193 gallon plywood build thread

I moved my 180 with myself and my boss... It does weigh 270# empty at least according to AGA.. If I had to guess Tom I can't imagine yours being over a hundred.. You?

 

Yeah, Joe, with the glass in I bet it weighs under 100 lbs total.

I completed the last coat of epoxy paint yesterday. I also got the stand downstairs. That barely fit, so my measurements were spot on. Had I made the tank any wider, I would have had to make the stand in the basement.

It is Bloody Mary time, so no pics of the completed paint job, but that will happen soon.

And of course once the glass gets here, I will take detailed pics of how that gets put in.

Joe, what size drains for bulkheads would you suggest? 2" or 1.5" for 1.5" pipe??? There will be 2 of them. And do you have bulkheads that big?

 

On my 180 Tom I only have 2 1" bulkheads thast what most drilled tanks use.. Jerry is using some honking 1.5" bulkheads but keep in mind the hole is 2" wide and the entire bulkhead port is 2.5" wide, they are beasts. I can show you them on Tuesday if you want. Honestly I would just use 2 one inches, unless you need WICKED drainage!!!

 

Sounds good Joe. I will stop in on Tuesday and we can talk.

I have like over 5" of space to drill holes in the overflow bottom, so I can do whatever I want.

Maybe I can raise baby kaudern's cardinalfish back there? LOL

 

So I've been wondering about two things. First the overflow. I'm guessing you're going to first fasten this in place (I don't think you've done so yet, right?), and then use the same 45's, fiberglass tape, and epoxy as you did with the rest of the tank's interior--and do all this work from the two rectangular cutouts, (the only access you have) right?

Secondly, the glass install. In my mind's eye, I imagine you're going to put in place the rubber bumpers, apply silicone around each one individually, then silicone heavily the rest of the way around--

My concern is, though--will you rig some sort of chainfall device with all kinds of "hooks" to lower the glass so it "lands" on the inner front while parallel? Or did you just plan on setting the glass on one long edge and sort of letting it fall (in a very controlled manner, of course) onto the front where it will ultimately rest?

If you used the chainfall/hook contraption, it would have to be some futuristic type of Batman-type toy. Or maybe suction cups?? But that would take at least 8 men to do safely.

I'm sure you've thought this out. What's your final plan of attack?


EDIT: I gave this some more thought. A chainfall device, or any method that involves lowering the glass while parallel to the front would be impossible, since the back of the tank would prevent access from the top--as you're going to have the tank laying on its front to perform this operation.

I'm confused! How the heck are you gonna swing this aspect?

 

Nice build so far

 

Sparky,

The overflow has been epoxied, and epoxy painted. I don't know if I have taken any pics of that. I have to get my bulkheads and use a hole saw to drill through the bottom of the overflow. I can then either epoxy the exposed grain from the hole saw cuts, or epoxy paint that, or maybe just silicone it to water proof it. I think I will simply epoxy paint it is a tiny batch, and I will cover up the couple of screw heads with the epoxy paint as well that will hold the overflow to the eurobrace. It will be siliconed to the back of the tank, and there are a few screws that hold the overflow up to the eurobrace/ top as well. The silicone sticks very well to the epoxy and epoxy paint. I will then take silicone and apply that to every corner in the overflow. and probably the outer edge to the aquarium's back.

The glass install is pretty much as you said, but I think 2 people will easily be able to lower the glass down by hand. The rubber bumpers get placed strategically around the perimeter of the glass, but placed so they get encapsulated by the silicone.
The silicone is dispensed onto the inside edge of the tank (tank face down on a bench) with a caulk gun. Then you simply lower the glass onto the silicone covered inside edge of the tank.
Painter's tape applied to the front 3/4" cross section lip of the front plywood "window frame" will keep any gooped out silicone from sticking to the visible section of the tank's outside.

After the glass is in place, you put some weight on top of it and smear off the excess silicone form the inside of the tank. Then after that cures, you put a compression seal of silicone over the edge of the glass and over the silicone that was used to place the glass in, and feather that to the epoxied surface and let that cure a day or 2.

Then it is water test time. I need to get my "strainers" or weir made of a piece of scrap acrylic routered out as well. That will be siliconed to the back of the tank to get the water level about 3/4" of an inch below the bottom rim of my eurobrace.

 

Is it done yet!? Can't wait to see this bad boy filled

 

Me too.

I should have had a disclaimer on the first post on this thread that these DIY tank builds are not for those with no patience.

 

I think this site along with the WRS are all patiently and also impatiently waiting for the completion of this tank!!