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Unread 01/29/2016, 02:56 PM   #26
Brian Crook
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I picked up some multi-coloured stone veneer to install under the aquarium on the display side. I will cap it on all sides and down the middle using some solid oak hobby wood that I'll run through the router a few times to give it some sort of design. From these oak pieces I'll mount some nice ornate iron braces that will support my bar top that I mentioned earlier.

Now onto the exciting part!

My order from US Composites arrived and I have started cutting and assembling my aquarium.

To recap, I purchased five 4'x8' sheets of 3/4" oak veneer plywood, which is more than enough to build my 96" x 42.5" x 31.5" tall tank (outer dimensions). There will also be an overflow box on each end. I'll be using the leftover plywood as part of my bar top and likely for some other pieces in the fish room.

I used PL Premium and a mountain of 2" premium screws for the assembly. I opted not to use a biscuit joiner or dado / rabbit routing as I don't have all that much experience doing this type of word working and didn't want to introduce too many new skills into this project... However I will be applying fiberglass to the interior faces and edges, and also pouring all the edges and as many faces as I can.

I ordered the 10 gal thin resin / 5 gal slow hardener kit from US Composites, 7.5 oz fiber cloth, 8 oz cloth tape, and all necessary accessories and applicators. Since I was getting all this shipped all the way from Florida to Ontario, I took the opportunity to throw in the 2 gal kit of their "Kleer Kote" table-top epoxy for my bar top.

All the exterior cuts were made using my circular saw with a Diablo finishing blade (great purchase). All interior cuts were made with my plunge router using a simple guide clamped down to the plywood. Minimal sanding was required.






















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Unread 01/29/2016, 04:30 PM   #27
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Originally Posted by Brian Crook View Post



The picture might be misleading but I'm wondering if your overflows are big enough. Have you determined how much sump to tank flow you're going to have to calculate the surface area overflow need?


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Unread 01/29/2016, 04:44 PM   #28
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The picture might be misleading but I'm wondering if your overflows are big enough. Have you determined how much sump to tank flow you're going to have to calculate the surface area overflow need?
I estimated 3000 gph which apparently requires 45 liner inches of overflow. Each of the four overflows is 12" totaling 48 linear inches.

Right now in my current tank I'm running a Waveline DC10000 II (max 2850 gph) return pump, with only two overflows in the system. In total it's probably about 22" of linear overflow. I can run this pump at full output and the overflows are quite capable of handling all the water... So I'm not really sure how accurate these calculators are. At the end of the day I just came to the conclusion that 48" is more than double what I currently have, and thus could support an even larger pump if required. I'll look into the pump curves a little further down the road before making a final decision. What has your experience been like with respect to overflow capacity?

My current plan for flow and turbulence in the tank itself is to use the Neptune WaV powerheads (they are rated for up to 1" thick walls), and the overflows will be for sump/refugium/frag tank purposes.


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Unread 01/29/2016, 05:17 PM   #29
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Looks like it's going to be a nice build. Looking forward to seeing the progress


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Unread 01/29/2016, 07:10 PM   #30
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Mermaid shot! Mermaid shot!

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Unread 01/29/2016, 07:17 PM   #31
Brian Crook
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Originally Posted by rogergolf66 View Post
Looks like it's going to be a nice build. Looking forward to seeing the progress
Thanks! I'm definitely excited for this project to start coming together.


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Mermaid shot! Mermaid shot!

Dave.M
Haha... That definitely seems like a requirement when building a tank this large!!

I'll have to take it one step further and go for a snorkel shot once it's full of water.


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Unread 01/29/2016, 09:10 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Crook View Post
I estimated 3000 gph which apparently requires 45 liner inches of overflow. Each of the four overflows is 12" totaling 48 linear inches.

Right now in my current tank I'm running a Waveline DC10000 II (max 2850 gph) return pump, with only two overflows in the system. In total it's probably about 22" of linear overflow. I can run this pump at full output and the overflows are quite capable of handling all the water... So I'm not really sure how accurate these calculators are. At the end of the day I just came to the conclusion that 48" is more than double what I currently have, and thus could support an even larger pump if required. I'll look into the pump curves a little further down the road before making a final decision. What has your experience been like with respect to overflow capacity?

