Plywood Tank??Epoxy?

fresh_sailfin · 03-01-2008, 01:10 PM

Hello, I have read all post concerning this topic, I could Find.
I have everything planed out, and all the material is readily avalable to me except for the Epoxy.

Essential I am looking to build a 150/250 gallon plywood tank in the near future. Basicly whenever I can fit it into my schedual. Whereas I am having trouble finding the 2 part epoxy paint. Have found similar products but no true 2 part epoxys. Would I have any sucess at a "Boat shop" ?? What product do i need? All hardware stores have come up short. Dose it have to be food safe? Secondly what about garage floor paint, that is definatly a two part epoxy, and the cheapist option I have found to date. 3.78 litters X 100Dollars!! Is that all that is avalible to me. Personaly I dont order things online, as such I geuse I am looking for a store brand / chain. Any help would be much apreciated. Just want to know what you guys used?

Dont want to kill the fish before they even have a chance to check out there new home. Looking forward to hearing your ideas/ experiences. Thank you.

tropical1 · 03-01-2008, 08:28 PM

not to jack the thread but why would you make a tank from plywood? how would you see in.

Loman · 03-02-2008, 08:07 AM

I have been considering building a plywood tank as well and agree the epoxy is the hard element to find. I did see it on ebay. It was fairly expensive around $100 per gallon. From what I read you need the food safe variety to be sure it does not have toxic additives. When I was researching it people stopped short of saying an epoxy that was not for potable water would definiteily have problems but they said the one that was designed for food definitely would not. I have also been toying with an alternative concept although I can not find anyone that hs taken this approach (including me yet). I was thinking about building the plywood shell and then constructing a thin linner with plexiglass to make the waterprrof seal. You could put a backround between etc. I am just not sure how often to try and secure the plexisglass to the plywood. I was contemplating using the PVS material for like shower bases and silocone to seal the corners. I am pretty sure it would work. I still need to cost it out since I would order the epoxy online but it might be an alternative worth considering.

And to answer tropical the plywood is on all of the sides except the front. You use glass on the front. For very large stationary tanks it is a lower cost alternative and can be a better look, how much do you look thorugh the back and sides of your tank? How distracting is it to look into the tank and see through the back and sides too.

fresh_sailfin · 03-02-2008, 08:48 AM

What sise tank are you looking to build? Personaly 250 gallons give or take.

I have contempleated putting a liner in, but that seems to have adhesion problems. Dose not work with silicone. I was planing on laying at least one thin sheet of plexi glass to protect the bottom from rock scratches in the resin. And using two/ three layers of fiber glass tape/ resin on all edges and seems.

Basicly I have located garage floor paint Grey Blue or Black. It is a 2 part epoxy sold at most renovation stores. Gives just over a 4L of paint. Which should be more than enuf. Since I will be covering the tank in Fiber Glass Resin. If I do an excelent job on that (Resin) the paint should never get exposed. As such the Garage and floor paint just seals my wood, changes the colour. And then gets covered in a ample layer of fiber glass resin. Have I understood this correctly?>

That is my plan, because if the Garage and Floor Paint dose not work out the project is going to run close to a big Glass Tank. Just looking to save a couple Bucks!

Thanks for the input.

Oh ya and of course a custom built stand to go alonge lol.

orb4me · 03-02-2008, 10:40 AM

LOL Trop, thats what I thought when I first read the topic.

Wont 2 part fiberglass stuff do the job? its used to repair boats, though I have no idea the cost.

fresh_sailfin · 03-02-2008, 11:30 AM

Thats it. First off I really enjoy wood working. And as such I plan on encorperating a nice tank stand and sump all DIY. I work in construction so tools/wood is easy to come by. And I would really like a dark walnut/ ebony stained all in one wood tank stand. Have seen some and they look very nice.
Personaly I find them to have more of a homemade/one of a kind feel. And It shall blend into my decor better than a Large Glass tank.

The fiber glass is what I am after. It is not to cost efficiant, but I figure after the Floor Paint and Fiber Glass resin that is the most expensive part. I know of other tanks wich utalised just epoxy paint and the plywood buckled and the paint failed. Water soaked up into the wood and many a tank have broken in this fasion. But with the fiberglass resin shall provide an extra insurance. As well as sealing any toxins in from the paint.

Has any one herd of problems geting the Fiberglass to "stick" to the floor paint. This is my biggest worry. And the Fiberglass kit I am using (polyester)
says you should only do 2 thin coats. I was thinking more like 5 or 6. Just really dont want to have a mutiple layer faileur when it is full of water.

I already have 100% hardware and Fiberglass glue screws ect. Just need the Paint and wood, and a loong weekend. lol

orb4me · 03-02-2008, 01:47 PM

30 some years ago, my hubby and I had a little house boat. One day we hit something in the water and it punched a hole. My hubby drove a wood plug in it. It worked fine all year. The next year when he got ready to put the boat back in the river, he fiberglassed all around the hole, including the plug

, and we had that little boat for years, never did leak. The boat hull was a metal of some sort, with fiberglass and boat paint, painted many times. Darn heavy thing, the marina guy had heck of a time getting it out of the river every year

the marina owner pulled boats out of the river with a big tractor at that time

just some input.

tropical1 · 03-02-2008, 03:06 PM

please could someone post a pic of a finished plywood tank. it just doesnt seem very nice to me.

Loman · 03-02-2008, 05:14 PM

You can do a google search and finds lots of pictures during the project. Most of them are not complete though because they want to show how to constuct. I like the pictures found here to give an idea of what they can look like:

http://www.garf.org/140.gallon.html

Kevman · 03-03-2008, 06:16 AM

It's easy, just like fixing a hole in your cars wheel well. You buy the Fiberglass Resin from a store like Canadian tire, or any kind of auto-body repair shop, and the hardener is usually there. Depending on the type of Resin the amount of hardener varies. If you wanted a very strong wall, you could cover fiber glass cloth in the resin/hardener combo, and put it on the walls of the tank, it would for sure not break. It's closer in strength to steel.