Well the time has come to upgrade to a bigger tank.. I have thought about it for a while how big of tank I wanted to build. Right now I have a 72x30x24 DT and really didn't like the 30" deep tank. Everyone know how much of a pain it is to get to the bottom, specially when the tank is on a 36" stand.. Have a step ladder and it still sucks...
I have been really interested in the DIY plywood tanks. For the most part the overall cost of the build is way cheaper than going with an all glass aquarium, and to be honest im the kind of guy that likes the DIY aspect of the Plywood tank.. I have been back and forth with how big of tank I was going to build. First it was going to be a 80x48x30 and then to a 80x30x24 then I thought why not 96x27x30. I just could not make up my mind.. I was planning to turn my attached garage into a giant fish room with a hole in the wall to look at the tank. Well after finding out that i was going to need permits and with all the work, I would not have a tank for like 2 years and that just wasn't going to work for my schedule. I decided to go talk to my wife and see what she thought. She knew this was coming as I have been talking about a new tank for a while, so I dragged her down to the basement. After the garage fish room went out the window it was time for option number 2 turning the spare bedroom into a fish room. Well I got to say, I've never been shot down so fast in my life.. But she did pipe up with "why don't you just keep it in our room. Just move the tank over to the middle of the wall. but if you do this I want a book self on either side." all I thought " start building now before she changes her mind".
The next day I actually started the renos in my bed room. Cut the carpet and started to put up a new wall.. I framed in one bookshelf and turned it into a hidden door for the fish rom ( wife loves it ). I have taken down part of the wall from the old fish room, and really opened things up..
A few days later I was still at odds with what size I want the tank to be.. So i go back to the wife for some opinions, " I like he viewing size of the tank now and don't make the stand any lower." she said.. So back to the drawing board.. I was still having issues with what size to make the tank. Now I was thinking maybe 96x30x40 but still wasn't sure. Making the tank that size would only give me a 27x90 viewing panel which seemed small still... so I used some tape to make the outline of the tank and the viewing panel on the temp wall. I grab my chair and sit back stare at this wall where my new tank is supposed to be.. While I'm in deep thought my wife sneaks up and scares the crap out of me and asks "what ya thinking?" I told he I don't know what size to make the tank.. If I do this, the view is too small. She comes and sits beside me... "I'm only going to say this once, You will never hear it from me again and I will never admit to saying it. Your building the tank, build it as big as you want." Right there! The look on her face after she said that of INSTANT regret, oh man let me tell you.. If I could have caught that look on camera I would have made a poster of it for the fish room.... She instantly closed her mouth and left the room.... Of course after hearing something like that come from your wife's mouth, boy were the gears turning...
I had finally decided to go with a a plywood tank with the inner dimensions of 96x36x40. I would have went way bigger but there was no way my wife was going to let me move the tank anywhere else in the house and I still needed room for the rest of the fish room... I know that I don't like the 30" deep tank so I'm probably going to hate the 36" deep tank, kids are actually bugging me about getting me a snorkel mask for Christmas lol...But i can just picture it... its going to look so awesome..
Right now I'm waiting for the fab shop to build the stand. Its going to built out of 2" square tubing . Dimensions are 103"x44"x30". This is is going to be heavy as #$%^. but I shouldn't have to worry about it collapsing or really anything..
Thanks a lot for the read, i will try and get some more updates up soon... I now have a 220gal DT to move as its in the way and I'm not looking forward to swinging it out of the way....
I will try and get some YouTube video up before christmas...
I have been really interested in the DIY plywood tanks. For the most part the overall cost of the build is way cheaper than going with an all glass aquarium, and to be honest im the kind of guy that likes the DIY aspect of the Plywood tank.. I have been back and forth with how big of tank I was going to build. First it was going to be a 80x48x30 and then to a 80x30x24 then I thought why not 96x27x30. I just could not make up my mind.. I was planning to turn my attached garage into a giant fish room with a hole in the wall to look at the tank. Well after finding out that i was going to need permits and with all the work, I would not have a tank for like 2 years and that just wasn't going to work for my schedule. I decided to go talk to my wife and see what she thought. She knew this was coming as I have been talking about a new tank for a while, so I dragged her down to the basement. After the garage fish room went out the window it was time for option number 2 turning the spare bedroom into a fish room. Well I got to say, I've never been shot down so fast in my life.. But she did pipe up with "why don't you just keep it in our room. Just move the tank over to the middle of the wall. but if you do this I want a book self on either side." all I thought " start building now before she changes her mind".
The next day I actually started the renos in my bed room. Cut the carpet and started to put up a new wall.. I framed in one bookshelf and turned it into a hidden door for the fish rom ( wife loves it ). I have taken down part of the wall from the old fish room, and really opened things up..
A few days later I was still at odds with what size I want the tank to be.. So i go back to the wife for some opinions, " I like he viewing size of the tank now and don't make the stand any lower." she said.. So back to the drawing board.. I was still having issues with what size to make the tank. Now I was thinking maybe 96x30x40 but still wasn't sure. Making the tank that size would only give me a 27x90 viewing panel which seemed small still... so I used some tape to make the outline of the tank and the viewing panel on the temp wall. I grab my chair and sit back stare at this wall where my new tank is supposed to be.. While I'm in deep thought my wife sneaks up and scares the crap out of me and asks "what ya thinking?" I told he I don't know what size to make the tank.. If I do this, the view is too small. She comes and sits beside me... "I'm only going to say this once, You will never hear it from me again and I will never admit to saying it. Your building the tank, build it as big as you want." Right there! The look on her face after she said that of INSTANT regret, oh man let me tell you.. If I could have caught that look on camera I would have made a poster of it for the fish room.... She instantly closed her mouth and left the room.... Of course after hearing something like that come from your wife's mouth, boy were the gears turning...
I had finally decided to go with a a plywood tank with the inner dimensions of 96x36x40. I would have went way bigger but there was no way my wife was going to let me move the tank anywhere else in the house and I still needed room for the rest of the fish room... I know that I don't like the 30" deep tank so I'm probably going to hate the 36" deep tank, kids are actually bugging me about getting me a snorkel mask for Christmas lol...But i can just picture it... its going to look so awesome..
Right now I'm waiting for the fab shop to build the stand. Its going to built out of 2" square tubing . Dimensions are 103"x44"x30". This is is going to be heavy as #$%^. but I shouldn't have to worry about it collapsing or really anything..
Thanks a lot for the read, i will try and get some more updates up soon... I now have a 220gal DT to move as its in the way and I'm not looking forward to swinging it out of the way....
I will try and get some YouTube video up before christmas...
but worth it in the end
