Fish Room Redux - 3600+ Gallon Plywood Tank Build

[cvermeulen]

Understand now?

Yeah I suppose. I hope it works out for you - I think Red O used a similar tactic with Polyurea with his build, it just doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy to have your interior sealer bridge the gap between wood and window. I guess Blue max is probably flexible enough to cope with any movement but it still gives me the heebie jeebies for some reason. Make sure you rough up the acrylic a bit where the blue max is going to adhere, and make sure there's non of the non-hardening window sealant forming a fillet between the wood and acrylic, as I wouldn't count on blue max curing properly when applied over something like that.

I've never reviewed the details of how the windows are sealed on a public aquarium, but I would presume theyre done like the ones in most people's builds where the concrete is sealed, and then the glass is installed, so that the panes can be replaced when they get scratched.

 

[nolapete]

The Dow 795, which has been tried and tested by my friend who has 2600 and 2000 gallon tanks in his house, has built and owned 100,000 gallon shark tanks with his night club and restaurant.

necroanis has already tested Blue Max on wood and acrylic.

The Dow 795 fills the voids, the hard rubber keeps the acrylic from moving.

This isn't something new that I'm trying.

 

[nolapete]

You are probably right though about it not curing under the blue max or the blue max not curing over it. I'll put the Dow 795 between the interior frame and the acrylic, but not put a bead around the edge where the acrylic and wood meet. The Blue Max can cover the join between both.

BTW, Dow 795 isn't "window sealant." It's industrial sealant designed to bond to many different materials. It isn't cheap.

 

[cvermeulen]

Pete I'm not suggesting that your idea is outlandish, I just have a gut feeling about the tank sealant crossing that gap that I don't like. I can't really find a definite technical reason it won't work, it just unsettles me. I felt the same way about Red O's tank, but it seems to be working for him.

I'm familiar with (and a big fan of) the dow products, I was calling it window sealant because you're sealing your window with it.

Just askin questions cuz I'm interested man. I'm rooting for you getting this thing done.

 

[acerkai640]

looks amazing i wish i had the room in my house to do something like that just on a smaller scale.....any new pics of the acrlyic in place?
keep it up

 

[nolapete]

Pete I'm not suggesting that your idea is outlandish, I just have a gut feeling about the tank sealant crossing that gap that I don't like. I can't really find a definite technical reason it won't work, it just unsettles me. I felt the same way about Red O's tank, but it seems to be working for him.

I'm familiar with (and a big fan of) the dow products, I was calling it window sealant because you're sealing your window with it.

Just askin questions cuz I'm interested man. I'm rooting for you getting this thing done.

I know. We've always had good discussions. That's why I've taken the time to try to explain.

The Dow is actually going to form a U-shaped seal around the edge of the acrylic. When you see it finished, you'll be saying, "WOW!" LOL

 

[nolapete]

looks amazing i wish i had the room in my house to do something like that just on a smaller scale.....any new pics of the acrlyic in place?
keep it up

Acrylic just arrived today. If you read the posts from today, you'll see that the piece that arrived was actually bigger than what I ordered, so it wouldn't fit in the current framing. We're going to rebuild the frame to fit the larger acrylic, but my friend who is working with me on this won't be free from his current project for 2 weeks. That gives me time to draw up the plans for the new framing. I'll start on the demolition of the old framing a few days before he's free.

I ordered a 48x96x2 piece and what arrived was a 99-1/8x50x2" piece. A simple mistake. They had two pieces of 2" from a cancelled order and didn't bother to measure them before sending it out and assumed it was 48x96.

 

[NOLAGT]

and assumed it was 48x96.

All together class, an assumption is ...

Glad it all will work out for you Pete. I look forward to checking out out next week when I come get my fish

 

[nolapete]

Hoping to have some time this weekend to get the demo work started. Just going to have to be very careful with the acrylic only a few feet from the wall.

 

[nolapete]

Some demo work going on this weekend, so if you want to stop by, PM me.