415 Gallon Plywood Tank Build

2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
It's all good, bro. Pressure gets to us all. And I've been under a lot myself, lately.
Believe me, I know what it means to struggle. My wife and I have been through a ton of it together. Both coming from personal and financial disaster when we first met and both starting over again. I think it's something that happens to pretty much everybody at some point in time or another (perhaps not all).
I'm happy to see you doing the right thing and getting your education so that you can some day provide those things too. It's a long road, but you'll get there my friend. And once you do, it will all be worth it.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/376802/415-gallon-plywood-tank-build/1680#post_3497175
Hey.....I wanna come over and ride in the back seat......Sharp looking truck brother!!!!!!
Thanks bud, come on over. I tried driving it the other day but almost ran off the road trying to figure out all the new features lol. Happy to get rid of the old work truck though. Now I get the dodge that we just payed off and she has the new one. Accept on weekends and when we go places together. She got tired of always finding my tools in the other one haha.
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/376802/415-gallon-plywood-tank-build/1680#post_3497180
Thanks bud, come on over. I tried driving it the other day but almost ran off the road trying to figure out all the new features lol. Happy to get rid of the old work truck though. Now I get the dodge that we just payed off and she has the new one. Accept on weekends and when we go places together. She got tired of always finding my tools in the other one haha.

Looks real nice!!!
I love seeing Detroit products around the country.
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Looks real nice!!!
I love seeing Detroit products around the country. 
Hey I still got love for my Detroit peeps.
You know my old man has been with Ford for over 20 years and this is the first time I've ever taken advantage of the A plan discount? My last 4 trucks have all been Ram's. But I was determined after all the bail outs for the other automakers that our next vehicle would be a Ford since they didnt take the hand out. They'll probably be getting all of my business from here on out. Pluss it doesnt hurt that the F150 has been the #1 selling trucks for the last 30 years. :)
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/376802/415-gallon-plywood-tank-build/1700#post_3497228
Hey I still got love for my Detroit peeps.
You know my old man has been with Ford for over 20 years and this is the first time I've ever taken advantage of the A plan discount? My last 4 trucks have all been Ram's. But I was determined after all the bail outs for the other automakers that our next vehicle would be a Ford since they didnt take the hand out. They'll probably be getting all of my business from here on out. Pluss it doesnt hurt that the F150 has been the #1 selling trucks for the last 30 years. :)
I love it!!!
I drive by a Ford plant everyday on my way to and from work. They have an actual sign in all their parking lots that refer to foreigner cars... Its priceless. It says something along the lines of... All foreigner cars must park in the SW corner of the most inconvenient lot at all times. No exceptions. Cracks me up every time.
The Metro Detroit area is pretty hard core. Lots of first time visitors are taken a back by just how many cars on the road are from the Big 3. I would say that it is about 75-80% big 3 cars driving around the area. I am not saying that they make the best cars, but the locals are very committed to buying them.
A plan is the Bomb!!! I wish I had a hook up for A plan. Nice job by your old man. Does he work for Fords in Metro D?? Which one??
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
I love it!!!
I drive by a Ford plant everyday on my way to and from work.  They have an actual sign in all their parking lots that refer to foreigner cars...  Its priceless.  It says something along the lines of... All foreigner cars must park in the SW corner of the most inconvenient lot at all times. No exceptions.  Cracks me up every time. 
The Metro Detroit area is pretty hard core.  Lots of first time visitors are taken a back by just how many cars on the road are from the Big 3.  I would say that it is about 75-80% big 3 cars driving around the area.  I am not saying that they make the best cars, but the locals are very committed to buying them.  
A plan is the Bomb!!!  I wish I had a hook up for A plan.  Nice job by your old man.  Does he work for Fords in Metro D??  Which one??   
That is pricless. Ofcorse when you have the Big 3 all there localy its not suprising to see everyone driving their companies cars since the area is loaded with auto manufacturer employees.
