Plywood sump

[Yanos]

Hi guys
Can someone guide me in plywood sump build, please.
Measurements are 4’x2’x1.5’ high with large fuge section, skimmer section, active carbon section and return pump section.

Please note, that materialshave to be available from uk merchants.

Thank you

 

[Yanos]

Anyone available with advise?

 

[Joseph Disalvo]

Hey man why the plywood route? I would buy a plastic moving container to and glue dividers in as needed. Cheap clean and gets the job done.

 

[AlexG]

I would look for an HDPE tub in those dimensions or I would build out of glass at that size. Generally at that size tank it would cheaper to go with glass over plywood. If you want to go plywood the biggest hurdle to overcome would be the epoxy. If you can get pond shield or an equivalent epoxy in the UK then the rest of the materials should be easy to come by. The only other stuff you need is non treated plywood, fiberglass, wood glue, and wood screws.

 

[Yanos]

Hey man why the plywood route? I would buy a plastic moving container to and glue dividers in as needed. Cheap clean and gets the job done.

I would have no idea how to work with plastic. What sort of glue to use, where to get containers from, ***** for partition, etc...

 

[Yanos]

I would look for an HDPE tub in those dimensions or I would build out of glass at that size. Generally at that size tank it would cheaper to go with glass over plywood. If you want to go plywood the biggest hurdle to overcome would be the epoxy. If you can get pond shield or an equivalent epoxy in the UK then the rest of the materials should be easy to come by. The only other stuff you need is non treated plywood, fiberglass, wood glue, and wood screws.

Yes I can get pond shield here in
I was always under impression, that plywood tanks are always cheaper to make. And dumps are easier to customise

 

[Dana Riddle]

Here;s an article I wrote on the subject years ago. Use marine plywood.

Building a Plywood Aquarium

The internet is generally a good resource of information but I did find some sites containing DIY tips for building plywood tanks that presented outdated or inaccurate information. This article will attempt to correct that information and detail the trials and tribulations of plywood aquarium...

www.advancedaquarist.com

 

[AlexG]

Yes I can get pond shield here in
I was always under impression, that plywood tanks are always cheaper to make. And dumps are easier to customise

Generally I found that you have to get to a larger tank size 200-300+ gallons before it becomes cheaper to go plywood but it really comes down to the cost of materials and what you want to build. I built plywood tanks for the cost savings and the challenge. The article by @Dana Riddle has some great information that I utilized during my build.

 

[KGNickl]

Never heard of anyone doing a plywood sump. For DIY a glass aquarium and silicone some panels in would be the cheapest. Or for a more challenging DIY you could build acrylic. Or just watched for something used that might fit. Not sure what the used market is like in the UK and if your in an area that has a bunch. Where I live its pretty easy to find tons and tons of used stuff.