How hard is it to make a DIY 100- 120 gallon tank?

moonrs

moonrs

Member
Does anyone have plans drawn up that detail how to build a tank? I'm seriously in love with Saltwater fishkeeping, but am also very short of cash... Is there any economical way to build my own tank? I currently have a 30 gallon swt, but really want to upgrade to much larger tank. I've been cruising the classifieds and stuff like that, but it's only very rarely that I'm able to find someone who's desperate enough to sell their large tanks in my price range. I suppose I'd also have to build a stand, too. Am I dreaming? :confused: Any help would be appreciated...
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
you can save a lot of money by building your own stand and hood. But building a tank is usually another story. A lot of tank expense is for the glass itself whereas the materials for the stand and hood are a much lower portion of the cost. One option is to build the tank from wood with a front window for viewing.
Also the tank-stand-hood is only the starting cost. 3-4 times that cost can be spent on lr, ls, sumps, ro/di units, upgraded lighting, skimmers, filters, and so on. So a $250 55g tank-stand-hood easily becomes a $1500 cost. Most of that extra cost can be avoided by setting up a naturally filtered ecosystem using plant life.
Whatever you set up, you then have to purchase livestock. With any livestock (beyond mollies or damsels) starting at $30.00 each, the livestock can easily ourstrip the system expenses.
Finally, look for used systems. You can get some good deals that way.
Hope this has helped and not discouraged you too much.
 
tony detroit

tony detroit

Active Member

Originally posted by beaslbob
you can save a lot of money by building your own sand and hood.
If you really want to save money , perhaps you could build your own sand. You might be able to collect rainwater from the roof of the house for water changes as well.
LOL
j/k If I didn't do it somebody else would have.
 
skirrby

skirrby

Active Member
now that is something i wouldnt have ever thought of... a wood tank!.. i am thinking about building my own stand... im going to use my dresser for now... and pray that it can hold the weight. im about 100% positive that it can though
 
toyatgrnd0

toyatgrnd0

New Member
and remember this saltwater is a very expensive and VERY ADDICTIVE hobby i swear while i was in college my fish ate better then i did
 
moonrs

moonrs

Member
I can't imagine how a wooden tank would be able to hold water long term. If there is a way to permanently seal it, It definately wouldn't be a bad idea. Thanks, everyone. Please continue leaving feedback... :)
 
javatech

javatech

Member
it's sealed with a two part epoxy water tank paint with a 65mil pond liner to protect the paint from things hitting it hard it's been up for over a year and so far so good. the bigest cost is the glass and the paint
 
shanev

shanev

Member

Originally posted by skirrby
now that is something i wouldnt have ever thought of... a wood tank!.. i am thinking about building my own stand... im going to use my dresser for now... and pray that it can hold the weight. im about 100% positive that it can though
Dresser and some funiture not properlly designed for aquarium use can sag over time. This can put a lot of stress on the tank itself. I would advise against using it long term unless it is really well made.
 
xtremenemo

xtremenemo

Member

Originally posted by Toyatgrnd0
and remember this saltwater is a very expensive and VERY ADDICTIVE hobby i swear while i was in college my fish ate better then i did
I am in college now and this is very true. I just popped a pill for food, because I dont have money to eat so much. but I just fed my fish shrimp. That shrimp sure looks good.
lol
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member

Originally posted by tony detroit
If you really want to save money , perhaps you could build your own sand. You might be able to collect rainwater from the roof of the house for water changes as well.
LOL
j/k If I didn't do it somebody else would have.

:D yeppers but kinda hard to break the rocks that fine LOL
thanks and edited
 
moonrs

moonrs

Member

Originally posted by javatech
it's sealed with a two part epoxy water tank paint with a 65mil pond liner to protect the paint from things hitting it hard it's been up for over a year and so far so good. the bigest cost is the glass and the paint
Where would I find two part epoxy water tank paint? Also, where would I get the liner? What about making it viewable on three sides rather than just the front?
Powdertoastman recommended a great resource for building a tank, also; thank you. To follow up, would I have to go to a special type of glass store to get the right kind? What kind of glass is the right kind, and how thick (for a 100-120 gallon)? How much does glass cost, anyway? When I had it cut to the dimensions I needed, would the edges need to be beveled or cut straight? Sorry for so many more questions at the same time.
:eek:
 
karajay

karajay

Active Member

Originally posted by beaslbob
kinda hard to break the rocks that fine
Maybe the local dept. of corrections could send you a work unit :D
 
M

mastino mike

Guest
I have a 700g plywood tank that is sealed with nothing but a 45ml rubber edpm pondliner and I have had no problems with leaks at all. In my opinion the liner is much easier to work with than epoxy.
 
moonrs

moonrs

Member

Originally posted by Mastino Mike
I have a 700g plywood tank that is sealed with nothing but a 45ml rubber edpm pondliner and I have had no problems with leaks at all. In my opinion the liner is much easier to work with than epoxy.
Any chance you could post a picture of it? It's set into the wall, isn't it? How does it look? and what plans did you use to put it together? Lastly, although I"m only interested in a 100-120 gallon tank, how much did it cost to build your tank? what did you use to bond the liner to the plywood, or at least to seal it?sorry so many questions.
 
M

mastino mike

Guest
I followed the same building guidelines as garf but framed it up with 4x4s. Drop me an email and I can give you some details. It is very easy to build imo. The bare bones tank itself cost me a little over 800 bucks. The only thing is that I wouldnt bother building a 100g or 120 you could probably find a used one in the paper for a great price. Plywood tanks are worth it if they are very very large.
 
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