My old man works at greenfield in the testing laboratories where they crash all the prototypes for the up and coming models. He actually gets to work on and see these vehicles years before the rest of us when they hit the market. But it's top secret stuff...he's not supposed to talk about what goes on behind closed doors lol.
The good thing now is that they are all much more focused on building real quality products. Not that they werent before. But the government lit a candle under thier asses so now we're seeing better vehicles.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Always been a Ford truck fan....Actually have never owned anything other than Fords except for the current Chevy I'm driving.....When she dies it's back to Ford......
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
You coming up with anything good over here, man? I've been out looking at the tank again. New ideas are starting to boil.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Mmmmmm.......I have tons of ideas running in my head......Don't know if I want to do what I'm thinking or considering....Right now draining the tank down...Ran the tank all week on the CL, just to double check for any leaks that might have popped up and not a drop all week, so draining it down and going to buff out the 2 front corners, while watching football....(if the wife doesn't come up with more projects), and hopefully should be able to get the buffing done, and then want to turn my attention towards the rock work. I shot you a pic, but kind of hard to tell since the pic if from me standing above the rock.....I have some real interesting ideas, but need to contact BRS and MarcoRocks to see if they can get me some special pieces to put it together......I'll have to give you a call later.....
Still debating drilling the bottom of the tank for another CL.........
If I do, the bulkheads will definitely be Spears......
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Shawn, have you ever considered using acrylic for your aqua scape? It would be radically different than the natural look of rock and sand ofcorse. But it's something that I had thought about a while back. You could use acrylic sheet for a base lets say, and then use large rods that rise vertically as the trunk of a tree would, then have some off-shoots or shelves that stuck out horizontally with maybe some acrylic sheeting cut into discs which you could place individual coral colonies on? You might could even light the bases with an led and the whole structure would illuminate. It's just a thought and I don't know if it would work for you in this case since you already have rock and sand. I thought it might be a neat idea though to do a completely blacked out tank that way. All you would see it the vibrant colors of the livestock popping in the tank.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/376802/415-gallon-plywood-tank-build/1700#post_3497527
Shawn, have you ever considered using acrylic for your aqua scape? It would be radically different than the natural look of rock and sand ofcorse. But it's something that I had thought about a while back. You could use acrylic sheet for a base lets say, and then use large rods that rise vertically as the trunk of a tree would, then have some off-shoots or shelves that stuck out horizontally with maybe some acrylic sheeting cut into discs which you could place individual coral colonies on? You might could even light the bases with an led and the whole structure would illuminate. It's just a thought and I don't know if it would work for you in this case since you already have rock and sand. I thought it might be a neat idea though to do a completely blacked out tank that way. All you would see it the vibrant colors of the livestock popping in the tank.
Wow!!!!!!! We need to talk when your free.....Very interesting indeed.......I have some rock, but not nearly enough to finish the job, but a good start on the base work.......I'll have to post some pics, but suck at drawing the little arrows you guys are famous for......The sand isn't a big deal since I have never been totally sold on using it, just bought it "just in case" type deal.......
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Only thing is that I'm not so sure how this idea would stack up for the long term. My initial idea was to do something like that but on a much smaller custom build. The maintenance to keep something like that looking nice might be a nightmare. Perhaps the idea would be better suited for like a showcase tank you take to a show or something as a novelty display.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I don't know if any of you have seen the "zero rock work" sps dominate tanks, but there are some really pretty ones out there... They place pretty much all of the frags on the bottom of the tank and let them naturally overgrow one another over time...
I think it would be neat (for myself, not for ya'll... or whatever...) to make an acrylic display out of a sheet of acrylic that is cut into shapes that make out a few tiers, connected by some acrylic rods. Each "shelf" would have rounded edges and would have many holes drilled in them for frag plugs. The bottom of the shelves would be sanded rough (for bacterial colonies and a "frosted" look. Over time, the shelves would be covered with coralline algae and the corals would grow over them. Zero rock work, tiered feature. Each tier would have a closed loop return blowing through it on an oceans motions unit to kick detritus off the shelves and into the front glass and be swept away. ANYWAYS... yeah, now I'm just dreaming and have no idea how it would actually turn out.
