LARGE Plywood Tank Build

spanko

spanko

Active Member
Okay Bronc. Now we're talkin! As I look at the video and see the lighting in it my first thought was you should have created the tank so that it sat on it's end. Then the light to dark would have emulated the ocean better. Could have had some of those cool blind fish at the bottom and the reef fish at the top. Imagine the reef wall that could have been created! would have had to have a robot glass cleaner

Looks great man! Can't imagine the beauty it will be as you start to stock it!
 
bronco300

bronco300

Active Member
Originally Posted by nwdyr
http:///forum/post/2815507
Hey,,,turn the lights on man!!!!!!!

Looks good ,,,what I saw of it that is.......

Originally Posted by Coral Keeper
http:///forum/post/2815559
You need BIGGER fish!
lol

Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2815764
Okay Bronc. Now we're talkin! As I look at the video and see the lighting in it my first thought was you should have created the tank so that it sat on it's end. Then the light to dark would have emulated the ocean better. Could have had some of those cool blind fish at the bottom and the reef fish at the top. Imagine the reef wall that could have been created! would have had to have a robot glass cleaner

Looks great man! Can't imagine the beauty it will be as you start to stock it!


thanks guys...remember that these lights are NOT the lights I will have over it, they are just some cheap T5 hoods to give it some light...once I finish selling things out of the 75 and what not I'll move over the 400w system and then we'll really be rockin! It so awesome to be able to sit at one end and watch things go on....and then walk another 4 feet, see something completely different...and walk another 4 ft and see something even more different instead of in my 75 where you sit in the middle and see the same things, I LOVE IT
 
bronco300

bronco300

Active Member
Originally Posted by acrylic51
http:///forum/post/2815662
Hey....I'm stumped on the 45's that are used on the reinforcing......I know you have pics posted here, but what are the angles they are cut.....I played alittle tonight after work 1:00 am and have the bottom pieces, but can't figure the angles for the vertical pieces........ I have the inital skin built, and "dado" and "rabbited" all the joints....I'm going to be incorporating a steel framing around the tank, that will be hidden underneath a thin skin to make the tank "very" rigid.....I'm going to pour epoxy between the 2 skins and laminate the angle iron in place......Will need to pull the welder out this weekend and brush up on my skills....... The dimensions of the new "woody" is 70"Lx48"Wx30". Still haven't totally come up with a plan for bracing the tank front to back yet....Possibly steel rod embedded in wood skin and epoxied or eurobrace with flat still tying the front to back and 1 center brace???? Throw some crazy ideas out there!!!!!!!


what angles? they are 2x2 cut in half to make a 45deg angle....the ends were alot harder in the corner...but any space can be filled by gorilla glue etc...I personally would eurobrace and put a cross beam in there....that should be plenty strong...but I suppose metal can't hurt any...I thought of doing metal as well when i started mine and was highly told that its overkill(although it would put my mind at ease)...now that I am done and have had this tank filled 3 times with water...and has had water about 1.5months now I'm fairly confident I don't have to worry about any bowing or busting....that epoxy is extremely strong..i mean they use it for boating, and you know what kind of beatings they take...obviously they have more than just epoxy, but nonetheless.
 
grubsnaek

grubsnaek

Active Member
actually seeing the tank in motion was insane. i think one of the halides is not working correctly? but to see how long it is............... sh*t have fun filling that thing, and empting your wallet....
 
brandan

brandan

Member
Originally Posted by grubsnaek
http:///forum/post/2816756
actually seeing the tank in motion was insane. i think one of the halides is not working correctly? but to see how long it is............... sh*t have fun filling that thing, and empting your wallet....

