Anyone Here Built A Big Tank?

[Davidtq]

OK looking at getting in a decent size tank 104"x36"x24" about 1470l Ive got two options I can get a company to come down from scotland and build it on site thats going to be nearly £900 or I can buy the glass and build myself for a cost of around £300. Ive removed and refitted a single panel on a 1000l tank before, and that still together 4 years later, but building a whole tank of this sort of volume is intimidating. Its a huge cash saving, and will mean I can get the tank a few months earlier, and stock it sooner, however the reassurance of a professional doing the job is attractive.

Anyone got any experience of building tanks of this size? I know the basics of designing tanks, but still its a lot of weight even empty also holding the glass together for siliconing, its a bit different to doing small tanks

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Cant help I'm afriad but either way please make sure you post some pics of the build. Would love to see a big tank like that being put together!

 

[andywg]

I have built a few smaller tanks (like yourself) and to be honest, I wouldn't feel entirely comfortable with making one that size myself. That is a lot of water if anything goes wrong. I would assume that if the company made it, there would be some sort of guarantee, which could end up saving you a lot of money, should anything catastrophic take place.

 

[JamesC]

For a tank that size I wouldn't even dream of building it unless you had plenty of experience of building large tanks. This thread on another forum is long but it details all the problems this guy had in building his tank - http/www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/1366...-ada-style.html

James

 

[orange shark]

I suppose your not goin to get experience without trying it...

 

[treefella83]

built my own 6x2x2 ten years ago and took it apart half way through the build as the glass from the glazing shop ( float glass ) was not cut acurate enough.
the end panels were 6mm out of square but i trued them with a belt sander yes a belt sander and a diamond sharpening stone.
i saved my self about £150 but spent about £300 in labour