220 Gallon Plywood Tank and Stand Build

Hi
i built this a few months back and it was the first time i had worked with wood since tech class in school lol. i built it as i fancied a challenge and i also need to spread the cost over a couple of months rather than a few grand in one go. As i wanted it 6ft L by 3ft D by 2ft W, which isnt exactly normal size, and would have meant getting a tank custom built.
Enough chatter though heres the pics... and there is loads so be warned...
Starting with stand





and the tank itself which was built using 2 by 4s like the stand and then lining the inside with 3/4 inch external grade plywood. i used fibreglass matt and resin to waterproof the wood and an almost one inch thick piece of glass for the viewing window.






i then got a huge piece of hawthorn trunk from a fellow fishkeeper which i thought would sink, it floated of course but i like the look, its waterlogged now but i have it tied so it stays at the top of the tank. To finish i added 1/4 inch ply with an oak veener which matches the other furniture in the room, this was pretty cheap but really does finish the look.





Thats it really i just have to box off the lights properly to stop them illuminating the wall at the back of the tank

wow totaly speachless thats whatya ya call a master peace well done you fancy making me one

That is absolutely amazing mate!!! I am very impressed with the tank indeed - I would never have known a wooden tank could even be made this way or turn out so well. Full credit to you, your willingness to take on the challenge and the obvious hard work and attention you put into it!!!!! Thanks so much for sharing.......and yes i think i would have a great alcove for one too.........so when ya free

nice job well done

Nw this is just Stunning lol- if i tried to make something like this id end up with spare bits
amazing - the big bit of hawthorne really finishes it of!
How long did it take from start to finish?

thanks for the nice comments folks,
it took about 2 months from start to finish, mostly because of money constraints, i had to buy materials small piece at time:)
if i had been able to buy it all at once i figure i could probably have completed it in 2 weeks.
i came across the idea online and figured id give it a go, it was relatively painless apart from the odd hiccup which i sort of expected as id never built anything before.
the biggest mistake i made was not wearing a mask when i applied the fibreglass resin..
i woke up 2 days later soaked in sweat, a mate has since told me it takes a couple of days for the fumes to work their way out of your system.. so lesson learned there

its great to see people like yourself taking on the challenge to build something like that a mate of mine called andy hes on forum built a 900litre aquarium im hoping he still has the pictures of it it was a really nice tank i used to be scared just looking at it lol anyhow well done keep us posted how your fish and so on are doing

hello

tank is looking great, hows it been running so far,no teething problems?

nice piece of hawthorn

hi Brian,
no problems so far thankfully, the only thing i had to add was a diy above tank drip filter to keep the water clear.
your hawthorn trunk really finished the look and the fish love it, they are still nibbling away at it,
hows your set up going? any stock changes?
you should post a few photos for the good folk on here ( and put my set-up to shame

Very nice m8.

Great looking setup and pics

wow, more guts than me!!! I can see a different outcome if I had tried to make a tank like that. Great job, its just fantastic.

I think the only DIY projects fish related are the fish stand. plant "incubaters", and foam we had custom made for aquariums to use for filter media, breeding, moss etc. Hate to plug my own products but it is amazing stuff, and yes we do sell it on our website or facebook under southernoakaquatics.

We have been toying with the idea of custom hung stands that attach to the studs in the walls to have more breeder tanks at a reasonable level but not till we get back to "our" home and can spread out a bit. For now the freshwater shrimp and our little fishies are still just loving what they have and breeding like crazy!