My current plan for flow and turbulence in the tank itself is to use the Neptune WaV powerheads (they are rated for up to 1" thick walls), and the overflows will be for sump/refugium/frag tank purposes.


Ah good. Definitely the way the picture looked to me then. Those slots didn't look like 12". However, once you epoxy them they won't be 12" anymore. Something to consider in case you want to enlarge them now.

Looks good though! I wish I would have had the room to do a weir with an external overflow.


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Unread 01/31/2016, 07:54 PM   #33
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Well, I've placed an order for the glass! Miracles Aquariums is a couple hours away from me and I know they have a reputation for designing and fabricating top quality custom aquariums, so I decided to order the glass through them.

Looking through the safety factor table and after discussing it with Miracles, I decided to go with 3/4" glass. Originally I planned on going with what is considered to be 5/8" however the actual cut would be less than 5/8", and didn't provide as much buffer to the safety factor as what I was looking for.

Anyways, it's a 92" x 27.5" x 3/4" thick piece of Starphire glass.

This will be my first time going with Starphire so I am pretty excited to see it in person and compare it to my existing setup. The glass itself will likely weigh about 160 lbs so I've got high hopes that the silicone bond will be enough to secure it in place!

The glass will overlap the plywood by approximately 1-3/4" on all sides, which should provide sufficient space for a wide silicone seal. The remaining viewing window will be 88.5" x 24". It'll probably be a couple of weeks for them to fabricate and deliver it, so stay tuned for some photos when that day comes.


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Unread 01/31/2016, 08:09 PM   #34
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I think the idea is that the pressure of the water behind the pane is supposed to keep it pressed against the frame. I have always shared the same concern you had mentioned about gravity eventually pulling the pane down towards the bottom. Did Miracles have anything to say about this? I can't imagine it would hurt to have some blocks (possibly thick glass?) underneath the pane to keep it up where you want it to stay.

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Unread 01/31/2016, 08:21 PM   #35
Brian Crook
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dave.m View Post
I think the idea is that the pressure of the water behind the pane is supposed to keep it pressed against the frame. I have always shared the same concern you had mentioned about gravity eventually pulling the pane down towards the bottom. Did Miracles have anything to say about this? I can't imagine it would hurt to have some blocks (possibly thick glass?) underneath the pane to keep it up where you want it to stay.

Dave.M
Miracles was impressed that I was building a plywood aquarium, but did not offer any particular comments or advice about such matters.

However I am still a little torn regarding whether or not to support the glass from underneath. Most other plywood tank builds do not use such an approach, and there appear to be a lot of success stories... so perhaps that's just the engineering side of me coming out?

The only potential downside to adding some sort of blocking under the glass would be the risk that it creates an area that isn't waterproofed as well, perhaps if it's touching up against the front plywood rim and epoxy didn't work its way in there. I was thinking about cutting a few small strips of plywood and basically molding them right onto the (already epoxied) tank with even more epoxy!

I will continue to think this one over as I work on the tank...


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Unread 01/31/2016, 09:01 PM   #36
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I was thinking more along the lines of finishing the fibreglass as usual and then just using strips of the same glass as your viewing pane spaced along the bottom as support. A lot of plywood builds I've seen used acrylic, which is much lighter than glass. Also, a lot of plywood tanks I've looked at had the viewing pane sitting right on the inside bottom, so the overlap on the front around the pane formed support.

Dave.M


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Unread 01/31/2016, 10:05 PM   #37
Brian Crook
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Originally Posted by dave.m View Post
I was thinking more along the lines of finishing the fibreglass as usual and then just using strips of the same glass as your viewing pane spaced along the bottom as support. A lot of plywood builds I've seen used acrylic, which is much lighter than glass. Also, a lot of plywood tanks I've looked at had the viewing pane sitting right on the inside bottom, so the overlap on the front around the pane formed support.

