# DIY plywood tank and stand started



## swrighty747 (Aug 30, 2011)

hey today i started my 100 gallon plywwod aquarium. I have the ply wood all cut to size and finshed cutting up the timber for the stand to day. I am going to try and do this for as cheap as i can as im only 14 but but i still want it to be good quality. the ply wood cost me $150 and the timber for the stand i got for free so so far it has been preety cheap. im going to use pond sealer to waterproff it and thats only $60 and the glass i can get off my dads mate for $20 so i dont think the whole cost wont be all that much. i have only cut up the plywood and timber up and hopfully will start putting to gether the stand this weekend. 








This is my plywood ( im using form ply and there is also the off cuts in the photo)
















this is the timber i got for the stand the timber is wet as i had to clean it. dont mind cleaning it if its free  
i will hopfully put pictures of the stand on by the end of the week end


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## fusion (Jun 21, 2012)

Interesting,
careful those timbers dont warp as they dry out

opcorn:


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

I'm looking forward to see how this turns out!


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## swrighty747 (Aug 30, 2011)

hi all, thought i would put a few pics of the stands on as i got a fair bit done over the weekend. i have got all the frame together and just have to clean it up and give it a sand and make the doors and side.thankfully the timber didnt warp but i didnt soak it i just scrubed it with a brush and water.








so far the stand has cost me only $13. $10 for screws and $3 for the glue. i am going to paint the frame of the stand black and the doors are going to be old fence palings that i got from the dip for free  
i also got the front of the tank cut out with the jig saw and cleaned it up.







(sorry its a bad photo)
hopfully i will get the tank together this week and also have the stand frame painted.


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

I'd add bracing along the back as well, for extra stability.


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## swrighty747 (Aug 30, 2011)

Floridagirl said:


> I'd add bracing along the back as well, for extra stability.


I did the back the same as the front but I wanted to take a photo before it started getting dark lol


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

swrighty747 said:


> Floridagirl said:
> 
> 
> > I'd add bracing along the back as well, for extra stability.
> ...


I just don't want anyone to flood their house like I have recently..lol


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## swrighty747 (Aug 30, 2011)

Floridagirl said:


> swrighty747 said:
> 
> 
> > Floridagirl said:
> ...


Haha thanks don't think mum and dad would be very happy if that happened lol


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## swrighty747 (Aug 30, 2011)

hey, got the doors and the sides done for the stand today. i just used one of the off cuts from the plywoood, used for the tank and cut it in two the two doors and then just used liquid nails to glue the fence pailings in how i wanted them.








(I havent put them on yet because i still have to paint the stand but they do fit  )
for the sides i have used fence pailings again and i am just going to liquid nail them straight on (like below in the pic) once i finshed painting


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

I like it, I would almost want to just set the thing in the sun for a few months let it get all bleached out and leave it be so i looks like something that washed up. Nice work it looks great.


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## rotccapt (May 31, 2011)

i agree i think it looks cool the way it is if anything put a matt clear on it to seal the wood but i think it would look awesome with the distressed wood look


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## Storiwyr (Apr 24, 2012)

rotccapt said:


> i agree i think it looks cool the way it is if anything put a matt clear on it to seal the wood but i think it would look awesome with the distressed wood look


I think so too, I love that wood!


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## swrighty747 (Aug 30, 2011)

hey thanks for the sugestions for the stand i have decited that i am going to do the frame black and just leave the doors and side as they are. i finished sanding the tank earlier this week and have now done my 3 coats of undercoat and have done one coat of the black.








Sorry it not a good photo the sun was in the wrong spot. 
i also got the tank put together yesterday 








i am going to do my overflow some time this week hopfully be fore i go away if not next week. and give the stand one more coat and get the doors and side ons.


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

It's coming along nicely!


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## swrighty747 (Aug 30, 2011)

hey
I got the second coat of paint on the stand on last wednesday but didnt get any thing done over the week end as i went away. today i got the doors and side on and i think it looks heaps good and i am very happy with it. so far the hardest part of the tank and stand has been the painting it took me forever to try get it right and it still is not as good as would of liked it but when the tank is ontop i dont think you will notice the paint job on the stand to much. just have to get handels and latches on the doors and put my shelf in then i am done with the stand.








The stand with the doors on  








This is the side ( the other side is the same so i didnt worry bout putting another pic)


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

That looks sharp. I really like the look of the black trim and weathered wood. -Is it cedar?


