4300 Gallon Plywood Build (3600+ Take 2)
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How much space do you have? The bigger you build it, the cheaper it gets per gallon.zdavidz;4006964; said:
Here's why.
First off, the hydrostatic paradox tells us that the pressure is the same in a body of water no matter what the footprint it takes up as long as the height remains the same.
If you're going huh? at that, here's something to make it clearer.
My tank is 6' 2" deep and covers 96 sq. ft. (12' x 8' basically excluding random inches).
If I had the room, I wouldn't have had to cut the 10' 2x6s and 14' 2x6s shorter. I still had to buy them to make my cuts, but the cost remains the same. No increase to go bigger.
The walls and floor would only be marginally bigger, so probably 2-3 more sheets of plywood max considering the extra I had left over.
Not any more Permadri coating. 20-30 sq. ft. per gallon gives plenty of stretch to cover the marginal increase.
Probably 5 lbs. more 3" deck screws $28
2-3 tubs of liquid nails $12
2-3 sheets of plywood $60
So here's what we have. For $100 more, I go from having a 4300 gallon tank to having a 5500 gallon tank.
Last check I was running around .91 per gallon.
I spend $100 more to build it bigger and my cost just went to about .73 per gallon.
In my opinion, building anything less than 500 gallons is marginal on insanity. But most people would think I'm insane for building a 4300 plywood tank. Not as insane as Anythingfish, but close. I consider myself in very good company.
A tank the size of VLDesign's (Rich) is where you start hitting the sweet spot of building plywood tanks. 1500 gallons. At that point, it really doesn't cost that much more to jump up to something near mine. Just go taller. Rich could make the jump from 1500 to 2500 with very little increase in overall cost.
Acrylic gets to be way cheaper to step up. There was only a few hundred dollar difference between the 1.5" and 2" piece I bought and only about $150 between the 1.25" and 1.5" thickness. There's a substantial jump from 1" to 1.25" though.
Once you hit 3/4", it's time to switch from glass to cell cast acrylic. I wouldn't ever go more than 1" with glass if for no other reason than the weight.
So, I ask again. How much space do you have?
What's your budget for the tank?
There's a very few things I'd do different, but there are quite a few leassons I've learned along the way.
1) Take advantage of dimensional lumber and build your tank accordingly. If you have room for a 9 ft. tank, build an 8 ft. one. Don't cut a 10 ft. board to eek out that extra ft. Build the tank taller or wider instead.
For most people, an 10 ft long x 4 ft wide x 4 ft deep tank would be a great project. Two reasons: uses dimensional lumber and 4x8 sheets of cell cast 1" thick are cheap. You may have to go slightly taller to compensate for the "extra" dimension on the acrylic though.
2) As mentioned in number 1, check the dimensions of the cell cast acrylic before applying sealant to it. Mine came in at 50x99 instead of 48x96 as I had ordered. Figured out that for glazing (windows) applications a little extra is included to account for the overlap needed to glaze (seal) the window. In this case, an inch on the short sides and 2 inches on the long sides. This makes it to where the viewing window is actually 48x96. Have your salesperson put a tape on the piece they are sending before they ship it.
Contact Nationwide and ACI Plastics for quotes then call Laird to beat those and order your cell cast acrylic from them. Yes, I don't care what anyone says otherwise. YOU MUST USE CELL CAST ACRYLIC not extruded.
3) Dow 795 is great stuff and I'd recommend it over any other silicone product. My friend who had 135K and 107K saltwater aquariums used it on his. He's told me that zoos and aquariums use it as well. There's virtually no smell to it. Nothing like the vinegar nastiness of regular silicone. It bonds great to hard rubber gasket/space pieces too. Permadri products like it too.
Lesson learned. Apply it to BOTH the frame AND the glass/acrylic before tilting the window in place.
There's more, but I'm afraid the internet is going to nuke my post.
Well put Pete, However if I may just add one point to your statement.
Confidence in your abilities. You may have the money, time, and space for a 4000 gallon tank, but if lacking the necessary skills then it will be a disaster.
Having said that I would recommend a smaller build. my 240 is a great start. Can be built with 2 sheets of plywood, and glass. I am a relatively skilled carpenter, but when putting water in my house I want to be sure that I can do it. I would much rather have a 240 bust than a 4000.
Just my 2 cents
Bear
Confidence in your abilities. You may have the money, time, and space for a 4000 gallon tank, but if lacking the necessary skills then it will be a disaster.
Having said that I would recommend a smaller build. my 240 is a great start. Can be built with 2 sheets of plywood, and glass. I am a relatively skilled carpenter, but when putting water in my house I want to be sure that I can do it. I would much rather have a 240 bust than a 4000.
Just my 2 cents
Bear
I disagree completely. I'm no carpenter. Anyone who can use a chop saw, drill, speed square, level, and caulk gun can build a tank like I built.john73738;4007781; said:
You probably need a better set of skills to build a 240. A small tank like that is more dependent on precision measurements. Not that you couldn't build a 240 with 2x6 walls, but it wouldn't be practical.
In my opinion, unless you already have the glass from another tank i.e. like my 90 gallon expansion project, it's a complete waste of money and energy to build something so small. Bare minimum, a 500 gallon would be easily done. I'd recommend 750-1000 with the same piece of glass you'd use for the 240. Make it the same height and you have no different pressure.
Anyone who is willing to ask questions and listen to some advice can build a big plywood tank. Don't be hardheaded about it. Ask why. If the person can't explain why, then you probably shouldn't listen to them.
Pete, it doesn't matterhow far away the pump is from the tank. My pump is in a different room. The temperature and pump controler hangs on the outside wall of the tank room with the probe in the water. The 12-2 w/ground runs from the controler to the pump to the other room. It doesn't matter if it's 10' away or 100' away. But if you plan to control everything from your phone the n you're on your own! LOL I'm still in the dark ages on that one! LOL
That was a great post. Does your $0.91/gallon cost include pumps, plumbing, lighting, heating and room prep? Or is that just the tank costs? It seems to me that the real cost of building a big tank is in the plumbing, filtration, and heating.
I was referring to you being able to plumb directly from your hot water heater to the heating coil in the tank and back again. I have a two story house and I'd have to cut open the kitchen ceiling to plumb it the same way you have yours done.TheFishGuy;4007858; said:
Plywood tank building does NOT include filters, heating, lighting, room prep any more than buying a glass/acrylic tank does. The real cost of building the tank is the costs to prep the area and build the tank. That's the only way you can compare apples to apples.kallmond;4007859; said:
You forgot the cost i'd incur of my wife leaving me if I attempted to build my dream tank (see your tank). With two kids, that would run me what, 30 - 35 grand a year? 
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