Anyone here built a plywood aquarium?

[bennyd]

As the title states, wondering if anyone here has donea plywood tank before. I'm heavily considering it and have a few ideas. Just wanted to run the ideas by someone that has a plywood system. I think my ideas are pretty good, just not sure if they're practical. 

 

I was thinking about building a sumpin the stand just like the tank, lined with pond armor and such. 

[Red_Blenny]

1 hour ago, bennyd said:

As the title states, wondering if anyone here has donea plywood tank before. I'm heavily considering it and have a few ideas. Just wanted to run the ideas by someone that has a plywood system. I think my ideas are pretty good, just not sure if they're practical. 

 

I was thinking about building a sumpin the stand just like the tank, lined with pond armor and such. 

I've seen someone use wood + pond liner as a sump like waaaayyyyyyyyyy back in the days. At most, I've seen people build a wood box and shove a rubbermaid trough in it

[Christopher Marks]

Yeah, it's definitely been done before! I remember some old plywood tank DIY articles around the web from the early 2000's. I'll see if I can track any of them down.

[bennyd]

I was watching Joey "King of DIY" and he made a tank with overflow, but just a regular stand. My idea is to build almost like a synergy reef style sump directly into the stand. Would be a nice large sump since it would be basically the size of the main displays footprint and however high I wanted to make it. Then I was thinking building an extra cabinet onto at least one end of it for power strips/electrical and storage. The other end will be the overflow, sort of a peninsula tank, but I'm only doing one viewing panel, maybe, most likely 2. The front and one of the ends. Want the plumbing on the end of the tank so it's easy to access and can be basically all the way up against the wall, leaving room for cords or whatever would need ran behind the tank. One thing that concerns me is power heads. I plan on using 1/2" glass if I do end up tackling this, so I believe I will be limited on power heads that I am able to use and I'll have to get strong ones since I am going to have limited choices to place them I think. I'm not real sure just yet LOL

[seabass]

I've considered it, but never attempted it.  Here's a link that might be helpful: https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/12/aafeature

 

[bennyd]

Thanks. I think I am going to start working on gathering materials after vacation 

[seabass]

I'd love to follow that build from scratch in an aquarium journal.  Can  you please post a link here when you start one?  Thanks!

[bennyd]

Will do. It's gonna be a process. But think it will be fun. 

[bennyd]

I'm also sure it's going to take a while to get done. Have a friend that does construction for a living that's going to help. Pretty sure the worst part is going to be the pond armor. That stuff is NOT cheap. 70$ for 1 1/4qt. And 300$ For a gallon. I think I will be happy with it when it's done though cause it will be exactly what I want it to be. I'm excited and haven't even started. Lol

[xthunt]

I’ve got to ask: why?

 

Genuinely curious

 

[StevieT]

inPlywood

[bennyd]

3 hours ago, xthunt said:

I’ve got to ask: why?

 

Genuinely curious

 

Why what? Why a plywood tank? One reason is you can get the materials for a 350 gallon plywood tank for about 1/4 the cost of an actual aquarium, you can completely customize anything and everything about it. There are many reasons in my opinion.

[bennyd]

3 hours ago, StevieT said:

inPlywood

Am I missing somethin? LOL Think this went right over my head. Which isn't hard, I'm only 4 foot tall.

[1891Bro]

15 minutes ago, bennyd said:

Am I missing somethin? LOL Think this went right over my head. Which isn't hard, I'm only 4 foot tall.

My seven year old would whisper behind your back about the “little person” he just saw. Yeah we teach him the PC terms. It’s 2018 bro!

[xthunt]

28 minutes ago, bennyd said:

Why what? Why a plywood tank? One reason is you can get the materials for a 350 gallon plywood tank for about 1/4 the cost of an actual aquarium, you can completely customize anything and everything about it. There are many reasons in my opinion.

Ok. I guess if you plan on a tank that size it would make sense. I thought you were making a nano or 40 gallon or some other common size, which made me wonder. 

