood, and have the rest of the wooden interior of the tank covered with pond liner that met the glass also with silicone? I would also coat the interior with several coats of marine grade crap, you know what I'm talking about. Lots of water pressure would require bracing on the top and bottom I guess. Is this the least bit possible?

Or am I COMPLETELY INSANE?

I am looking for a cheap way to construct another 150gal.
 
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Lets put it this way, think I could put together a 125-150gal with this process for under $200? Because if not then that defeats the whole purpose, as I can find glass aquariums, already constructed, for around $250-$300.
 
yeah, it's doable. might not save you all that much money on that size tank, though. the cost for materials tends to add up pretty quickly. usually only worth it for really big tanks.
 
VerdantGreen said:
yeah, it's doable. might not save you all that much money on that size tank, though. the cost for materials tends to add up pretty quickly. usually only worth it for really big tanks.
Click to expand...

How big is "really big"? I've looked this too, for down the road when my turtle needs more room...
 
Building your own tank is a nice idea and there are numerous advantages.
To save money, I would say, only in certain situations, it's not a sure thing.
I recall a guy in Norway who build a 1500 gallon tank or so, simply because wood over there is extremely cheap and glass very expensive.
For your average 100 - 300 gallon tank, the difference in most situations will be minimal.

It's the 'kick' of building your own tank to your own design that should prevail over other arguments.
Also, situations where you have a cracked tank with 2 or 3 panes still ok. There also you could save money.
Last situation, tanks with non-regular sizes, like square, or very wide or very narrow design for example.

I would not recommend doing it just to save $ 100 if you can afford it. Do it only because you like the DIY aspect of it or any of the above situations.

Do a search for DIY or Plywood Tank on this site or on the monsterfishkeepers.com site...you'll find many examples of these tanks. Might give you some inspiration.
 
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