# Building 85G plywood tank, and trying to sneak in a 275G...



## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

It seems I still had a 4'x20" piece of glass left over from the 55G I took apart to build my 180G. So I decided to build a tank around 75G. While deciding on the cut list I realized I'd have to use at least two sheets of plywood. Sooooo, I figured why not design it so that the scrap could be utilized for another tank. I'm gonna end up w/a plywood tank that has interior dimensions of: 51.5"Lx18"Wx21"H.










And I was able to get the bottom and both sides of a tank that will have interior dimensions of: 8'Lx28.25"Wx23.75"H.
(hiding behind the house so the wife doesn't see  )









So I only have to buy one more sheet of plywood and cut it in half long ways to use as the front and the back. This tank will utilize glass from the front and both sides of the 110G I took apart to reseal...










The part that's making me feel kind of greedy is that I already have a 135G sitting outside 










Anywhoo, the 85G will be drylok directly on plywood, but I haven't yet decided how I'll seal the bigger one.


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

Sounds like a lot of fun, good luck!

Thought that you had space issues in the current house? Where's the proposed 275 gonna go?


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## Hoosier Tank (May 8, 2007)

Heh Heh...
Your MTS already has the new marriage based on deceit :lol:


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

*mithesaint*We do have space issues, BUT our lease is up at the end of this month so we're moving. Still searching for the perfect place that has the space inside for tanks and fenced backyard for my motorcycles. So far the search hasn't gone well, but I'm sure we'll find something. And if worst comes to worst I'm willing to keep the new larger tank outside. I plan on insulating it and doing the outside of the tank w/exterior grade paint anyway.
*Hoosier Tank*It's not deceit. I already told her the plan, but she didn't believe me. Not my fault :wink:


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## Hoosier Tank (May 8, 2007)

imusuallyuseless said:


> *Hoosier Tank*It's not deceit. I already told her the plan, but she didn't believe me. Not my fault :wink:


Oh... well in that case, game on... even if it seems to sound like a "dare" sometimes! :lol:


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

Game on indeed :thumb:

Anywhoo, I finished the box. Unfortunately, four or five of my screws penetrated through the bottom of the wood. This means I'll have to remove then redrill these spots. After that I can cut out the window and start painting. I work from 4:30 tomorrow morning until 5pm, and then have class from 6-9, but I think I can make more progress on thursday. If I wake up early enough on thursday I should be able to put the glass in place before I go to work. Maybe test fill by the weekend if i'm lucky


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

Window cut out...









Still trying to figure out plumbing. I want to drill my holes before I drylok though :?


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

So i got impatient...


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

1st coat...


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## Turtlemaxxx (Jul 13, 2007)

stop, stop, you are making this look too easy! and me with the glass from a torn down 150 in my garage... good thing im laid off, or it would be even harder to resist building. Keep it up useless

-matt


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

Do it *Turtlemaxxx*, you know you want to...(peer pressure, peer pressure :lol: )

Really sorry to hear you're laid off. I guess i'm pretty lucky that my hours were cut not gone completely.

Anywhoo, this is just the baby one so my wife can get used to the idea. The big one will be using the glass from the 5' 110G i was supposed to reseal :wink:


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Dude... Use atleast five coats of drylok. ALL of my drylok on plywood tanks have failed, all of them!

so does she know about it yet?


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

TheFishGuy said:


> Dude... Use atleast five coats of drylok. ALL of my drylok on plywood tanks have failed, all of them!


After how long?????


> so does she know about it yet?


We haven't further discussed the 275G because we've been busy trying to find a new place to live. We're trying to move within the next two-three weeks, but haven't decided on a place yet :?


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

The straight regular plywood lasted two years I think... But the one I made out of O.S.B. only lasted a year... It's leaking all over the floor right now LOL thank God for floor drains... It's the sump for the 240 so I'm not overly concerned...



> We haven't further discussed the 275G because we've been busy trying to find a new place to live.


And building fish tanks....................


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

Two years is more then enough time...especially considering I'm not really spending much. Besides, once a leak does develop then I'll just turn around and sell it as a reptile enclosure.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Way to stay positive! LOL I think if more coats of drylok are applied (more than the three I put on) you might last a little longer...