Dave.M
Well, I plan on pouring fillets in the edges so the glass would not be able to sit directly on the bottom.

However I think I am convinced to do something. Most likely it'll be some wood epoxied in-place into the final pour coat on the bottom, but out 1/4" from the front wall. It would then be further secured in place by becoming part of the fillet pour. I'll post some pictures once I figure it all out.


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Unread 02/01/2016, 08:20 PM   #38
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Wow, quite the project. Looks awesome! And nice place to chill and enjoy it.


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Unread 02/01/2016, 08:22 PM   #39
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Builds looking good so far, excited to see more!


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Unread 02/01/2016, 09:34 PM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Crook View Post
Miracles was impressed that I was building a plywood aquarium, but did not offer any particular comments or advice about such matters.

However I am still a little torn regarding whether or not to support the glass from underneath. Most other plywood tank builds do not use such an approach, and there appear to be a lot of success stories... so perhaps that's just the engineering side of me coming out?

The only potential downside to adding some sort of blocking under the glass would be the risk that it creates an area that isn't waterproofed as well, perhaps if it's touching up against the front plywood rim and epoxy didn't work its way in there. I was thinking about cutting a few small strips of plywood and basically molding them right onto the (already epoxied) tank with even more epoxy!

I will continue to think this one over as I work on the tank...
Quote:
Originally Posted by dave.m View Post
I was thinking more along the lines of finishing the fibreglass as usual and then just using strips of the same glass as your viewing pane spaced along the bottom as support. A lot of plywood builds I've seen used acrylic, which is much lighter than glass. Also, a lot of plywood tanks I've looked at had the viewing pane sitting right on the inside bottom, so the overlap on the front around the pane formed support.

Dave.M


You guys are way over thinking this. I understand why, no one wants a bunch of water on the floor and all the tank inhabitants dead but really, you're tilting at windmills here.

Just search this site for RTV 103 or 108. It's an adhesive strength silicone that's been used extensively to build many tanks. In this application you're going to have 1 3/4" gasket of this stuff all around the perimeter of the glass. Once it's in and cured you could turn the tank glass up so that gravity is pulling on the entire pane and you will die of old age before that silicone lets loose. Trust me, it's incredible stuff.

That being said, it's also a bit harder to work with. You only have a few minutes of working time with it before it starts to skin over. For your size panel I would recommend 2-3 (3 probably best) guys with caulking guns (might even want battery powered ones) laying down your beads so you can get the glass in place in time.

I was doing smaller panes on my tank by myself with a regular hand caulk gun and is was starting to skin over by the time I got to the glass. Also, get yourself some suction cups from Harbor Freight to more easily manage moving your glass into place.


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Unread 02/02/2016, 05:15 PM   #41
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So the tank is fully assembled. After gluing all the panels together, I pre-drilled and fastened it with screws approximately every 2 inches. The overflows were glued and screwed in the same manner, except with the screws starting on the inside of the tank. I'm pretty satisfied with the size of the overflows, as they should give plenty of space for the drain pipes and for my hands in the event that I need to change something.

After enjoying the look of the tank for a few minutes, it was time to start the fiberglass and epoxy. I used 8oz 4" wide cloth for all the edges. On the front face I epoxied it in place right up to the window opening edge so that it would provide a more uniform surface during the pours. I then used 7.5 oz 50" wide cloth for the interior faces (excluding inside overflows). I brushed on non-pigmented epoxy for wetting out the cloth, however I have "carbon black" pigment to use for the final pours and brush work.

Here are some photos of my progress so far:






















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Unread 02/03/2016, 01:33 AM   #42
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Looks very professional. Congratulations


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Unread 02/03/2016, 03:39 PM   #43
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Looks nice, well done.

May be an ignorant question on my part but why make tanks out of plywood? Is there an advantage? Is it because one can? Size, dimension, durability, cost, or anything else?

I see how it goes together. I'm not sure understand how the visible glass or acrylic would be installed.

Looks really cool, quality craftsmanship, and overall quality

Edit: re-read, then did some searching after the RVT post, and now see how the glass / acrylic is installed. Interesting to say the least and it makes sense.