The tank only has a few T-5 fixtures on it, the halides are not on yet.
 
bronco300

bronco300

Active Member
Originally Posted by Bronco300
http:///forum/post/2815813
thanks guys...remember that these lights are NOT the lights I will have over it, they are just some cheap T5 hoods to give it some light...once I finish selling things out of the 75 and what not I'll move over the 400w system and then we'll really be rockin! It so awesome to be able to sit at one end and watch things go on....and then walk another 4 feet, see something completely different...and walk another 4 ft and see something even more different instead of in my 75 where you sit in the middle and see the same things, I LOVE IT

 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Sorry Bronco...was a little vague, but was referring to the 45's that were ripped...I was questioning the angle cut on the vertical pieces.......A couple questions.....Any

[hr]
holes you had inside the tank did you fill with wood putty or did you just fill with epoxy? I'm referring to when I attach my wavebox on the far end and when I attach my external overflow on the back of the tank? What is your take on laminating 2 pieces of 3/4" ply together???? I'm under the assumption that as long as it's glued together and screwed, nailed properly there shouldn't be any gaps or pockets between the pieces??????
What's your take? Certain areas of the tank I'd like to double up, but was advised that laminating that way "things happen" between the panels???? I asked what and I never really get a concrete answer as to what would happen or why there would be a gap or void????
 
bronco300

bronco300

Active Member
Originally Posted by acrylic51
http:///forum/post/2817494
Sorry Bronco...was a little vague, but was referring to the 45's that were ripped...I was questioning the angle cut on the vertical pieces.......A couple questions.....Any

[hr]
holes you had inside the tank did you fill with wood putty or did you just fill with epoxy? I'm referring to when I attach my wavebox on the far end and when I attach my external overflow on the back of the tank? What is your take on laminating 2 pieces of 3/4" ply together???? I'm under the assumption that as long as it's glued together and screwed, nailed properly there shouldn't be any gaps or pockets between the pieces??????
What's your take? Certain areas of the tank I'd like to double up, but was advised that laminating that way "things happen" between the panels???? I asked what and I never really get a concrete answer as to what would happen or why there would be a gap or void????
hey bud, i filled anything with epoxy basically...i used glue and nails to seam everything up, then let epoxy fill in the cracks. Why are you going to do two 3/4" pieces? I can see how you would get air pockets between the two panels unless you have something to compress them together everywhere...but even with some airpockets, i'm not sure what it would matter as long as the entire outside would be epoxied so water had absolutely no way of getting in there...but I've never tried it, so not sure if tehre is more to it, like bowing or unlevelness that can occur by doing that.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
I was considering the rigidity of laminated panels.....I don't understand the "air pocket" or gap when the entire surfaces between the 2 pieces are glued and screwed together ever 6" or so......Actually I've been reconsidering the idea though.....I have the basic structure together and it's already rather rigid.......I still have to put the reinforcing strips in which finished last night.....I'll have to get a thread going.....got some many things, going between the tank build, fishroom and sealing.........I'm going to be using acrylic viewing panels vs glass only because locally here the price of glass is just outrageous......over $1,000.00 just for front panel........
How bad was it to do the external wave box?
 
bronco300

bronco300

Active Member
Originally Posted by acrylic51
http:///forum/post/2818946
I was considering the rigidity of laminated panels.....I don't understand the "air pocket" or gap when the entire surfaces between the 2 pieces are glued and screwed together ever 6" or so......Actually I've been reconsidering the idea though.....I have the basic structure together and it's already rather rigid.......I still have to put the reinforcing strips in which finished last night.....I'll have to get a thread going.....got some many things, going between the tank build, fishroom and sealing.........I'm going to be using acrylic viewing panels vs glass only because locally here the price of glass is just outrageous......over $1,000.00 just for front panel........
How bad was it to do the external wave box?
well if you think about putting two pieces of wood together, unless they are 100% smooth and flat with no bows, kinds, bends,etc I imagine youd have a space develop just because the wood wouldnt lay perfect...or while pushing the wood down air bubbles got traped in there or something.
1000 is absolutely nuts!! what size panel are you doing? the wavebox i did was extremely easy...i just made the box by itself, and then screwed it into the tank...you can see that if you go back through my pictures....but it was extremely easy, and epoxy would have been simple as well if i would have poured it before attaching thebox to the tank.
 
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