Do It Yourself tanks...I wanna build one!

[mrliltank]

Hello, group. My name is Joe, im 16, and am addicted to DIY!  *twirlysmiley* *twirlysmiley* *twirlysmiley*
I am thinking about building a 58 gallon (15*15*60 inch) tank. Back, sides, bottom=3/4 plywood. Front=3" surround of the wood, with a 3/8" plexi sheet in there( lets see...plexi would be 58*14 inches). I am very good with my hands (been building stuff since i could use a hammer), and have room down here in my basement lair to do it. Any tips? estimated prices? will home depot pre=cut my lumber? Tanks! err thanks...ok it was corny.

 

[Somonas]

Why not make it bigger? with marine grade plywood, and lots of glued and screwed 2x4's you should be able to make it 24"x24"x at least 60".    coat the inside with fiberglass and epoxy paint.

I suppose your 15x15x60 is size limited only because of available money or floor space?

 

[mrliltank]

We have decided to go bigger...75 gallons at LEAST. Inside will be 4 shakrs (should get to about a foot each...). Is the 'glassing needed? If i use exterior (same concept as marine, it's what they use to build houses,not to insult intelligence), can't 2 good coats of epoxy do the trick? Thanks.

 

[mrliltank]

Oh i forgot some key points : Space, not a big problem, we're cleaning more and more stuff outta here, so i'll have plenty of room (heck, enuff to build a 8' by 8' floor mounted cinder block tank w/ 2" thick front plate, but we're not THAT gung ho!). It seems that the bigger you home build, the more you save. I'm figuring 140 gallons would be a good size. 3/4" plywood all around, HEFTY 2x4 or 2x6 base,3/8" plexy front window (1/4" works, too, but im a putz, so 3/8" gives me a safeguard). Yes, money is semi-limited (i am funding this for the most part by myselft), and i want to homebuild as MUCH as possible...can i make a filter with a 2 gallon tank, some sand/floss/charcoal, and 2 powerheads? Thanks dude.

 

[dattack]

Probably cost you more building a 140 gallon than buying one IMO.  A gallon of so called marine epoxy cost $$$$$$.  If you include all the wood, the finishing nails, and the acrylic ($$$$).  It's going to cost a lot.  I believe 3/8" acrylic, you will see a lot of warping and it's going to hard to find a right seal from acrylic to wood.

 

[mrliltank]

All of this has been done, and i have seen the pic of the tank (which is embedded into his wall)...tank looks awesome. Wood is CHEAP, hardware is CHEAP, epoxy+glass/acrylic are the expensive parts...BTW< 140 gallons of store bought tank is VERY expensive, more than this project would cost.

 

[p2kmon]

I have a number of questions about some DIY'S. Does anyone know the approx cost of the Wood 140 gallon tank to build.

Also has anyone here ever built there own 140 approx. size glass tank. What is the cost of that.  I need to get my Pacu into a larger tank, the one store would cost me $400 for a 100 gallon tank and stand, with nothing else.  For $800 they would include a number of things (cheap - filters, heater...etc) and then come and deliver it.  But, I would like to go into a big tank, if I could get it around the same price.

Also, any help would be appreaciated. I was thinking about 24x24x72.  I think I would need 1/2 inch glass is that about correct.  Or would I need thicker glass.  Also do I need anything special with the glass, such as Does it need to be tempered or non-tempered.  

I'm not 100% up on this stuff, I've been looking at all the DIY that were posted.  Thanks a million.  Would like to see if I could do it a bit cheaper, and I should still have a good project.

Also about the wood tanks, I was reading somewhere that they sometimes have a tendency to have more problems with leakage, is that correct, or you just have to make sure that everything is coated good ?

Sorry, so many questions, but would like to possibly start right away.

P.S. One last Question. Has anybody seen the ebay item from a company about a 192 page book about building aquariums?, (Rhinocity or something) is this a good deal ??

Thanks. *thumbsupsmiley*

 

[mrliltank]

Hello folks. Yeah, that 1/2" should be good. have fun carrying it! Wear gloves, it will cut RIGHT THROUGH your hands, and through your fish too, so either give all the edges a bead of silicone or sand them. I went to petland today,a nd they have a 55 gallon w/ welded iron stand for 89.99. I aim no longer building my own tank  ;D ;D

 

[dattack]

All I know is that a 100 gallon tank cost $100 here and a 150 gallon tank cost $169.

I have researched the wood tank a year ago and it would cost a lot more to make it and it isn't 100% guaranteed.  The only time I would consider making a wood tank is when it reaches >200 gallons.

 

[rdracer66]

Dattack
Where in the world are u getting those prices ??
a 125g here comes up to like 350 or something just for glass !!
I'm in denver colorado

 

[dattack]

Come down to S. California.  Lots of fish stores around here.

 

[mrliltank]

N/E NJ...it's called the "Big Mamma Combo", 55 gallon tank, with black edges, and a welded iron stand...we have whisper filters here for 50 bucks for it, and ive found a dual filter biowheel for this size on the net for 41