WHAT A JOURNEY!! I'm so pleased to have finished construction of "Palau Reef" - my 4000Litre Plywood Reef Aquarium. This video will give you a VERY QUICK look at how it was made!!
Aquarist from the UK here mate. I found your channel due the algorithm and I'm glad I did! this looks like an awesome build and one I AM very tempted to try to learn from for my own builds, Great work with the scape as well as being really educational. Keep up the good work my man!!! - Brandon.
Hey Brandon, great to have you onboard! I really appreciate your support. I try to make the videos informative, but entertaining enough to keep the viewers engaged. RU-vid is a bit of a juggling act, and am glad to hear your positive feedback.
I just stumbled upon this video, and I gotta say best plywood aquarium I've ever seen. This guy is a gem on RU-vid, benchwatching his channel lol. surprised he has only 3k subs.
Mate, got to say I’m humbled! I don’t think even my wife says I’m a gem! Do me another favour and help me spread on RU-vid?! Share the video to your fish club etc. Cheers Adam
This channel is awesome!!! So many great DIY channels are popping up with great new ideas. The king of diy is far from the king nowadays if you ask me. I LOVE YOUR TANKS, and your videos and ideas too. Keep up the good work!!!!!
I sort of run the line with my wife. I tell her just enough of my plans , so she knows something is happening, but not enough for her to ask for details!
Mate, what an effort! loved the attention to detail and most importantly the space your new fish can enjoy! I can only imagine what your aquatic dream is going to look like once it is topped off with livestock!
Well Greg, I’m hoping that it doesn’t take as long to get life in the tank as it has to build it. Actually it won’t, as I’ll be collecting microbes this weekend!
Won’t be long Daz. I’m using the existing sump , and along with a couple of tricks for sourcing microfauna and bacteria, the tank will see coral and some fish, within the week
Yeah it’s not really a popular practice in Australia. If you have a marine/ boat chandlery store near you, they’ll be your best source of epoxy’s. Otherwise check out Botecote online!
I lived just south of Cairns , at Mission Beach, for three years. Used to head out to Eddy Reef and some inshore reefs around Dunk Island . Amazing stuff. Thanks for supporting me!
I've been watching this closely since its inception. Great to see you're so close now to turning it into something even more truly amazing. Love from the UK.
Hi Nicholas, it’s certainly been a bit of a journey, and it wasn’t until I put the dates on the video, just how long I’ve been going at it. Now I get to have real fun, starting this weekend as I collect microfauna to seed the tank
@australianaquarist I'm a marine aquarist myself. I have just a small ( 1 metre by 0.5 x 0.5 metre tank) but still love finding new and unusual things to put in it. I like, in particular, soft corals as the fish tend to leave them alone. I can't wait to see how your one looks after a year or two!
Soft corals , especially Sarcophytons and Sinularia are favourites of mine. I think the hobby will see a resurgence in popularity of softies, as people look to keep more varied fish species. I like testing out different butterflyfish with softies , and I think the same could be said for angels
@@australianaquarist I've got angels and bannerfish in my aquarium. They all leave the corals alone. The only iffy fish I had was a dwarf angel, but my anemone scoffed the little bugger! Lol.
Best looking plywood tank out there! I am surprised you dont have an battery powered calk run with all the tank building you have done. cant wait to see this come together.
Hey Gil Just trying to figure that one out. Do I build the cliffs from carved styrofoam coated with epoxy, or lightweight concrete/rock mix? Or expanding foam and epoxy?!?!
Man what a tank I've watched ever video of this build and wow what a job. This tank is going to be amazing. Can't wait for the selection of coral and fish. Awesome job. Thanks for sharing
What a tank! Really like the sleek design with the aluminum(?) strips and the small strip between the 2 front glass panels. The DIY rock formation is also spot on. Can't wait for it to be stocked with life!! Greetings from the Netherlands! (Where a tank this size would bankrupt me in a week if I had to heat and illuminate it 😂😂😟)
Ahh yes lighting…. I’m pulling out the old 400w metal halides until I can figure out an LED option I can afford! Thanks for the support and greetings from the land downunder!
Yep, I’m just going to feed it water from the active sump behind, and then transfer the livestock over. I’ve got some unconventional tricks up my sleeve for bacteria and microfauna, which I’ll do a video on next
Looks great mate and learning heaps from you, love the native tank with the rainbows and turtles too and going to dive in to a tank like this my self cheers and keep the videos coming 😊
Hi Chris I’m very pleased that you’re getting value from my videos. The turtle tank is going strong. The turtles are a bit quiet now being winter, but the rainbows are growing well. It’s a very peaceful tank to watch with a morning cup of tea. Appreciate your support!
