DIY water storage

[Rick_May]

i see your piggies!

great job, I'm thinking of doing the same but line it with fiberglass. Anyone know if the pink insolation will melt if in contact with fiberglass resin? I'm guessing it will.

[limige]

rick i'm pretty certain that the styro would melt. but you can line the styro with alum. foil first then layer the fiberglass, that will work, just lay your first layer of cloth and soak it with resign then continue, you may want to consider uses some fleece instead of all cloth, cloth can get expensive, alternate between cloth and fleece. make sure to get it quite thick. like 3/8-1/2".

[Rick_May]

What weight of cloth do you think? Do you really think it needs more than one or two layers? I’m asking because I just finished a sailboat built like a tank inside-out and the plans only called for one layer of 4 oz cloth and three layers of resin and a final layer of gel coat. We put and extra layer on the seams using fiberglass tape strips, but that wasn’t even called for. I’m wondering if people that put multiple layers aren’t over killing the situation.

When I was building the sailboat I didn’t find fiberglass that expensive. The cloth was only $4.30 per yard for 50” width and the resin was $18.50 a gallon so to do a tank 48”X 24” X 24” you would need about 6 yards of cloth, and a gallon or two of resin. That’s only 25.00 in cloth and 20.00-40.00 in resin.

[tedd47]

Were you using Bondo type resin or watercraft resin? they are two different things, the watercraft resin is much more expensive, and usually has one bottle of resin and one of hardener instead of a big bottle of resin with a small tube of hardener (Bondo). The watercraft resin is also the most durable, I have made 3 flat bottom canoes, the first with Bondo and the other two with the good stuff, it's worth the money for the increased durability and waterproofing abilities. The bondo brand is made for automotive applications and isn't meant to be submerged for long periods of time. After two seasons of only occasional wetting I had to sand the paint off of my Bondo resin canoe and refinish it with watercraft resin because the plywood was starting to lift.

The glass cloth has no waterproofing abilities on it's own, the cloth increases the strength and durability of a craft (boat) that's why you use multiple layers of cloth at stress points. Paint the vessel with the resin and let it semi dry, then wet your cloth and place it on the wood, work out the air bubbles and wrinkles with a paint stir stick. When this dries put at least 2 layers of resin over the glass cloth, that should be all you need. Also only work a small section at a time, I would usually work 3 feet or less at a time on the canoes, let this semi dry and start the next 3 feet. In hotter temps fiberglass resin gives off really bad fumes, gets super hot and drys very quickly. If you put multiple layers of cloth all you are doing is adding weight to it. Hope this helps, Ted

[Rick_May]

Well, now your going beyond what I know but here’s a link for the stuff I was using. http://www.shopmaninc.com/polyesters.html its called Polyester Resins, when we bought the stuff this is what the salesman said he used for watercraft. Theirs also a epoxy resin that is mixed at 2:1, 3:1, 4:1 depending on the time you want to work it. But the one I used came in two bottles one small like 6oz one gallon size. We applied it like you said. I thought it was pretty easy to do.

Here’s a picture of a boat like the one I built. I really need to take some pictures of mine.

[limige]

well i do have a limited experience with it. mostly i'm into car audio, we built boxes using fiberglass. most audo installs use fleece instead, i believe it's somewhat cheaper, holds more resin and is smoother thus less sanding. people building sub enclosers layer it to 3/4-1" thick.

now i have seen some commercial 500 gallon water storage units made from glass that were about 3/8 thick i think. i prefer some overkill myself, i guess it all depends, how many gallons you plan to hold, and if you want to make a wood frame to glass around. if your only making a liner supported by a frame you could probably due with 2 layers. but if you want a freestanding all fiberglass unit i would go 3/8" or so.

but again, i have limited experience with it.

[tedd47]

That's a great sail boat, I put a mast and outriggers on one of my canoes, it will absolutely fly, just make sure you have a life jacket for those tight turns. Poly resin is the weaker of the two it also gives of the worst fumes and heat. Epoxy resin is more expensive and what I would recommend for something that is meant to hold water full time. With a boat, it is out of the water more than it is in. Good luck, Ted

[limige]

thanks i figured that, alittle less than i wanted, i should have bought more wood, i was trying to use as much as possible and reduce scrap.

it's working awesome though, doing lots of wc's now and have 3 females laying eggs. one, my cobalt has finally paired with my BD, i've been waiting for this every since last fall when i got the bd.

so i'm a happy camper, i need to add a water spout for tank cause it takes forever filling with a garden hose. lol.

[ronrca]

I know, I know! This is an old thread however I very good diy water storage thread! Ever since I read this thread, I knew that I would be constructing my own storage container like this one! I also wanted to sticky it for a long time! ;D

[limige]

wow, cool, i got stickied! lol

i've been very happy with my storage tank. i'm now using it for a flushing system on my breeder tanks, a rack of 14 29 gallon tanks, i'm going to fill it half way and let the R/o filter fill the other half. bought some muratic acid to adjust ph slightly and the r/o waste is going to be used as a drip system on my growout tanks!!

;D ;D


also works as temporary aquarium in case of power outage or if you need to tear down tanks!

[lauris]

Just came across this thread and its just the kind of thing I was thinking of cobbling together myself. My dimensions would be taller, as in 5' tall by 3'X3'. Does anyone see any structural issues that would be different than those encountered by limige? Would a well-built 2X4 frame work for the above dimensions?

[Smokey]

Good Question - lauris.[?]

This vessel could hold ~233.7 u.s. gallons of water. At 7.8 pounds per gallon - the weght may be as heigh as 1,823.375 pounds. definately not for the second floor! lol... Almost a full ton.

The pressure on the lower 2x4's could be extreme. The fasterners used, have to hold every thing together.

Heck, build it and let us know how it works out. If nothing esles it will be a great grow-out vessel.

Smokey
P.S. - remember - a common house-hold door has only 24'' clearance. Check it out with a tape measure.

[Denny]

Hi Lauris,

Yes you can make one that size out of 2x4's. I would use 3/4" h.d particleboard that was glued and screwed together and then reinforce with the 2x4's like in the pictures.

[limige]

i would suggest running several 2x4 rings around the bottom, all the pressure runs outward at the bottom half. make your side frames, your end frames and run several rings of 2x4's around the outside. glue and screw the rings, sides and ends seperately and assemble. using plywood distributes the stress more evenly and makes everything more rigid, as smokey said, definitely a lot of wieght, must be on a cement floor, not a second floor.

[lauris]

I appreciate the commentary. I have a weird little alcove area where i could build this type of storage "tank" and I may need to as I get more fish and start filling up the empty tanks that are now my aging vessels.

Limige, if you know, should the 2X4 "rings" at the bottom of this thing be constructed with narrow or wide side against the side panels. This would be in the basement, right over a drain (not that there wouldn't be a heck of a splash/surf should it let go).

Finally, I would have fairly easy access through a nearby scrap steel yard to lengths of steel bar, say 1/4" thick and an inch or two wide. If i ran these as 'rings' with the ends bolted to each other at each corner, would they provide more support than a 2X4? I realize strength would have some to do with the composition of the metal, but is there any general rule regarding equivalent strengths, as in steel of x dimension provides the same or better support than a 2X4?