Plywood Tank
From ReefPedia
Introduction
For those who are on a tight budget and/or for those who just love to make stuff on their own, making your aquarium tank out of plywood is a great way to have fun and a nice customizable tank for cheap. Having a tank made of wood makes it easy to customize by drilling holes for bulkheads without special tools. Wood is more forgiving than acrylic or glass and the need to protect from scratches, etc. is a clear advantage. This type of tank also allows a wider variation in style and appearance through painting and additions of wood trims etc. I first started trying out this method after seeing a general plan on the build by GARF at [1] . I am summarizing their techniques but adding my experience to it, as I learned quite a bit from mistakes I made. Basic plans can be viewed on their website.
The Build
Building a plywood tank is not technically difficult but requires like anything else a lot of pre-planning and attention to detail. Planning out your tank design, size, and the size of wood you will need is important. Also important is the plan on the sequence of the build.
Materials are relatively simple and cheap. Recommendations on plywood is to use pressure treated exterior grade 3/4 inch or thicker for tanks ranging up to 8 feet long and 24 inches deep. More depth or greater length may require bracing. The plywood will be held together with 2 inch wood screws and a strong glue; I have used Gorilla glue as it is waterproof and very strong and paper of a medium and fine grit will be used.
A two part epoxy paint will be used to seal the tank. There are many brands out there, having a marine grade epoxy, some used in boat repair are appropriate. I have worked with Sweetwater brand epoxy paint which comes in several colors and is easy to work with. This is available at Aquaticecosystems.
If making a window for viewing, working with a local glass supplier for your window will be easy and relatively inexpensive. I have aquired 24x48 inch piece of 1/2 inch glass at approximately $100.
To seal the glass window to the tank, a safe silicone such as All glass brand is appropriate.
Once your plans are complete, you can start measuring and cutting the wood. Having the right tools for the job is essential and using a table saw to make straight cuts is vital. Alternatively, having the cuts made at time of purchase at the hardware store may be an option.
If you are making a tank without a viewing window , such as for a frag tank or sump, the build will be even easier. If making a viewing window, a few points are important. The piece of plywood the windown will be viewed through ideally should remain intact with a central hole cut out with a jig saw, giving the wall stability. The wood should be 6 inches or thicker of overlap over the glass that sits inside the tank. Different styles include a circular/oval opening, square/rectangular, or a combination with sloped corners.
I recommend assembling the wood for the tank once cut and sanded with painting tape to make sure all fits well, mark the pieces so they will be easily reassembled. I recommend predrilling holes for the wood screws along with sinking the holes to keep surface smooth and coverable with wood putty once finished. should be every 2 inches. Take your time to avoid mistakes. If your tank is to be greater than 36 inches long, it may require a brace which can be from plywood as well, typically 6 inches wide, and predrilling and fitting this is important as well.
For assembly, use a moderate amount of wood glue as the pieces are placed and taped together, then screwtogether. Don't put braces in until after the glass is in or it won't fit. Once the wood (without the braces) is screwed and glued together, the inside should be carefully inspected. Fill in any holes/divots imperfections with wood putty and sand down smooth. Once this is done the sealing can begin. To add extra layers of waterproofing, consideration of using fiberglass cloth and resin to coat the inside corners/edges and even the entire surface is an option, but not necessary. Without using the fiber glass cloth, I recommend using 4-5 coats of epoxy paint with full drying and light sanding in between coats. I recommend coating the edges and even potentially the outside of the tank for long term protection. The outside can always be repainted or coated in veneer. Important note is to use the epoxy paint and silicone only in well ventilated areas (ig. outside) as they are potentially very toxic. When the epoxy is all dried , it is time to put the glass in. Silicone will not bond the glass to wood, but will to the epoxy surface. Use of copious amounts of silicone on the inner surface of the wood window, laying the glass in on top (may require more than one person) and use of weighting to press the glass down solidly over the silicone. 72 hours should be allowed for the silicone to cure. If it still smells of vinegar, it is not done. Once fully cured, a water test can be done, serving two purposes, one is the test, the other is the rinsing away of any materials. Although the epoxy and silicone should be potable grade, it can't hurt to rinse it out before putting our delicate reef inverts inside. Finishing with bracing and exterior design is last.
--Forestal 22:20, 11 February 2006 (CST)
