520 gallon plywood tank
- Thread starter Leebtattoos
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- diy gar plywoodtank
I could I suppose. Just trying to decide if throwing more money at this tank is worth it or not.
Can you get a larger piece of glass so you don’t have those large gaps you have now?
Even if you had to start to start completely over you’re still gonna be saving money from what an acrylic tank of that size would cost.
If I were in your shoes I’d buy a piece of glass that would fit better. And if for some crazy reason it still leaked after that you’d have it for the new tank you build.
Even if you had to start to start completely over you’re still gonna be saving money from what an acrylic tank of that size would cost.
I feel your pain man. I won't bore ya with the long details but short version- 2 years ago I put a whole years work into building up an entire in wall 265g glass tank with 3dbg and the whole wall was all hand carved etc etc. That tank leaked after 1 month, I resealed it, then it leaked ago a month later, resealed a third time and leaked again. Ended up needing reseal between the glass and not just the fillet seam. I was so frustrated and PO'd at all the work I wasted I took a sledge to that tank to get it out of my basement and then just about got out of fish keeping completely.
I'm glad I didn't though because now 2 yrs later I have some really cool tanks that I totally enjoy. So best thing to do for you right now is wait a few days till the frustration is past and then decide if you want to try redoing this one again, or redo a new one, or what the game plan is gonna be. Just don't make any rash decisions today/tomorrow because if you're anything like me you'll not be thinking straight on this for a few days till aggravation of it all settles down.
Yeah. Well I think I have a few options to redo this plywood tank. But it’ll take fairly serious overhauls. My bedroom has been on hold for a month now because I didn’t want to move forward until it was finished.
So I found a 220 that’s virtually the same size but only 24” wide obviously. It’s $300. I think I’ll get this tank out and that tank in place for now. My Gar will thrive in that at least a year or two. Then I have more than enough time to fix this and test it in my shop before moving it back in.
My plan I believe is to first remove the glass obviously. Then instead out building on the outside to reinforce, cut out the exact size window I need and insert it from the inside. Then I’ll do more pond armor/ fiberglass seams, etc. and put in a new piece of glass cut specifically for the window, vs me trying to be cheap. Ultimately I didn’t just build a tank. I built a tank, a 16x20 master bedroom, and a 12x20 porch. I am tired of throwing money at stuff haha. I have confidence I can make it work. Just need to get my house settled down for a bit. When it’s all said and done, I’ll have an extra 220 to use for whatever I want in a year or two.
So I found a 220 that’s virtually the same size but only 24” wide obviously. It’s $300. I think I’ll get this tank out and that tank in place for now. My Gar will thrive in that at least a year or two. Then I have more than enough time to fix this and test it in my shop before moving it back in.
My plan I believe is to first remove the glass obviously. Then instead out building on the outside to reinforce, cut out the exact size window I need and insert it from the inside. Then I’ll do more pond armor/ fiberglass seams, etc. and put in a new piece of glass cut specifically for the window, vs me trying to be cheap. Ultimately I didn’t just build a tank. I built a tank, a 16x20 master bedroom, and a 12x20 porch. I am tired of throwing money at stuff haha. I have confidence I can make it work. Just need to get my house settled down for a bit. When it’s all said and done, I’ll have an extra 220 to use for whatever I want in a year or two.
Glad to see you're not giving up on it. And that's a pretty darn good price for a 220 as well 
Bum deal bro, it looked really good. Don't give up. I agree with Steve C. Take a week and form a new plan. Best of luck
I crunched the numbers. After what I’ve spent and what it’ll take to fix, I’m basically at a store bought tank. If I was successful, it would have been half price. But I wasn’t.
So with that said, I bought a glasscages tank today. I’ve read the reviews. Although I know reviews are usually most vocal when bad has happened vs, all success stories. I called them and my biggest concern was the warranty policy. Tom said I can put it on my stand, with no problems towards warranty. As long as I put a 3/4” plywood on the stand and use the included 3/4” styrofoam as a buffer between tank and wood, it’s covered.
My other concern was movIng it on its side for 20ft of the move. Again, he said it is fine and won’t affect warranty.
So with that said, this plywood tank will be stored in my shop until, well whenever I get around to it. And I’ll just have relative peace of mind in a month with my giant tank next to my bed. I feel like i cheated on my diy stubbornness, but oh well. If y’all haven’t noticed, I roll with the punches.
So with that said, I bought a glasscages tank today. I’ve read the reviews. Although I know reviews are usually most vocal when bad has happened vs, all success stories. I called them and my biggest concern was the warranty policy. Tom said I can put it on my stand, with no problems towards warranty. As long as I put a 3/4” plywood on the stand and use the included 3/4” styrofoam as a buffer between tank and wood, it’s covered.
My other concern was movIng it on its side for 20ft of the move. Again, he said it is fine and won’t affect warranty.
So with that said, this plywood tank will be stored in my shop until, well whenever I get around to it. And I’ll just have relative peace of mind in a month with my giant tank next to my bed. I feel like i cheated on my diy stubbornness, but oh well. If y’all haven’t noticed, I roll with the punches.
I'm gonna show my age here but in the words of one of the greatest movies ever (Indiana Jones The last Crusade) .. "You have chosen wisely"
I think that's a good choice for now man. Get a nice brand new tank that you don't have to worry about so you can enjoy your fish and then see what you want to do with the plywood later on. At least now you won't feel rushed to tryin get it repaired so you can get fish in it right away.
So how big did you go on the new tank? There's nothing wrong with those glass cages tanks, I know a number of guys in the club that have some of their bigger tanks from them and they have been set up and running for years no issues.
but in the words of one of the greatest movies ever (Indiana Jones The last Crusade) .. "You have chosen wisely" I think that's a good choice for now man. Get a nice brand new tank that you don't have to worry about so you can enjoy your fish and then see what you want to do with the plywood later on. At least now you won't feel rushed to tryin get it repaired so you can get fish in it right away.
So how big did you go on the new tank? There's nothing wrong with those glass cages tanks, I know a number of guys in the club that have some of their bigger tanks from them and they have been set up and running for years no issues.
Ha. Yeah although I’m broke for a little while now, I’m looking forward to getting it in place and making my filter swaps and cycling the tank pretty quick.
I’m having them make a 84x36x25h. Not exactly as large as the plywood, but my original plans where for a 36” deep tank anyways.
It was only $100 more to do 96” but then I’d have to do more construction to the wall to make it fit. So all I need to do Now is minor adjusting and trimming to the stand that’s there and it’ll be basic “plug and play”
