# My 200 gallon plywood build



## Gilles

So i have been a bit quiet over here, due to the fact that i was very busy at work and i have worked on my secret project. I've managed to finish my new tank a little over 7 months ago.

*Specs are:*
- 180x70x70 plywood tank with glass front
- No stabilizers (e.g. i have full movement over the tank)
- Pump connections all through the bottom of the tank
- 2x Eheim 2078 filtration
- Up Aqua Atomizer for CO2
- Profilux 3 controlled
- Profilux 3 dosing computer
- 5x 80w maxium light, dimmable by the Profilux 3 (DALI protocol)
- LEDs for the Profilux 3 (thunderstorms)
- Auto top off
- Auto water change with RO water (5% every night)

Here are the pics of the build.

*Design:*
The blue parts on the canopy are ventilation shafts. As you can see inside the canopy i have placed my ballasts and made such a channeling that the outside/room air flows from the center back over the ballasts inside my hood (warm air) and at the sides the moist air is going out.























































*Construction:*
I was constructing this tank for over 2 years. It was a hobby project so a lot of time and money went into it. It all starts with supplies 























































*Reinforcements:*
First, i painted the plywood with an epoxy resin to make it water proof. Next i wanted absolutely NO stabilizers in the tank. Therefore i had to reinforce the front since the top bar has to little 'wood' to support the front window. So i ordered a steel beam and got crazy with the drill.























































*Background, attempt 1:*
Next up was the background. First i applied several layers of fiber glass matt to enforce the casing. In total there are about 3 layers of fiberglass. I wanted to incorporate wood into my background, although i am aware of the risks (rotting and the fact that it becomes a part of the layout)


















































































*Background, attempt 2:*
I was not happy with the above background. The friend which helped me had some good insights, but i wanted to have a planted tank. To much background equals less space for plants. So i decided to redo it. This is the result. If you look closely, you can see the return pipes (in both sides at the front of the glass) and my emergency overflow, the green cascet). Pump intakes are behind in the tank.























































*Background, finalizing:*
Next up is to finish the background. First step involves adding concrete to the background. Why concrete? Since this makes it possible to smooth out holes and make a more rock-like structure. After the (Portland) cement i started adding "Elastopur" basically this is rubber like, 2-component glue-ish stuff which hardens in about 45 minutes, so you have to work fast. The color is yellow-ish but you can add pigment to make it more your own taste. I added brown and immediately after putting on the elastopur i added sand to make it even more naturally. It then looks like this....













































































































*Next up, canopy:*
So i've used some lamp holders from ebay and arraged my lights according to the design which is at the top of this post. Not a lot of pictures, but here goes.


















































































*Moving the tank:*
After one month of test running in the garage where i built the tank (my wife is not that happy with 750 liters of water in the living room), i decided to move the tank indoors. I already had the holes for AWC so that helped a lot. In the pictures you also see my trafo, giving 12v. It is behind my tank so that means i can't access it anymore but as long as it works i am happy. It powers my Profilux and connected appliances so i don't have to use that much power adapters. The first picture shows the reinforcements i made at the back of the tank to make sure it doesn't bend.


















































































*Plumbing the AWC:*
Not much plumbing to do, i had everything pretty much figured out and since i had to fill the tank with water anyway, most of the parts where already in place. However, i still had to do my AWC system which is illustrated in the next pictures.

The 'beast' consists of the following parts:
- The left pipe is the pipe which is directly connected to the tank. This means i can use the valve to quickly drain my tank or to get some water to water my plants 
- The second pipe from the left is attached to a water solenoid. Currently i am using a different solenoid since the one in the picture required back pressure before it opened. Picture is to follow.
- Third pipe from the left (the long straight one) is directly connected to my emergency overflow and goes to my sewer. Basically the drain pipe.
- Forth pipe from the left (e.g. the right one) is connected to the blue waste water line of my R/O unit.

The last picture shows the different solenoids i have used. The left one is now in place and works like a charm, draining 5% (40 liters) in about 2 minutes. I could have increased this, but that meant i had to use a bigger pipe (20mm) instead of 16mm which is now in place.





































*Finalizing the build:*














































*Adding the LEDs to the canopy:*













































































































Next post will be about the stainless steel tubes which i have used to connect the dosing unit, and the first pics of the second scape (sorry, no pics of the first one)


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## doubleott05

wow how did you set the glass?
is this yoru first build?

did you double up the plywood or just a single sheet how thick?
is that coco peat that you lined the walls with?
i must do this now. i need a more indepth perspective

Thanks
Elliot


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## Gilles

p.s. previously i was stocking the plants really really thight (dutch style). The substrate on the last picture is Earthworm castings (EC) topped with Flourite Black Sand. I've switched this weekend to ADA New Amazonia, so my plant scape is yet to develop.


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## farrenator

Congrats on a job well done. It looks great, I hope you get a lot of satisfaction out of it.


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## killacross

>ihtsbrt

god tier build


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## Kubalik

Thats a project and a half . The outcome is magnificent .


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## DonaldmBoyer

VERY well done! I wouldn't have the patience, even if I had the mechanical know-how! 

I am interested in seeing how you utilize the driftwood and how it looks in the end. For now, it looks more like a root system cut into a bank of a river or pond, but in combination with a scaped tank, it looks a bit off to me. But, you did a heckuva job, mate!!!


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## NYCaquatics

Its good to see people design a tank with such great detail. Comes to show you that not only in reefing you can plan out something like this


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## aquaman555

Wow, tank looks great and you did a very neat & clean job with the lighting and the whole build.


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## brewster

I built a 340 Gallon tank in 2003 which is my pride and passion. You have taken the plywood tank to a whole new level. This is absolutely stunning.


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## Tex Gal

That is pretty amazing! Having rimless tanks I feel claustrophobic. I want more more more of your tank!!

What an amazing talent you have!!


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## scream-aim-fire

very nice build i like the drift wood.


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## mangisda

I am very impressed in all aspects of the build. Congratulations.


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## keno

What brand of LED's are you using? You have 10 of them. They are in what looks like a white plastic holder with connectors on them.


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## mudboots

That's absolutely genius.


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## Tyger

OMG! Now that's a project - a true labor of love. I wish you the absolute best! Time to artyman: celebrate! I look forward to seeing how things develop within this incredible tank.


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## majorwoo

I realize I've stumbled across an old thread - but I just wanted to say great job. It's looks amazing!


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## herns

This thread building tank is amazing! Worthy of bump.


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## HisXlency

any updates? unreal skill set pal~!


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