The Practice 120

[nativecollector]

Thanks Dr. After looking for 45 mins and digging behind all the type II tubes I finally found a box of type I.

I will get some pics up this week sometime PROMISE.

Next question for those who have done it, which is better bulkheads in the back at the waterline or drain holes in the bottom with standpipes up to the water level. I know with the holes in the bottom I can make it so the water level is adjustable, as with the bulkheads in the back I would not be able to do that.
Oh the bulkheads I am thinking are not the ones that stick out into the tank, but rather the ones that are flush or almost flush to the back side of the tank.

As far as filtering the tank I plan on a wet dry system. I am thinking that 750 or so GPH pump would cover the water movement. Would I be able to run a UGJ return system with that pump as well, or should I use a different pump for the UGJs. Oh and if it makes much difference it will probably (<-- not sure what fish are going in it yet) be a sand substrate.

The W/D will also be a DIY filter system.

To be continued.....

 

[Ed Blue]

What do you need to silicone in a plywood tank? Only the glass or all the seams and corners?

 

[nativecollector]

What do you need to silicone in a plywood tank? Only the glass or all the seams and corners?

Being that this is my first plywood tank I plan on running a few beads of it in the seams over top of the poly resin. Not so much to help hold it together but to kinda give and small holes some filling just incase they didn't completly fill in.

Only the glass or all the seams and corners?

Otherwise mainly just to seal the glass to the front.

 

[nativecollector]

Learning is such a great experience isn't it.

I left the tank on the back deck over night to dry the second coat of resin, and low and behold the humidity finally got to it. One end of the tank has buckled up some. So now I am in a delima, 1. do I try and fix it or 2. use the tank as a brace for hardibackin board and line it with that.

Any ideas would be helpful. Also I still have to figure out which would be a better place for the drain holes for the filter. If I go with the hardiboard the fitting will have to go through 1" of material. If I just stay with the resin and try to fix the tank it will only have to go through 3/4". I dont know if that makes a difference or not but it is one more thing to through into the mix.

Here are the cost differences
Resin fix
$35-45 for the resin
$10-15 for the outside laminate
Total $45-60

Hardiboard fix
$30 for the hardiboard
$25 for the dry-loc paint
Total $55

So ideas thoughts, I am looking for the experienced ones to give suggestions, you have been there done that.

 

[Dr Joe]

Humidity got to 3/4" plywood?! I think you may of had an issue before and it's good this happened.

How much did it 'buckle up'? Got a pic?

With either of your fixes, you still have the problem of the box flexing under load and breaking the seals.

You could go with sanitred http://www.sanitred.com/ it's thick, flexable and forgiving (you can recoat and it bonds to itself.

But if it's flexing 1/2" you need to attend to that first.

DR Joe

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[nativecollector]

I have a pic I will be uploading tomorrow. I only have dial up at home out here in the country side. The plywood is not the normal 3/4 exterior grade ply, it is the lauan plywood which has 12 layers and the outside layer is a very thin overlay. After I got home today I found that the bubbles had split and laid down. I was worried that it was worse that what it was. The dew that was setting on top of the tank looked like someone had poured water on top of it. But lesson learned and the tank even though it is still curing from the second coat of resin is now covered.

I have one more coat of resin that I plan on putting on and then it should be done. I am hoping to set the glass in it this weekend. I have to saw up a 36" diameter beech tree tomorrow but Friday I will be back to working on the tank. I can't wait for this wood to dry I will have lots of wood to build tank stands and frames with. I also have an oak tree to cut down with in the next month, that will add to my wood collection as well.

 

[BigBama]

You have a very nice project in the works here.

 

[nativecollector]

Ok I promised pics well here they are

These are all while I was in the middle of the second coat of resin, you can see some sanded spots and some that has the second coat already.

The last pic is of the water damage that I got from the dew setting on that side overnight. I think a little stain will fix that.

 

[Dr Joe]

Thanks for the pic update...

Lookin' good. Glad it wasn't a major problem.

Keep an eye on the weekend weather.

Your the first one in a while that took the ventilation instructions to heart .

Keep up the good work... Hard to beleive it's a first time project!

Dr Joe

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[nativecollector]

Your the first one in a while that took the ventilation instructions to heart .
Dr Joe

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I could not have imagined doing this inside of anywhere. The first coat of resin had me so messed up that I ended up with a hang over later that afternoon. I didn't use any kind of mask that day, but since then I have gotten one and it is not so bad.