how long will aplywood tank last???? i would be very interested in building one i am a pond man but if i could get a tank like that my woman would let me bring it out of the basement into the living room that would be key
Sealing a plywood tank
- Thread starter dougmich
- Start date
This is some advice given to me by Coelacanth over at www.planetcatfish.com
Just figured I'd pass it on, seems pretty interesting...
Coelacanth wrote:
Speedliner and other PU coatings once cured are non-toxic, non-reactive and are safe to use with a very wide range of chemicals. They are also structurally very resilient, and you virtually need a hammer and sharpened chisel to get through it. Plenty of Koi people are using this in preference to fibreglass or paints.
You'd need to decide though as it is incompatible with silicone sealants, so you need to use PU throughout. This is no great problem though, PU is easier to work with than traditional sealants, cures faster and also cures underwater should you need to make any running repairs in the future, and yes, you can leave the fish in place at the time, just don't let them eat it while you're applying it! I've used it on a 1000 gallon aquarium 2-3 years ago wearing a snorkel and mask, with the water level dropped by 18" or so and the fish coming to have a look at what I was doing, those fish are still happy and healthy and the leak was cured.
PU sealants are something the silicone sealant manufacturers don't want you to know about.
it usually is applied as a spray, but it is possible to brush them on (although the "standard" forumlation starts to cure so quickly it would not be easy). Any joins, welds, corners etc. would usually be brush-coated and then sprayed over for extra strength.
Although somewhat glossy to start with, this quickly reduces to a fairly matt finish and it is non-skid so you can work inside the tank in safety. There are various choices, check around various company sites to see what they offer, I have only have Speedliner actually being applied.
Algae can usually be wiped off, it is non-fouling because of its structure not because of any toxicity. Should algae grow on it you can use fairly vigorous cleaning to remove it without fear of damaging the liner (it really is tough stuff!).
The PU sealant comes in standard mastic tubes and is applied using any decent mastic gun, it skins over within about 20 minutes and in a couple of hours will be touch-dry, using it to seal glass viewing windows in place is easier than using silicone sealants IMO. Doesn't make your eyes water in the way that several tubes of silicone sealant in a confined space would.
Just figured I'd pass it on, seems pretty interesting...
Coelacanth wrote:
Speedliner and other PU coatings once cured are non-toxic, non-reactive and are safe to use with a very wide range of chemicals. They are also structurally very resilient, and you virtually need a hammer and sharpened chisel to get through it. Plenty of Koi people are using this in preference to fibreglass or paints.
You'd need to decide though as it is incompatible with silicone sealants, so you need to use PU throughout. This is no great problem though, PU is easier to work with than traditional sealants, cures faster and also cures underwater should you need to make any running repairs in the future, and yes, you can leave the fish in place at the time, just don't let them eat it while you're applying it! I've used it on a 1000 gallon aquarium 2-3 years ago wearing a snorkel and mask, with the water level dropped by 18" or so and the fish coming to have a look at what I was doing, those fish are still happy and healthy and the leak was cured.
PU sealants are something the silicone sealant manufacturers don't want you to know about.
it usually is applied as a spray, but it is possible to brush them on (although the "standard" forumlation starts to cure so quickly it would not be easy). Any joins, welds, corners etc. would usually be brush-coated and then sprayed over for extra strength.
Although somewhat glossy to start with, this quickly reduces to a fairly matt finish and it is non-skid so you can work inside the tank in safety. There are various choices, check around various company sites to see what they offer, I have only have Speedliner actually being applied.
Algae can usually be wiped off, it is non-fouling because of its structure not because of any toxicity. Should algae grow on it you can use fairly vigorous cleaning to remove it without fear of damaging the liner (it really is tough stuff!).
The PU sealant comes in standard mastic tubes and is applied using any decent mastic gun, it skins over within about 20 minutes and in a couple of hours will be touch-dry, using it to seal glass viewing windows in place is easier than using silicone sealants IMO. Doesn't make your eyes water in the way that several tubes of silicone sealant in a confined space would.
NEWB ALERT!!
>>Speedliner and other PU coatings once cured are non-toxic, non-reactive and are safe to use with a very wide range of chemicals.
1> Was does PU stand for?
2> Has anyone else used other products as a sealant?
3> Any links you'd like to offer up? (Not 1005 certainas to what I should be google'ing)
>>Speedliner and other PU coatings once cured are non-toxic, non-reactive and are safe to use with a very wide range of chemicals.
1> Was does PU stand for?
2> Has anyone else used other products as a sealant?
3> Any links you'd like to offer up? (Not 1005 certainas to what I should be google'ing)
ya for sure im building one and i cant find any fiberglass sealant stuff any where all they got is the cocking stuff for like bathrooms and like tile. does this product have a website. bc i need some. thanks
http://www.industrialpolymers.com/coatings_sealants.html is this the stuff you used if not where can i get some
Anyone had a problem with suckers like Plecos eating thru these surfaces to the wood?USMCtanker said:
Mine ( 15 in & 18in ) would move almost anything to get to a favorite (?) spot and made it all the way thru the epoxy paint / resin / fiberglass into the wood before I found it the first time. Also had them get under silicone sealer in glass tank.
