west epoxy plywood tank

[KevinK]

ok, getting started with a frag tank / sump, where I can put everything in, as we soled the house, and we are prepairing for the move.\

in order to keep stuf alive, I will build the sump for my future new tank, and put what I have all in there, and than in a few months, i will build the main display tank.

any how, so the size I'm going for is 6 feet long x 3 1/2 feet and 1 feet tall, in this tank I will put everything in rows. (water depth would than be about 10inches)

so back to wat I need, and keeping in mind that I will use the info also for my main tank, that will be about 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 feet sq. and about 30 inches TALL


- I go for west system
- how thick ? would 1/6 inch do, ore would less be ok, ore do I need more
- I will ad 1 layer of fiberglass to be shore
- do I go for the west system 5:1 mix kits, ore the 3:1 mix kits

the screw hols, do I gust putty them ?

when adding layers of west, I read that when it is not fullt hardened, like still a bit tacky, I ad a new layer, and than when one side is dun, I turn it all, san the corner a bit and add layerson that side.

ore

do I ad one layer, flip it do the other and flip it, and so on, but than once I get back to the first one, it is fullly hardened

anny how, some guydance ore tips ?

[KevinK]

hmm, no one

[StirCrazy]

don't know if anyone has used west system to build a plywood tank. I have seen it but nopt used it myself and I almost wonder if it is overkill for a tank.

regular fiberglass resin and material should surfice as your going to have to paint it with an epoxy after to get the color you want.

use a quality bondo to fill in any holes first.

Steve

[lastlight]

Nobody still around on canreef has done this to my knowledge. My instinct would be to ask over on RC as that's got plenty of such builds. One even degraded over time and had to be taken down so there are lessons to be learned as well.

[TimT]

I have made plywood and acrylic tanks(4' x 8' x 16" tall) before. I quit making plywood tanks years ago as acrylic is easier to work with and better suited to aquariums than plywood. Plywood tanks generally have a limited life span unless you do a perfect job and never have rock tumble and hit side of tank, which cracks the resin and then the fun starts!!!

Couple important points for plywood tanks:
-Use Marine Grade Plywood as the glue is waterproof
-Use Stainless Steel screws and pre drill all screw holes
-Food safe fiberglas or epoxy resin is good. use two coats.
-Pigment can be added to the final coat
-Use aquarium silicone in all corner seams. You will need to scuff(with 120 grit sandpaper) the cured epoxy/fibreglas and then clean with isopropyl alcohol so the silicone will stick.
-Curing fibreglas/epoxy fumes are not good to breath. Use a respirator and don't do it in a house.

anymore questions you can pm me.

[KevinK]

So I placed my order of epoxy, and cloth

I`m sorry to mention that I went to US composite for all this, I would like to have the local company to make a dollar as well, but for me it turned out to be Canadian price –45% and than is the shipping already in it.

I have 12.5 gallon of epoxy coming over, I will probably need 3 to 4 gallons for my sump (3x7 and 16 inches tall) the sump will function as a frag tank as well, the plan is to put the skimmer in one corner of it (about 18 x 18 inches) than next to it 18x18 my fudge corner with 4 inches of live sand, and than the remaining 5.5x3 feet will be frag tank.

plan is to put a divider in the 5.5x3 feet frag part, by placing a 3.5 feet strip of acrylic in the middle, making it 5.5x1.5 feet x 2 (2 sides).

reason for the divider is to direct flow of the pump, in this case I only need one tunze mounted on a sea swirl pushing over 2.000 gal. of water into one channel, and by the movement of the sea swirl, it will push water into the other channel, giving the water direction in the channel a 180 degree turn, each 8 ore some what seconds.

the remaining epoxy I will use later on to build my main tank, but this would be a few months later.

all sides will be covered with 2 layers of 7.5 oz. woven fiberglass, this should keep it nice and stiff, egg crate on the entire bottom, and it should last (I hope !!)

[KevinK]

Originally Posted by TimT

I have made plywood and acrylic tanks(4' x 8' x 16" tall) before. I quit making plywood tanks years ago as acrylic is easier to work with and better suited to aquariums than plywood. Plywood tanks generally have a limited life span unless you do a perfect job and never have rock tumble and hit side of tank, which cracks the resin and then the fun starts!!!

Couple important points for plywood tanks:
-Use Marine Grade Plywood as the glue is waterproof
-Use Stainless Steel screws and pre drill all screw holes
-Food safe fiberglas or epoxy resin is good. use two coats.
-Pigment can be added to the final coat
-Use aquarium silicone in all corner seams. You will need to scuff(with 120 grit sandpaper) the cured epoxy/fibreglas and then clean with isopropyl alcohol so the silicone will stick.
-Curing fibreglas/epoxy fumes are not good to breath. Use a respirator and don't do it in a house.

anymore questions you can pm me.

tim, proublem is that the acrylick locally is $12 a sqft for 1/4 material, so for a 7x3 and 16 inch tall tank, that sould be lots of $$, and the acrylick needs support as well, so for wood, there is not much to save on