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Unread 02/03/2016, 04:12 PM   #44
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Originally Posted by saf1 View Post
Looks nice, well done.

May be an ignorant question on my part but why make tanks out of plywood? Is there an advantage? Is it because one can? Size, dimension, durability, cost, or anything else?

I see how it goes together. I'm not sure understand how the visible glass or acrylic would be installed.

Looks really cool, quality craftsmanship, and overall quality

Edit: re-read, then did some searching after the RVT post, and now see how the glass / acrylic is installed. Interesting to say the least and it makes sense.
Thanks saf1!

I'll list all the reasons I'm aware of why some people elect to build tanks out of plywood:

Cost: There's a point, somewhere around the 200 to 300 gallon mark, where building your own tank suddenly becomes a much more economical choice than purchasing a custom made aquarium. Reef-Ready tanks up to around 300 gallons are mass produced and are readily available, however anything after that and you're talking custom builds with increased costs. However, building one of these takes an enormous amount of time so the cost becomes a moot point, and wasn't one of my primary reasons.

Location / Transportation: For my new plan, I had spent months thinking about how I would get a custom Miracles glass aquarium from my driveway, down the stairs to the basement, around a corner, and into its home in my wall - all without dropping it or smacking it up against a wall. I even considered knocking out an interior wall in my garage to make this process easier (or even possible, for the size of tank I was considering). Alas I decided I just wasn't comfortable with the risk of transporting a $6000+ aquarium into my house, so I started to think about alternatives. This is when I really started researching plywood aquariums, and I drew up a pros and cons list. So this was a big advantage for me; now I was able to build the aquarium virtually in place without any size restrictions what-so-ever. And once it's all finished, I'll just have to invite some friends over to help me move it 10' into its home.

Customizability: Pretty self-explanatory. Obviously an advantage of building your own tank out of any material. Do whatever you want!

Dismantling / Removability: It's unlikely that the future owner of my house will want a fish room and 500+ gal aquarium in their basement. So, here was another long-term advantage to the 'cheaper to build / easier to destroy' plywood tank. If I ended up going the Miracles route and purchased a $6000+ custom glass, and actually somehow did manage to get it into my basement, there is no way in hell it would ever leave (in one piece). So when the time comes to move out of this house, now all I'll have to do is sell or transport my livestock and then get out the ol' chainsaw... haha. The room can then be turned into a wet-bar extension to my rec-room with relative ease.

I'm sure there's others but I threw away my pros and cons list, so these are the ones that stuck out for me. Other plywood owners might chime in with their own reasons.


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Unread 02/03/2016, 04:39 PM   #45
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I spent more on tools to build my tank than on the materials.
About 250 for wood. 275 for epoxy, and around 80 for my glass.
That gave me an 8x4x30 inch tank.


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Unread 02/03/2016, 04:46 PM   #46
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Great build so far, I've enjoyed following along. This may be a silly question also, but have you templated the piece of glass to make sure you can maneuver it into place through the front opening? In my head I pictured you putting the glass in place prior to attaching the top. It doesn't look like there will be much wiggle room given the glass will need to be bigger than the opening to provide for the overlap on the inside but I may be looking at it wrong.

edit: Nevermind, just looked back at the dimensions of the tank. There should be enough room to slide the glass into one of the eurobrace sections on the top, right? The pictures don't make it look as deep as it is compared to the height...


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Unread 02/03/2016, 05:13 PM   #47
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please, please, PLEASE tell me you're wearing a heavy-duty respirator for those fumes, and you're ventilating the room heavily too!


