Glass will not arrive until a week from Monday. Can't complain cause I got it for $127 out the door
Posted on mobile.monsterfishkeepers.com
Posted on mobile.monsterfishkeepers.com
My Plywood Build 250 Gallon
- Thread starter john73738
- Start date
Very true. I will have all done prior to glass arriving
Posted on mobile.monsterfishkeepers.com
Posted on mobile.monsterfishkeepers.com
TFG:TheFishGuy;4083334; said:
You state the drylok directly on plywood will only last about 10 months. What begins to happen to the tank and filtration system at the point in time?
Additionally, you are referring to Sweetwater Epoxy Products, when you use the term "drylok", correct? Just curious of the terms used. A bit confusing is all. Please Advise.
David,
Drylok is a concrete sealant, and Sweetwater is an Epoxy. They are two different Product names.
There is the debate that Drylok is not suitable for submersion, however on the UGL website I looked up the Datasheet for Drylok, and it states on it that it can be used for concrete fish ponds. This tells me that it is suitable for submersion, however I do not know how it works on plywood. I would not trust it personally on an entire tank, but I am willing to give it a shot on a partially submerged filter. If it does not work all I am out is 1/2 sheet of plywood, and a gallon of drylok.
Sweetwater on the other hand is a Aquaculture epoxy that is suitable for long term submersion. It is made to adhere to concrete, metal, and wood. It is a very hard, smooth material.
I can only imagine that is the drylok does not adhere to wood long term there will be some form of peeling, and clogging of the filtration system.
Hope this answers your question.
Bear
Drylok is a concrete sealant, and Sweetwater is an Epoxy. They are two different Product names.
There is the debate that Drylok is not suitable for submersion, however on the UGL website I looked up the Datasheet for Drylok, and it states on it that it can be used for concrete fish ponds. This tells me that it is suitable for submersion, however I do not know how it works on plywood. I would not trust it personally on an entire tank, but I am willing to give it a shot on a partially submerged filter. If it does not work all I am out is 1/2 sheet of plywood, and a gallon of drylok.
Sweetwater on the other hand is a Aquaculture epoxy that is suitable for long term submersion. It is made to adhere to concrete, metal, and wood. It is a very hard, smooth material.
I can only imagine that is the drylok does not adhere to wood long term there will be some form of peeling, and clogging of the filtration system.
Hope this answers your question.
Bear
great looking project, nice work. I'll be using you're tank as an example to my wife. Please can I do this too?........
Thanks, It has been a great project, Cant wait to be done, though I am afraid of the impending let down that it is finished and I am not working on it anymore 
Thanks Bear, you did answer my question. Did you purchase the S.W. Epoxy Gel for use on your tank?john73738;4090965; said:
I have debated within myself with lining my tank with concrete board, taping and mudding seams and joints with the S.W. Epoxy Primer (PT20), and then coating with the S.W. Epoxy Paint (PT1 - PT10). I then read on their product statistic sheet that they have a S.W. Epoxy Gel (PT98) that can be used on wood/fiberglass.
The issues I see with these 3 products are the method of application to a tank. The Epoxy Primer - PT20, and the Epoxy Paint - PT1-PT10 can be applied by being sprayed, using a 4" short hair brush or a paint roller. The Epoxy Gel on the other hand is applied with a hand trowel only, (well that is what it states on the stat. sheet).
Cost of the S.W. Epoxy Products is another issue. You by the products in a kit. An A:B mixture. And if memory serves me correctly, they all cover somewhere around 125 sq. ft. of surface at 20 mils thick. My point here is just for the primer kit alone is a butt load of cash. I was quoted $124.00 + a $55.00 S & H fee which included their Hazmat shipping cost as well. $179.00 for my total cost to have it sent from the manufacturer/distributor/wholesale/retailer to my house in Arizona. Like I said, a butt load of money just for one kit. WOW.
So you can see the cost effctiveness (as I do ) with lining a tank with concrete board and using the Drylok, as The Fish Guy stated earlier in this thread. BTW, is drylok ridgid when it dries? -or- is it a little flexible?
Another question comes to mind also. In using concrte board to line a tank, to have a long term water tightness of one's tank, is there a recommended thickness of concrete board other tank builders use for their tanks? When reading other threads of DIY Builds where they use concrete board to line thier tanks, I've noticed that 3/8" thick con. board is used. Not 1/4" or 1/2". I guess it may be due to one's budget or material availability at the local hardware store.
If you brace the tank well with 2x4 or 2x6 then use 3/4" plywood that should be more than enough strength. Con board is not really needed. I just used bondo rather than all the fancy stuff sold by SW. I used the epoxy paint rather than the gel. It went on very well. I have seen large tanks that use it also without the tape and mud.
I find the SW epoxy to be strong and very flexable having set for 5 days now.
Good Luck, also the coverage is 125-150 ft2 at 4mils not 20mils.
I find the SW epoxy to be strong and very flexable having set for 5 days now.
Good Luck, also the coverage is 125-150 ft2 at 4mils not 20mils.
john73738;4094295; said:
I really wasn't sure on the mils thickness as I was trying to remember how thick it was. I didn't know for sure. It has been a month or so since I read the information on their website add for this stuff.
I agree with you in the aspect of having external bracing for my build. I plan on having a 8' x 4' x 4' volume tank with 2"x6" external bracing with double plates, top and bottom. The plates will be overlapped on the corners, very much similar to a regular studded wall built for a house. Instead of placing studs 16" O.C. like they are done in house walls, I was going to go with either 8" or possibly 10" O.C. for the studs on my tank. It just depends on how it comes out easiest on my conventional drawing of my tank.
I will disagree with you though, on the con board. How does a product like the Sweetwater PT1 - PT10 Epoxy Paint remain aheared to wood for say 5 to 10 years on a tank, if it is designed to be used on concrete, steel and fiberglass? At any rate, I hope the Sweetwater Epoxy Paint proves me wrong. Maybe drylock will be less expensive in the long run with the use of con board. It seems like a sure bet to me.
I am quite interested how your tank will look in the end. It will be a masterpiece, seriously speaking. As I have said earlier in the thread, the quality of work is superb. Anxiously waiting
for the completion of the prize.