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## swrighty747 (Aug 30, 2011)

hi all 
got the over flow for the sump done to day just have to glue it all together and put some brakets in.it was pretty cheap the pvc pipe, elbows and caps only cost me $18 but i had to buy a 32mm drill bit that cost me $20 so that boosted the price up a bit but i think it is still a pretty cheap overflow. i also brought my latches for the stand today but they didnt have any latches in black so i had to get silver and i am just going to paint it black and do a clear coat of paint so it dosent chip when opening the stand. 


DanniGirl said:


> That looks sharp. I really like the look of the black trim and weathered wood. -Is it cedar?


hey thanks na i dont think it is cedar not quite sure what it is lol.








This my over flow i am either going to drill heaps of holes in the end cap and paint it black or get a peice of black mesh and sylicon to the end of the pipe not sure yet still deciding. When the tank is on the stand you cant even see the over flows witch i like as my tank now has a filter and heater in it and now with the sump you wont even see anything.








This is the overflow from the back (bracing will go on the back of the stand so the pipes stay in place not like they are now)








(still have to drill the holes and put bracing in)
next i have to paint the outside of my tank and then i will start water proffing it


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## PaNiK (Dec 10, 2003)

I can't wait to see this completed, it looks awesome so far. Good luck!


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## iandraco (Jan 27, 2012)

looks great so far. keep up the good work. would like to build one of these myself someday.


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## swrighty747 (Aug 30, 2011)

Hey guys sorry has been an update in a while but really not much has been done. I am up to water proofing the tank but I am going on a holiday in 2 weeks for two weeks so I am going to wait till I get back from that before I start as the weather is only just starting to warm up here but by the time I'm back should be perfect. Also I'm going to start my sump build soon I am going to use my old 4 foot tank  I have got a few questions about my sump 
1- how many 32mm bio balls will I need? ( tank is 375 liters or 100 gal) 
2- how many times should my tank be cycled ( don't know if it maters but I will be keeping tangs) 
3- what other filter media do you use
4- if you have any photos of your sump setups plz post to give me ideas 
Thanks in advance


PaNiK said:


> I can't wait to see this completed, it looks awesome so far. Good luck!


Hey thanks carnt wait to get it done either. 



iandraco said:


> looks great so far. keep up the good work. would like to build one of these myself someday.


Hey thanks heaps. Yer it's so fun I wanna get it don't but I sorta don't cos I really like building it


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## austings (May 12, 2012)

1. General rule is one gallon of bio balls for each 30 gallons.If the tank is 100 gallons, Id put a little over 2 gallons in.
2. Most people shoot for 10x, But with a sump, I have read you dont nee quite that much. Id say 6-8x turn over.
3. You would need some sort a foam to take debris out of the tank. I think people use different ppi foam pads. So say 100/50/20 ppi all in layers. 
4. Heres a great sump build -Sump Build


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## swrighty747 (Aug 30, 2011)

austings said:


> 1. General rule is one gallon of bio balls for each 30 gallons.If the tank is 100 gallons, Id put a little over 2 gallons in.
> 2. Most people shoot for 10x, But with a sump, I have read you dont nee quite that much. Id say 6-8x turn over.
> 3. You would need some sort a foam to take debris out of the tank. I think people use different ppi foam pads. So say 100/50/20 ppi all in layers.
> 4. Heres a great sump build -Sump Build


hey thanks for the reply it helped me a heap  the pump i had chosen will cycle about 10 times an hour but i will just put a valve in the returne hose if its flowing to fast. i have sort of copied the sump you put the link up to, but i just changed some of the measuments as my sump is longer and am also going to put straws in with the bio balls and for the bio-media i am using lava rock  i am going to put the spray bar in the sump under the water but i am going to put a air rater under the lava rock will this be ohk? and the spray bar going into the tank is going to be above water to  i put the filter wool on top of the foam pads instead of below. i have marked out were the glass has to go and i will see if i can get my brothers glasss cutter tomorrow to cut the glass out.
this is the plans    








also i have one question witch section would i be best to put the heaters in?
thanks


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## swrighty747 (Aug 30, 2011)

Hi 
Started my sump today  I cut out and siliconed in the dividers this afternoon ( I am defiantly not the best glass cutter lol) I am having trouble finding egg crate in Australia and was wondering if any one had an idea what I could use instead? I will be ordering my filter foam, bio balls and filter wool this week And hopefully get them soon  
Here is the sump so far


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

Looks Good
Flow through the sump is pretty good everywhere, so you could put the heaters in the first section where the water comes in.


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