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I used two lengths of 2 by 4 running front to back. They came in handy for setting the lights on too :)

Either way can work Matty, I went with the 2by4 frame on the outside for extra strength and support. My tank is in the livingroom and i have two kids and a large extended family, so I had to make sure that it could never tip over no matter how much pushing or rocking it took( its 1.2 ton)...

I know you said you applied grease to the seals, but I would try Vaseline. I had the same problem and it worked for me. If this doesn't solve the problem and you intend on buying a replacement I would go with the fx5. It has the reputation as one of the best on the market.

Cheers Tim :)

Cheers man, I use two external eheim filters (2213 + 2217) as I had already had these when I built the tank. I had planned a sump or an upgrade to an fx5 but the tank has been going over a year with no problems so I've just left it.

If u have to save and wait a while I would do it mate, I did as I knew if I didn't have the 3ft height It would have killed me everytime I looked at the tank. I'm talking as someone who built a tank buying £30 worth of wood 1week, £90 poly resin next week. It took me 2 months+ and I've no...

I got my 6ft by 3ft piece for £130. I ask the glass place for any surplus pieces that they had from cancelled jobs etc... That's another plus for plate glass, you can recut it. The shop cut a bigger piece down from a cancelled order and could therefore give me a discount. It worth a try...

Hi mate, I pm,d you about this but thought I'd post again incase it didn't work. You don't need toughened glass, I used 3/4 '' or 19mm plate as I needed that thickness for the 3ft height. You use plate instead of toughened as if it takes a hit it will crack giving you some time to empty the...

It all depends on the size of the tank, especially the height. In a 1ft tall tank the blue lobsters will eventually catch most fish but anything over that and you are safe enough. The fish can swim better than them in open water. I've keep two lobsters and a load of American cichlids for two...

i work out of downpatrick mamba( carpet fitter), if you want me to pick them up pm me your address and when it would suit and we can organise something sure, cheers Paul

hi Mamba if your close enough i might just take those fish, are you anywhere near ballynahinch or within reasonable driving distance? The tree is a proper hawthorn trunk that i got from a fellow fish-keeper who had it in his pond, was a great find.

Hi, As long as you treat your water before adding it to the tank you can do water changes without affecting the cycle. Dont use old tank water, it serves no purpose as the beneficial bacteria are in you filter media and not the water. If you transferred your filter from the old tank to the new...

i dont see any problems with this build mate, yes the glass will need to be 1 inch and as long as you overbuild on the tank support it wont budge at all. As for the depth i just use a £2 grabber tool for aquascaping and the like, my tank glass is 6ft by 3ft but is almost 3 1/2 ft in water...

Hi Sorry for late reply, I have cut the trunk in half in search of a different look and have to say it does look better with more light. PR1988 The algae is not a problem as it blends with the green, this is why i went with green instead of sea blue or anything lighter as you dont want to be...

hi, i suggest you search for plywood fish tanks, check my thread on 220 gallon ply build to see what i mean, it will allow you the satisfaction of buildng your own tank and also gives you the freedom of building it the size you really want, fire away with any questions if you do decide to go...

hi mate, where abouts are you? im from ni myself and have a 220 gallon tank with plenty of room, cheers Paul

hi turn your flash off, the pics will come out better :)

i started around 2 years ago, i called into my sisters house and the lady next door had given her a 7 gallon hexagon tank which was so dirty she was just going to bin it. i took it home cleaned it up and went to the lfs where i bought two bala sharks. i then dumped the poor fish into the...

lol the lamp was a reflection, with the budget your talking about i honestly dont think a plytank is doable, just get yourself as big a cheap and second hand tank as you can afford and skim it with wood, make sure and post pics when you do get started. cheers

hi mate, i built a 6ft L by 3ft H by 2ft W plywood tank last summer, have a look through my thread: '224G Diy Plywood Tank And Stand From Start To Finish :)' and fire away with any questions you still have. cheers :good:

i paid £20 for a red hump geo which ive had for a few months and is a great fish, i also paid £20 for a baby fahaka puffer which i thought was too big for my 5 inch oscar to fit in his mouth, i checked the tank after 20 mins and the oscar has a marble sized swelling in the belly.. really...

yeah mate, my oscar is a greedy so and so as well. Are you melting the blood worm cubes before adding them to the tank? If you are and the oscar is still eating them all, you should try adding bigger pieces of food before the blood worms so the oscar can have his fill which will leave the rest...

