i was wondering if u can us fiberglass as the support structure for a diy tank as long as u lined it w/say a pool liner? the reason i ask is i am looking into building my first diy tank and have thought about many options but was wondering if u can use fiberglass and will it hold say 50-75 gallons of water?
can u use fiberglass to make diy tank?
- Thread starter bear78
- Start date
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RogerMcAllen
Aquarium Advice Addict
Fiberglass what? It is a very general building material, so any ideas on what you would be using to build it would be nice. That said, they make fiberglass bathtubs, so I'm sure it can be done. I'm just not sure how difficult or practical it would be. Also, if you are looking for something 50-75 gallons big, with a pool liner in it, you might as well take the cheap way out and get a plastic feed trough from a farming goods store.
flipz
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Agreed. If you are making it so you can't see into the tank anyways, what's the point? Just go with a feed trough like roger said.
-brent
-brent
sorry was really late when i first posted ??'s. i am just looking into all options. the fiberglass would not completely surround the tank it will have a piece of glass to view kinda like the plywood and glass design but i dont know if the fiberglass would be strong enough to hold and as for the pool liner it was just an example of the type of plastic to be used to line the inside not sure if the fiberglass itself would harm fish. if i wanted to have a grow out tank then yes i would use the larger farm tanks.
RogerMcAllen
Aquarium Advice Addict
As far as I know, fiberglass should be fine as a building material as it is inert. My biggest question is what you plan on using as your source for fiberglass.
Another question is why you want to build your own tank. You might just be able to buy a tank for less money/labor than what you can build it for.
Another question is why you want to build your own tank. You might just be able to buy a tank for less money/labor than what you can build it for.
not sure of what type of fiberglass to use still researching that. the reason i want to build my own tank is not the cost its the fact that i built it. i dont have to buy a standerd type tank or a bow tank, i can make it anyway i want.
bound_for_obx
Aquarium Advice Addict
You would have almost unlimited design possibilities using fiberglass. I was interested in DIY Hovercraft a few years ago. Many are built using fiberglass. Do a google search I'm sure you will find someone who has built a fiberglass tank before. The one major area of concern that I would have is what kind of resin to use. Some resins are quite susceptible to UV damage. I'm not sure if Hi-Power Aquarium lighting might affect it or not. If you want I can try and find some suppliers of cloth and resins that the Hovercrafters used. I've got the info somewhere.
savga
Aquarium Advice Freak
I think it would work. I've seen DIY boat plans which use plywood with fiberglass and resin applied over the outside. The fiberglass is practically invisible. It looks like thickly varnished wood.
BillyZ
Aquarium Advice Addict
you could also go with a plywood/fiberglass construcction. Build a wood frame with plywood walls, then use fiberglass to seal and add shape/features.
