I have a project I'm designing over this winter. Need input from anyone.
I have limited space in my basement. I'm planning on building a very large aquarium that actually wraps around a basement pole. This will house both of my large snappers.It will be about 8feet square.
I'm and excellent carpenter, but I have no experience with water-proofing or epoxy paints. I was told you could water-proof plywood with epoxy paint and even add glass panels for windows if done right. I have access to plexiglass at work. I'm going to line the whole inside with 1/8" clear plexi. This will protect the epoxy from the claws on the big guys.
Anyone have ANY experience at all with this? This could be a really cool tanmk when complete. I would appreciate any ideas or contacts anyone might have.
Reptile & Amphibian Forums
Welcome to kingsnake.com's message board system. Here you may share and discuss information with others about your favorite reptile and amphibian related topics such as care and feeding, caging requirements, permits and licenses, and more. Launched in 1997, the kingsnake.com message board system is one of the oldest and largest systems on the internet.
Wood aquariums?
Replies (7)
Start working on it now...Epoxy paint is excellent, but putting plexi glass inside is not a good idea. If not totally sealed all the way around the piece it will give bacteria the perfect breeding ground. Epoxy paints are very durable. they use them in aquariums at the zoo and such...also for garage floors and factories. Just make sure the wood is totally sealed in the corners, use liquid nails to bond the wood, silicon to seal the cracks and multiple coats of epoxy to make sure its waterproof. And if u do spring a leak, its better to not have your kids in it. Also you might not want to use glass unless its very thick... Wood will bow slightly under the pressure of the water and the glass will not... that is a problem. Also, U will have to build the pond around the pole, so if it leaks there you wont be able to fix it without taking it apart. Just start work on it, and dont expect a miracle overnight. And when you do finish...let it outgas for a while and wash it down a bunch of times to get it clean...
Hey thanks,
Thats the exact kind of feedback I need. I never would have thought of the un-even bowing problem between the wood and glass.
I was going to make glass windows on all 4 sides.It still might work if I re-think the bracing system to give extra support for the wood panels.
Makes sense about the plexi also.
I just know my 85 pound guy can pretty much scratch up anything over time. I was just worried about him working through the epoxy paint over time. I wasn't really going to seal the plexi much at all.
Just lay it on the bottom and maybe part way up the sides.
Anyway, Appreciate it it. Anything els you can think of will help. Sometimes i get stuck in a design idea, and I don't stop to look at alternatives. Helps to have other people in on . I might end up just scrapping the whole thing if it doesn't seem possible.
I just wanted to make a really cool tank . My wife puts up with all my projects, and i think if I take the summer to build it; I can come up with something cool.
If you can find a way to lay the plexi down, with tabs or something, so yer guy can't lift it that would work, as long as you can remove them to clean underneath. Trust me, having unmoving water in a small space nest to any material will corrode over time. As far as the design goes... Coats of epoxy, silicone sealant etc will help. And at 85 pounds, he can put out alot of force when it comes to glass... along with the bowing of the wood, you wouldnt have to worry about leaks, because eventually the little window would break...
Heres a link to indoor pond pages...
Good point on the glass force. Another thing I hadn't thought of. He's amazingly strong.
I've searched a little on line and found a few fish people that have built large wood aquariums. I'll just keep looking and see what I can find. One guy built a 500 gallon with a glass front and all else out of plywood.3-4 coats of 2-part epoxy paint for the finish.
I think it could be done if planned right.
As with anything, everytime I build something large..I always find out things I would change if I had to build another. Thats always the way it goes. You learn from that first one.
Keep it in mind. Maybe other ideas will come up.
Thanks
Heres another page... This one will tell you the exact cuts and sizes and how to on building a wood tank...
Scroll down the left menu to DIY, then tanks... enter in the size and material...and BAM... theres the plan...
I love that site...
Couldn't open that link.