[bennyd]

13 minutes ago, xthunt said:

Ok. I guess if you plan on a tank that size it would make sense. I thought you were making a nano or 40 gallon or some other common size, which made me wonder. 

Hahaha yeah, I can understand what you mean there. I wouldn't even be thinkin about a project like this for a common and fairly cheap tank. That'd be a little crazy. 🙂 Thinkin about it because I've always dreamed of having a decently large system, however $2500+ for a tank alone isn't feasible for me. I'm not that well off. Wish I was, but I'm not so I am looking into the plywood ways. I've seen quite a few really nice plywood systems. 

[seabass]

1 hour ago, bennyd said:

Am I missing somethin? LOL Think this went right over my head. Which isn't hard, I'm only 4 foot tall.

StevieT owns inTank: https://intankaquatics.com/

[bennyd]

Ahhhhh!!! Okay. Hehe

[StevieT]

Is your plywood wet?

5 hours ago, bennyd said:

Am I missing somethin? LOL Think this went right over my head.

 

[bennyd]

On 5/25/2018 at 1:59 AM, StevieT said:

Is your plywood wet?

 

Not yet Stevie! Going on family vacation on the first of june. I plan to start buying materials when we get back and working on it one or 2 days a week until I have it done. Might take a few months, but I really want to move forward with this project. Me being only 4ft tall with having dwarfism and other body problems because of the dwarfism, this is going to be a project made to hopefully accomadate my disabilities. If only I were able to get some of these big companies to donate some equipment haha. In  my dreams. 

 

But this project is going to become a reality one day. I will start a proper build thread on the first day, the first post will be when I get to Lowe's or the lumber yard here and make the first purchase of lumber for the system. I hope this turns out as I am envisioning. In my head this system is going to be sweet. Let's hope it really is. 

[squamptonbc]

On 5/24/2018 at 4:57 PM, bennyd said:

Why what? Why a plywood tank? One reason is you can get the materials for a 350 gallon plywood tank for about 1/4 the cost of an actual aquarium, you can completely customize anything and everything about it. There are many reasons in my opinion.

Cost is why I am going to use a stock tank when I decide to go big, I just want a few larger fish and the cost of an appropriate sized aquarium is nuts, but a stock tank is pretty inexpensive, and there are some really nice indoor marine ponds using them, of course no side view and only top view.

[bennyd]

That is why I am wanting to do the plywood. I would like to have 2 viewing panels, but we will see what the end result turns into. I really hope this is a successful build. It will make a lot of my dreams come true. 

[squamptonbc]

4 hours ago, bennyd said:

That is why I am wanting to do the plywood. I would like to have 2 viewing panels, but we will see what the end result turns into. I really hope this is a successful build. It will make a lot of my dreams come true. 

If you haven't already try monster fishkeepers forums, I know some folks over there have built plywood aquariums, its freshwater mostly, but still neat plywood tanks that have been built.

 

Good luck with your project.

[bennyd]

2 hours ago, squamptonbc said:

If you haven't already try monster fishkeepers forums, I know some folks over there have built plywood aquariums, its freshwater mostly, but still neat plywood tanks that have been built.

 

Good luck with your project.

Thanks for the info. I'll have to check them out.

[bennyd]

So... I'm thinking my dimensions for this plywood system will be 84x36x30. Might go a little shorter, 24" tall instead of 30". Not 100% sure  yet, but the space I plan to put the tank would be able to have an 8ft long tank, but I am going to do 7ft so that I can have a little extra space on the end where I am planning to put the overflow/plumbing.

 

I am currently thinking that I am going to build every aspect of this tank from plywood, overflow boxes, sump(which is going to be made directly into the stand), I think I am also going to try to replicate as much as I can a synergy reef triton sump. With heater holder, probe holder, adjustable baffles and all. I already have the ideas of how this will be accomplished. Now just to make it happen! In approximately 2-3 weeks I will make my first trip to the store for lumber, self-tapping screws and wood glue.