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Unread 02/03/2016, 05:14 PM   #48
Brian Crook
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Great build so far, I've enjoyed following along. This may be a silly question also, but have you templated the piece of glass to make sure you can maneuver it into place through the front opening? In my head I pictured you putting the glass in place prior to attaching the top. It doesn't look like there will be much wiggle room given the glass will need to be bigger than the opening to provide for the overlap on the inside but I may be looking at it wrong.

edit: Nevermind, just looked back at the dimensions of the tank. There should be enough room to slide the glass into one of the eurobrace sections on the top, right? The pictures don't make it look as deep as it is compared to the height...
Yes, and I checked several times before fastening the top in place... What a disaster that would have been! The glass should fit "easily" through one of the side openings of the eurobrace. I tested it with some of the oak hobby wood 8' pieces that can be seen on the floor in some of my pictures.

Yeah this tank is definitely large so the pictures can be a little misleading. I'll place my hound in the tank when it's done to give some perspective... or the classic mermaid shot.

Quote:
Originally Posted by chimmike View Post
please, please, PLEASE tell me you're wearing a heavy-duty respirator for those fumes, and you're ventilating the room heavily too!
Yes I'm wearing a respirator when I'm working with the epoxy. Also to note that the fumes aren't as bad as I was expecting (having never worked with this type of product before). It smells a lot like peanut butter actually. Either way, the respirator blocks it out completely.


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Unread 02/03/2016, 05:49 PM   #49
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Originally Posted by Brian Crook View Post
Thanks saf1!

I'll list all the reasons I'm aware of why some people elect to build tanks out of plywood:

Cost: There's a point, somewhere around the 200 to 300 gallon mark, where building your own tank suddenly becomes a much more economical choice than purchasing a custom made aquarium. Reef-Ready tanks up to around 300 gallons are mass produced and are readily available, however anything after that and you're talking custom builds with increased costs. However, building one of these takes an enormous amount of time so the cost becomes a moot point, and wasn't one of my primary reasons.

Location / Transportation: For my new plan, I had spent months thinking about how I would get a custom Miracles glass aquarium from my driveway, down the stairs to the basement, around a corner, and into its home in my wall - all without dropping it or smacking it up against a wall. I even considered knocking out an interior wall in my garage to make this process easier (or even possible, for the size of tank I was considering). Alas I decided I just wasn't comfortable with the risk of transporting a $6000+ aquarium into my house, so I started to think about alternatives. This is when I really started researching plywood aquariums, and I drew up a pros and cons list. So this was a big advantage for me; now I was able to build the aquarium virtually in place without any size restrictions what-so-ever. And once it's all finished, I'll just have to invite some friends over to help me move it 10' into its home.

Customizability: Pretty self-explanatory. Obviously an advantage of building your own tank out of any material. Do whatever you want!

Dismantling / Removability: It's unlikely that the future owner of my house will want a fish room and 500+ gal aquarium in their basement. So, here was another long-term advantage to the 'cheaper to build / easier to destroy' plywood tank. If I ended up going the Miracles route and purchased a $6000+ custom glass, and actually somehow did manage to get it into my basement, there is no way in hell it would ever leave (in one piece). So when the time comes to move out of this house, now all I'll have to do is sell or transport my livestock and then get out the ol' chainsaw... haha. The room can then be turned into a wet-bar extension to my rec-room with relative ease.

I'm sure there's others but I threw away my pros and cons list, so these are the ones that stuck out for me. Other plywood owners might chime in with their own reasons.
Thanks, appreciate the time. Interesting enough I reached out to Miracles about a tank. I hear nothing but great reviews and feedback on their tanks so figured I'd check. Not custom by any means but I was after something a bit taller with about 240 gallons of water. Price was a deal breaker and of course shipping to California.

I'm always amazed at plywood tanks and as I noted earlier the craftsmanship. It all makes sense as you described the location of the tank and logistics necessary to get the tank to its home. Makes a ton of sense now that I re-read and see your answer.

Thanks again for the time. Will continue to watch


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Unread 02/03/2016, 08:04 PM   #50
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I should have thought about using my router to cut out the openings in my tank wall and top.
I used my circular saw for the window opening and cut out the pieces for the top bracing individually with my table saw.
I cut 20 individual pieces that I reassembled and screwed together.
I was off 1/16 inch on one piece at the end. I guess I got lucky.
Maybe next time I build a tank like this [smaller] I will use your method instead.

Daniel.


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