Building A 8 Foot Plywood Tank Some Help Please ?

[Ronananator]

I am going to be building a 8*2*2 PLYWOOD aquirium this months and i was just woundering what substance should i use to insulate the tank.... i have seen two so far Epoxy and Liquid rubber... i was woundering which one is best and also will i need to se fiberglass with such a small tank... ?

Thanks a million for reading my thread

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

18 months or so ago, "VickiandKev" built a very similar sized tank to house 30-odd Clown Loaches...
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/323919-my-epic-breeding-setup-build/page__p__2689445__hl__plywood__fromsearch__1#entry2689445

 

[bae1994]

That tanks now for sale on preloved.co.uk for £200

So you could buy that one instead

 

[Ronananator]

thanks for all ure interest to base i amnt loooking to buy a tank but thanks for ure interest in my thread

 

[wirralbull]

i dont know much about its application for fishtanks, but i use fibreglass regularly as a roofer. i would suggest maybe fibreglass would be the best because it is very strong and will hold its own form when set.

 

[Ronananator]

i dont know much about its application for fishtanks, but i use fibreglass regularly as a roofer. i would suggest maybe fibreglass would be the best because it is very strong and will hold its own form when set.

Thanks for the Reply i got one question can u breifly just tell me how fiberglass is applied i dont want anything to detailed just the basics thanks

Ronan

 

[tribalbrit]

i dont know much about its application for fishtanks, but i use fibreglass regularly as a roofer. i would suggest maybe fibreglass would be the best because it is very strong and will hold its own form when set.

+1

 

[Ronananator]

one more question would pond sealent be any good for this job ? if the plywood was properly supported ?

 

[wirralbull]

basically its a two part glue, the resin and the hardner. you mix them together to start the hardening process. liberally paint the surface you wish to cover then lay the fibre matting over the glue, reapply a 2nd coat of glue over the matting and then roll it with a paddle to release any trapped air. the paddle is a metal ridged roller. the matting i suppose gives it form and strenght.

 

[rustyspurs]

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

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/366060-224g-diy-plywood-tank-and-stand-from-start-to-finish/page__view__findpost__p__3055392__fromsearch__1

 

[Ronananator]

hey thanks a million for all your help one more quick question is the "fabric stuff you said u place over resin. is that a must ? our is it ok to just use resin and hardener to proform watertight seal ?

 

[deftuch]

I recently read an article on ehow about building your own tank. If you build it just a fraction out of angle it will be useless. You need to be very carefull. You cant just seal up all the edges by eye alone. Cos they will end up leaking. Or even worse.

 

[wirralbull]

ive made loads of glass tanks and never had a leak and there far from perfect. but regarding the fibre i think it is an integral part of the system. if you dont use the fibre i would imagine that when the ply flexes with the pressure of the water contained in it, it may well crack. the matting is not expensive. i would use multiple layers also

 

[rustyspurs]

I recently read an article on ehow about building your own tank. If you build it just a fraction out of angle it will be useless. You need to be very carefull. You cant just seal up all the edges by eye alone. Cos they will end up leaking. Or even worse.

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 have the tank supported properly, with a 2 by 4 wooden frame or other such support, it is safer than a glass tank.
cheers

 

[KrazyKuhli]

Fiberglassing is like doing paper mache but more hardcore, using just pva glue on a balloon will seal it but wont have any structure so if you add paper to it, it re-enforces the glue, same with fibre glass just having resin may crack but the 'fibres' lock it all together so it can't stretch and pull apart, Nice and easy to do just make sure you open a window