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

Well I'll be using the whole gallon so I think I should get at least four coats out of it. Also I plan to use silicone to line the entire inside of the tank w/styro. This will obviously be for the base coat of my backround. I pretty much trying to make it so that the water is held in by the backround and the glass. We'll see what happens :fish:


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

be sure to silicone all the inside corners or the drylok will crack...


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

I will use all the drylok on the inside, then silicone all the seams and the window in. Then once that's all dry I'll silicone the base sheet of the styro in place and do those seams as well. From there I'll build up the styro from the backround. Once all that's dry I'll do the cement. Should come out ok...


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Are you trying to make it as heavy as possible? :lol:

opcorn:


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

TheFishGuy said:


> Are you trying to make it as heavy as possible? :lol:
> 
> opcorn:


No, I just have a new-found facination w/backrounds. Just completed my 1st one for my 50G and although I didn't initially like it, it has since grown on me... 
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=183233&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Well get busy and get here and start on mine...


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

Will do just have to get sick and call in to work again :thumb:


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

imusuallyuseless said:


> I will use all the drylok on the inside, then silicone all the seams and the window in.


Didn't you have a gallon of Sweetwater epoxy a while back?


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

iceblue said:


> Didn't you have a gallon of Sweetwater epoxy a while back?


Good memory. I did in fact have a gallon of sweetwater a while back. I actually never used it though. I built a 75G plywood tank very similar to the one in this thread, but the front frame was 4 pieces instead of one piece w/the window cut out. Anyway, I received the epoxy and was going to use it, but I ended up moving across the state a month or two later to move in w/my then fiancee. In short I never got to seal the tank. I left the epoxy somewhere at my moms and gave away the tank to someone I knew from a local fish forum. I should've looked for it, when I went home for christmas, but I forgot...probably expired now anyway :?


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

I used a gallon of it that was supposedly well over a year and half past experation date to seal the trough in my hood and to paint the bottom shelf of my tank stand. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all. It hardened to a plastic as tough as the fresh paint I used to seal my tank. A gallon would be enough to seal your tank with seven or eight coats.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

I believe the expiration is if it's been opened???


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

Yeah that's what I thought too. When I realized how far past the date the paint was when ready to coat the tank I called the manufacturer. Their engineers recommended getting a new batch so I bought another 2 gallons. After coating the tank I thought what the heck, lets give the old stuff a try on some not so critical areas. It went on just as well as the new stuff. I think they just wanted another sale on the the books or were worried about liability if it didn't work. Either way I don't think it would hurt to try it.


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

I'll see if I can convince my brother to look for my sweetwater, but it's unlikely.

In any case, the big tank has been *canceled*. We've just signed a year long lease for a place that is on the second floor  Very spacious w/beautiful wood floors and is much closer to my job. Living there will be ALOT more comfortable than our current place, but I definitely wouldn't feel comfortable putting a tank that large upstairs...especially a plywood one :?

I'm still going to complete the 85G as it's too late to go back on that one, but I'm gonna be using the plywood pieces that I set aside for the big tank to make a stand instead. I still have the 135G sitting outside, but I'm certain it needs to be resealed. I also have the 110G that's already been completely disassembled. Neither of the those two have stands. I was going to use the 110G glass for the big tank, but now I think I may just rebuild it and put that in the new place, while I keep the 135G in storage until I can reseal it...

BTW Sorry for the lack of updates. Although I'm not working 65hrs. a week anymore, school has been kicking my @$$. We'll be moving to the new place on saturday. Hopefully I can finished up the 85G, reseal the 110G and build the stand before then.


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

You've got a lot of work ahead of you! Have taking it all up the STAIRS :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Hoosier Tank (May 8, 2007)

Congrats on the new place but sorry about the big tank projest. Glad to know the lease allows you to put the 110 up. Some 2nd floor places forbid aquariums of ANY size.


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## imusuallyuseless (Dec 28, 2005)

*TheFishGuy*, Uh thanks, dick!!! Anyway, I'm taking two days off of work so I can do it, while my wife's friends are available to help.

*Hoosier Tank*,They didn't specifically say I could put the 110 up. There was a 4 page application asking about pets and whether or not we'd have any water furniture like water beds. Said we had fish for pets and put that we had aquariums. They didn't say anything when we went to sign the lease so......................

Anyway, got a pretty good jump on the 110G stand in my break between work and school:

























Time to go learn now :dancing: :dancing: :dancing: :dancing: :dancing: :dancing:


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## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

I am not a p.p.


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