building fish tanks?

Question

i want a 150 - 250 gallon fish tank. need info. on building fish tanks. wut tanks are easier to build: plywood or glass? wut is better on $?

need websites

Answer 1

Plywood is certainly cheaper, but it's easier to make leak proof seals on glass tanks. I built a plywood tank once and it's wasn't hard at all. Cheaper than a professional glass tank of the size size.

Here's a website with plans for a 140 gallon plywood tank and info on how to put it together.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_plywood_aquarium.php

MM

Answer 2

http://www.alysta.com/books/fishtank.htm

http://www.garf.org/tank/buildtank.asp

this should help as well. The first one has common dimensions of different sized tanks, so you can get a feel for the sizes you want to enter into the second link. The second link tells you exactly what to buy from the sizes you enter to build the tank the way you want it.

As far as plywood/glass/acrylic, that is up to which you feel is cosmetically better vs. how much you want to spend. Glass will be the most expensive, but depending on the glass, clear and durable. Acrylic is clear and once you bond it and test it for leaks, it will never leak if it doesn't at first, but will scratch much easier than glass, but can be buffed out easier as well. Plywood ... I guess I don't understand a plywood tank unless you are breeding fish and don't care to look at them from the side at all. I guess since it show plywood with glass, plywood with acrylic, you can build it with a clear front? it also had all glass and all acrylic.

Hope this helped!

Answer 3

ok so what you need is a aquarium (duh) an airrator, gravel, fish tank cleaner, distilled water, little cutsy things for the fishes to hide in, a bacteria starter, a heater would be nice, some snails would work to and a pump before you start it would be a good idea to use the tank cleaner and go ahead and clean the tank just in case there was some muck in the tank from the store ok so what you do is pour the gravel in the bottom of the tank depending on what kind of airator you have you need to set it up now( so if it has to be buried it should be done now) instal the pump and heater and place the cutsy things where you want them now here comes the tricky part set the tank where you want it and start filling it up with the distilled water (leave about 3 inches at the top) test all the pumps, airators, and heaters put the bactirial growth in the tank and turn all the appliances on and let the tank sit for about 4 days then you can check on it and fisheys should be alble to live in it GOOD LUCK p.s. its prolly best to start off with a smaller tank (10 gallon) it would also be good to get some fungi killer, sick fish treatment, etc o the black things that you are talking about should come with the tank but if they didnt petsmart, or petco or a good fish store should carry them

Answer 4

Plexy-glass would be the cheapest and the most durable. Use silicone or aquarium glue to put the peices together. When building a ank, use at least 2-3 coats of glue in the corners.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_acrylic_aquarium.php

Answer 5

You want big and cheap? No joke! This is what breeders do!
http://www.qualityinflatables.com/easyset10foot.html