AlexGs Basement Plywood Build 2 displays one system.

jsker · Mar 12, 2017

A massive undertaking coming together.

Chain · Mar 12, 2017

What have you been doing lol. You sir have some real dedication. I can't wait to see the entire room when it's done

VelasCorals · Mar 12, 2017

I love that I just found this. I have a very similar size room in my new house. However there is insulator between the joists above. It sure if it will get moldy, if I need to add a vapor barrier or just pull it out.

AlexG · Mar 13, 2017

Incredible Corals said:
I love that I just found this. I have a very similar size room in my new house. However there is insulator between the joists above. It sure if it will get moldy, if I need to add a vapor barrier or just pull it out.

What is the insulator made out of?

Sir Chris · Mar 13, 2017

That's crazy. What do u use as the sealer for the wood. Like flex seal in the paint can. . But seriously. What's used. Plywood tanks have intrigued me but perplexed me as well

Lowstorm · Mar 14, 2017

My next tank is likely going to be a 200+ gal plywood. Thanks for the inspiration! One question that I can't get over...

Where do you get the glass for it?!? I live in a small town where there's not a lot of choices. And why not acrylic to help reduce the weight?

VelasCorals · Mar 14, 2017

AlexG said:
What is the insulator made out of?

Not sure. It's that standard pink stuff.

AlexG · Mar 14, 2017

Lord Chris said:
That's crazy. What do u use as the sealer for the wood. Like flex seal in the paint can. . But seriously. What's used. Plywood tanks have intrigued me but perplexed me as well

Pond Shield epoxy is what I used to seal the tanks. All of the bottom and side corners also received a layer of fiberglass that was put in place with pond shield. If you lookup the DIY King on YouTube he has a great 4 part series on building a plywood tank which is more or less the same type of construction I used. I will also be posting weekly videos on YouTube so if you have anymore questions let me know.

AlexG · Mar 14, 2017

Lowstorm said:
My next tank is likely going to be a 200+ gal plywood. Thanks for the inspiration! One question that I can't get over...

Where do you get the glass for it?!? I live in a small town where there's not a lot of choices. And why not acrylic to help reduce the weight?

I got my glass through GlassCages.com both tanks are using 3/4" low iron glass. I also have center braces that were made out of 3/4" glass that will be installed once the rock is in place. I too had difficulty sourcing glass as the the local glass shops were giving me prices from outer space and one refused my business stating they will not work with 3/4" glass. GlassCages.com has a truck that makes the rounds every few months and I met the truck about an hour from my home. Given I was going to receive 600lbs of glass I paid a little extra to have them put it on a pallet which helped to get it into my rental truck using their pallet jack & liftgate. I would check them out to see if they deliver within a couple hours of your location.

I did not go with acrylic for a couple of reasons. Weight is not a factor as these tanks combined will weigh over 16,000 lbs so a little weight will not make a difference. Scratching is another issue with acrylic. Having done maintenance for a number of years completely turned my off of ever using acrylic on a display tank. The other issue is bonding acrylic to a plywood tank. There are few people that know how to properly make this bond and even fewer that share the method. The pond shield epoxy will bond with RTV 108 and so will glass so for me it was an easy choice to use glass.

AlexG · Mar 14, 2017

Incredible Corals said:
Not sure. It's that standard pink stuff.

If its fiber glass matting then I would consider removal as it can trap moisture. It could be replaced with a Styrofoam equivalent that will not hold moisture. If you choose removal make sure to wear gloves and a mask.

BMMMW · Mar 14, 2017

Where in Illinois are you located? This would be a fun tank to see in person!

AlexG · Mar 14, 2017

BMMMW said:
Where in Illinois are you located? This would be a fun tank to see in person!

I am about 40 miles west of Chicago.

AlexG · Mar 16, 2017

I have one light rack together and over the 720gallon tank. I hooked up the lights I will have over that tank.

ubasu · Mar 17, 2017

This is an amazing build. Im super jealous.

Just curious why do you like your tanks low? Do you have kids? Part me thinks they would love it another part worries it be easier for them to send something smashing though the glass =)

Tokash23 · Mar 17, 2017

What a project sheesh. I feel like you can start charging admission when you get everything setup

.

JoeIII · Mar 17, 2017

ubasu said:
This is an amazing build. Im super jealous.

Just curious why do you like your tanks low? Do you have kids? Part me thinks they would love it another part worries it be easier for them to send something smashing though the glass =)

Looking forward to the response to this question. Personally, I prefer my tanks "high" so I don't have to bend over to look in them. I'd love to hear an opinion on the other side.

AlexG · Mar 17, 2017

ubasu said:
This is an amazing build. Im super jealous.

Just curious why do you like your tanks low? Do you have kids? Part me thinks they would love it another part worries it be easier for them to send something smashing though the glass =)

That is a great question. I like the tanks low for a few reasons. One there are no sump tanks or equipment under the tanks which frees me to make the stands low. Two I choose that height because when I sit in a chair I will be looking straight at the tanks instead of having to look up. In the case of the 72o gallon tank I will be able to look forward and down from a chair. The final reason is access. Since I used to clean aquariums in homes and businesses there was nothing worse than having to clean the tank that required me to balance on a ladder 6 feet in the air and still not be able to reach all areas of the tank. Another issue for me is that the higher the tank the less room there is between the top of the tank and the ceiling. Since my basement ceiling is just under 8 feet with the lower stands I have 36 inches of height between the top of the tanks and the ceiling. With 36 inches I can significantly change the height of my lighting to give me the best spread and clearance for maintenance. I also have the walking platform the entire length behind them giving me full access both front and back to the tanks. The only access issue I have is the 720 gallon tank since I cannot reach the bottom of due to the 36" depth but that is why that tank will be bare bottom. Worst case I would have to do some snorkeling in the basement to reach all the parts of the 720 gallon tank. Plus with lower tanks when I am on the walking platform in the back I will get a great top down view without having to worry about hitting my head on the ceiling. I don't have any children but even if I did the glass is 3/4" thick so it would not be easy to break. The tanks are also located in a area that is long an narrow so its going to be an up close viewing experience. If you have anymore questions let me know