224G Diy Plywood Tank And Stand From Start To Finish :)

[PRW1988]

This sounds like a quick and fun little project, but how do you plan to deal with the algea that build on the poly?

 

[rustyspurs]

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 scraping at your waterproof seal once a week.

Mamba you should go for it, it's well worth the hassle.
I use grovenor myself, its a great place.

Here's how the tank is looking at the minute along with a few of it inhabitants

This is my latest addition though i cant get a clear picture as it wont stay still for long enough

 

[Mamba]

It's definitely tempting the job you've done.

Those are some good sized fish and they don't look that big in your tank which just goes to show just how big your tank really is. Love the Oscar and reedfish/ropefish in particular.

Love the half tree too!! I take it that isn't off the shelf stuff! Really looks good in there.

Algae problem can be sorted out easily enough with a decent steriliser though and the Pleco if it's hungry enough.

You know what you need for that tank? A 7" Acanthicus Adonis Pleco and a 4" Spotted Talking Catfish
I'm looking for a good home for mine as my tank is already a little overstocked it being a little 5'x1'x1.5'

 

[rustyspurs]

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.

 

[Mamba]

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.

Defnitely a good find, really looks the part in your tank too. Actually, yes, i'm not far at all. I live the otherside of Downpatrick, about 17 miles from you. Here's a picture ( a bad one though of the Adonis Pleco)

 

[rustyspurs]

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

 

[Mamba]

Excellent, will do mate.

 

[mattygreen86]

Your tank looks great m8. Really inspired me to get the ball Rollin with mine. What are you using to filter it?

 

[rustyspurs]

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.

 

[Tim_UK]

Outstanding tank, well done !

 

[rustyspurs]

Cheers Tim

 

[mattygreen86]

Cool I'm planning on using an fx5 in mine

 

[mattygreen86]

Just realised for your tank u seem to of built a frame from 2x4 than placed the plywood inside. For mine I planned on building the outer tank from plywood then strengthening it from the inside with 2x4. Is there a reason why you did it that way? Would my way work?

 

[rustyspurs]

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).
Also because its 3ft deep I wanted to be able to climb on it to do maintenance, you can't just swing your arm in to clean the glass when the top of the tank is 6ft high and the waters 3ft deep lol.
I've seen tanks this size with no bracing that have worked fine and have been told a few times that I had totally overbuilt the stand and supports. Without bracing you would need to be anal about anyone leaning on or touching the tank and who can be bothered with that.
The first thing a mate did when he first seen the tank was try to rock it back and forth to 'test' it

i didnt build this as in experiment on the limits of water pressure vs plywood and screws and always thought the overbuild arguement was nonsense. It's usually the same people saying you've overbuilt that come back and say how the tank has a limited shelf life of a few years when compared to all glass tanks. When I was researching my build I found guys with ply tanks 20+ yrs old because they were properly supported.
As long as I could go to bed knowing that I wouldn't come down to a flooded livingroom the extra £30 for the 2by4 tank frame was a no brainier.
The supports outside mean that the water pressure is evenly distributed along the plywood and stops any hairline cracks in your fibreglass caused by the ply flexing.
As you can probably gather by now my advice would be to go with the outside framing, trust me when the tanks built you'll be glad you did and can enjoy your tank without that 'what if it pops some day' fear in the back of your mind.
Sorry for the long post, I'm rambling a bit as I'm tired ( insomnia's a b**tch.

 

[mattygreen86]

Oh ok. While we're on the subject of bracing I'm sure you will of braced the top of your tank after fitting the glass but the photos don't show it. How many brace have you used?