But, as 2Quills pointed out, it may be better for a novelty display rather than a home reef.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/376802/415-gallon-plywood-tank-build/1700#post_3497604
I don't know if any of you have seen the "zero rock work" sps dominate tanks, but there are some really pretty ones out there... They place pretty much all of the frags on the bottom of the tank and let them naturally overgrow one another over time...
I think it would be neat (for myself, not for ya'll... or whatever...) to make an acrylic display out of a sheet of acrylic that is cut into shapes that make out a few tiers, connected by some acrylic rods. Each "shelf" would have rounded edges and would have many holes drilled in them for frag plugs. The bottom of the shelves would be sanded rough (for bacterial colonies and a "frosted" look. Over time, the shelves would be covered with coralline algae and the corals would grow over them. Zero rock work, tiered feature. Each tier would have a closed loop return blowing through it on an oceans motions unit to kick detritus off the shelves and into the front glass and be swept away. ANYWAYS... yeah, now I'm just dreaming and have no idea how it would actually turn out.
But, as 2Quills pointed out, it may be better for a novelty display rather than a home reef.
I like the idea, but a CL on each rack would seem excessive, and just the plumbing seems would be way to trouble some and possibly a nightmare trying to hide plumbing work, but using PH's might be an easier option......
My other thought is how would the acrylic actually look inside the display.....Being roughed up; in my thinking would draw algae possible quicker than smooth acrylic, and then when the algae does kick in how unsightly might it look till it's covered with coralline.....
I have clear acrylic rod currently and trying to fathom how noticeable it would be in the display using it as a support, or would it be better to build the support leg using rubble rock and sand...........
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/376802/415-gallon-plywood-tank-build/1700#post_3497598
Only thing is that I'm not so sure how this idea would stack up for the long term. My initial idea was to do something like that but on a much smaller custom build. The maintenance to keep something like that looking nice might be a nightmare. Perhaps the idea would be better suited for like a showcase tank you take to a show or something as a novelty display.
Any pics of something like this done.......I'm very curious.....
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/376802/415-gallon-plywood-tank-build/1700#post_3497618
Any pics of something like this done.......I'm very curious.....
Just in my head. The idea first came to me maybe a couple of years back. I had seen a tank (online) that was completely bare bottom. And it had like 7 pedestals lined in a strait row from one side of the tank to the other that varied in height. Each pedestal was displaying an individual coral colony (all sps i think). The rest of the tank was virtually all black. So all you saw were these corals popping out at ya.
But I wasn't crazy about their pedestal design. I thought (in my head) it might look better creating some type of tree like structure or structures out of clear acrylic that branched out. Then thought about illuminating the base of the rod with an led. that way all of the edges of the acrylic in the structure would glow with whatever color led that you used.
The only other people that I seen do something like that were the guys from Tanked. They built a tank for the KISS (rock band) museum. They built the actual letters K.I.S.S out of acrylic then placed them inside of the tank and illuminated them. It's not the same idea as what I was thinking but idea of illuminating the acrylic was similar.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Maybe the way I am describing it isn't the best way. I guess I don't seem to have a good way with words.
The acrylic sheets would be cut out into shapes... the bottom could be like a U shape. The middle could be some kind of boomarang shape or something irregular. The top could be in two sections. All of the acrylic rods can be hid with rock work. All around the rims, smaller rocks are glued/cemented onto it and some rocks are piled on top or some marco rock cement could be spread in the right places... The underneath would be scratched up,... but it isn't exposed to light. It would just make it easier for bacteria and sponges to attach to. The underneath of the tiers could have a spray bar in the back to help rid the tank of dead spots. I dunno... I have it all pictured in my head but it's hard to describe.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Not much progress.....Have the tank drained back down and currently buffing the inside and outside of the tank, and playing around with some rock work......Corey shot you a couple pics and videos......
 
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