Not being rude mate but anything you read on ehow should be taken with a pinch of salt, it is one persons opinion compared to the many opinions you find on sites like this which are formed through trail and error. ive built a plywood tank and lined up the wood by eye with no problems, if you...

hi i built a 220 gallon plywood tank last year using fibreglass as the sealant, check out my thread and let me know if you need more details, cheers...

Its not as dark as it looks in the pics, though im getting sick of the wood myself and have been trying to get the motivation together to haul it out of the tank. im planning on making a 3d background of some kind, not sure what style ill go for just yet..

chin up mate, you,ve had some rotten luck. if your tank isnt perfectly level it can put to much strain on one seam causing it to pop, i only mention it as the same thing happened to a friend last year, he new what happened as the tank didnt fall and smash like yours did. anyhow, im glad your...

thanks very much, i have to admit i am proud of it, especially as its the only building project ive ever done. i also just love having a tank this size because of the stocking options it gives you..

blue lobster( crayfish)? i have two and they are an interesting species to keep.

cheers for reply, here's my tank i agree with the planting comment but i dont think i could afford the lighting for 3ft deep planted set up and havent found a fake plant that cuts the mustard, i may move the ship but the 5ft hawthorne trunk is staying, so.. having seen the set up, what...

thanks jojo ( we always called my sis the same, is your prop name josephine ? :) ). well done with your 180, its a lovely planted tank. ive tried and failed with the plants before and now my tanks 3ft deep ive just given up lol cheers Paul

hi mate most people dont post as they cant add much to a post with this level of detail. i have built a 220 gallon plywood tank and am keeping medium to large cichlids at the moment, though ive been seriously thinking about changing to 100's of smaller fish.. you seem be pretty tuned in with the...

hello again folks, i found this old thread and figured id show you guys how it looked when finished, cheers

hi mate, try rubbing some vasaline around the rubber ring on the bottom of the filter head. i had the same problem with an old eheim and this sorted it, let me know how it goes, cheers

yeah i know lol, thats why i went with the wooden stand as it spreads the weight. Its also sitting across 4-5 joists so it should be fine, fingers crossed :rolleyes:

hi i,ve spent around £400 all in. i wouldnt like to buy a fish tank 6 by 3 by 2ft in n.ireland, i reckon you'd be talking £2000. though i checked my lfs yesterday and they dont even have tanks that big. The fibreglass resin and topcoat cost £100 the 19mm glass was £135 £120 for the 2 by 4's...

Thanks mate, yeah i know lol.. the things we fishkeepers sacrifice in the search for the perfect tank. though i only got the tv after winning a grand from a scratch card so cant complain really :hyper:

lol i actually know what you mean, but i had a 5by 2 by 2 tank for a couple of years and got sick of the light it put out in the room/ ceiling etc. Another reason was cost, i live in ni and its nearly impossible to find a 5ft by 2ft tank never mind 6ft by 3ft, unless you go for the custom build...

yeah the colours fine, though the screws and bits of silicone you can see sort of ruins the look lol. im just looking some nice trim to match the tv stand and book case and give the tank that finished look. cheers for the replies...

thanks everyone, forgot to say the tanks 6ft L by 3ft H by 2ft D, would have went bigger but it would have looked silly compared to the size of the other furniture in the room.

thanks guys, the only problem i had in the whole build was the viewing window, i stubbornly decided to use bog standard £3 silicone instead of the aquarium grade stuff. i mean surely silicones all the same? ah... no i filled and emptied the tank 4 times in two weeks as i kept getting leaks...