Great work you’re doing. Can’t wait to see the stocking. My dream tanks is a diy similar to this but larger so I could keep an alligator snapping turtle. Keep up the vids
That would be awesome ! I’m a huge fan of freshwater turtles, however the biggest we’ve got down here ( other than pig noses), is Chelodina expansa - the Broadshell River Turtle
@@australianaquarist I’m assuming most North American Turtles are illegal in Australia to keep but one of my favorites is the spiny soft shells. Similar to pig noses.
😆 No degree required, just the ability to use tools. Most people who are capable with power tools, also have the ability to visualise the task at hand. You’ll be fine, and can I always ask for help
It looks so amazing! The only thing is, im not sure if it is me not being able to find the video but i missed the window install. I was looking forward to seeing it through the glass once you installed it. Obviously going to see it plenty in the coming weeks as it progresses.. but yep, my 2 cents 😂 Otherwise I love it!!! ❤️
I sort of combined the glass install into a more educational video on the tempered vs annealed glass debate. Easily missed. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3VqoIvwdXv0.htmlsi=NOU6eCErDcrz1B7E And yes. You’ll be seeing a lot more of this tank shortly!! Thanks
Mate! This is excellent! I want to build one of these myself for large fish. Been subscribed for a while now and love the show. Wish I could see it in person. How did you keep them heavy glass panels upright and true, plumb before the metal was added?
You are very welcome to come and visit anytime! I put corner clamps on and clamped a straight edge along the top of the two front panes to keep them in line. But to be honest, they stay quite upright and true by sitting in the rebate
Congrats man! Looks great - seawater even now!! I don't recall if you did anything special where the two front glass panels butt up against each other? The new LED grow lights they have are fantastic, you can get them with lenses on so the beam is easier to control.
Thanks. The end part of this video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-54qeGZLMD0o.htmlsi=Qwcgg4O50CMdIx4D describes that construction technique. I simply initially butt join then with silicone, and then bridge the joint internally with a 10mm glass strip, and externally with the aluminium flat bar, siliconed in place. Both pieces of glass are aligned and “ locked” in place by the rebate in the tank floor and the metal bracing at the top
Best builds on u tube great stuff!! I have been wanting to build something for my stingrays and this is the platform I'm planning to use but possibly glass all four sides.. great build! 👍🏼
A simple plywood base and four glass sides is the easiest way to go, especially if you don’t need as tall a tank. Just remember to design the tank to common plywood dimensions ( 8 x 4, 12 x 4)
@@australianaquarist if I'm only going 18-20 inches high do I need to use tempered glass or can I just use regular glass at that height.. I was thinking about drilling an overflow and return for a sump just to avoid having anything in the tank to give my stingrays more room, and to avoid burns from heaters and for visual aesthetics. And I was thinking of doing it rimless, as long as I stay short enough and get the proper silicone. Or would you recommend maybe an aluminum frame around the top. I would definitely do Euro bracing if I do rimless. And thank you for any advice...
You can use either glass, really at any height. You just need to consider the thickness of the glass in relation to the depth of the water ( tank height) - the most important - but also I feel tanks with very long sides benefit from thicker glass, as I feel the longer runs have a greater chance of deflection. Traditionally, tanks of 18inches would use 6mm (1/4”) sides with euro and cross braces. Many modern rimless tanks at 18” tall, especially planted ones, use 10mm float/ annealed. However, I wouldn’t use 10mm (3/8”) float glass on a long and wide, stingray tank. I would start to be happier using 10mm if full glass euro bracing was installed. Happier still if it was 1/2” or 12mm float. Just because of the length of the sides. The advantage of tempered over annealed/float glass is its 4 times stronger to deflection. In saying that though, not necessary and you may want to consider edge protection of tempered glass.
@@australianaquarist I'll I'll definitely be using half inch 12 mm these are all definitely things I've considered and yes center bracing for sure. And yeah I know tempered glass if you hit it on the edge it's all done so edge protection is a must . Thank you for the experience and hands on videos
Your comment came through in a language other than English, but I think you commented that it makes you want to try it , but at a smaller volume tank? If so, I say go for it! Have fun and enjoy this hobby. Thanks for your support
I came across your channel randomly, that was last month and I’m glad I did, after watching your video I’ve subbed your channel as its content is awesome. Viewer from Scotland 🏴
That makes me very happy John. You are very welcome , checking out my channel. If you’ve got questions on building your own big tank, just reach out to me. I’m happy to help out
THE BEST FEELING!!! Especially when it didn’t leak!!!!! I’m thinking of Asian ShoreCrabs for the island. They are used to climbing up and down the intertidal rocks, grazing on the microalgae
Really enjoy the channel mate looking forward to see what’s next. Do you reckon those glass panels are strong enough for viewing windows in a 15k litre koi pond?
It all comes down to the height of the pond/ depth of the water. If you’re talking about the same height- go for it. But if you are thinking about a pond of 4 or 5 ft deep, then I’d be going up in thickness. Bracing is king.
This video was great, loved seeing the process! I have a couple of questions though.. What is supporting the middle seam against the weight of the water? Do you really trust paint to protect from leaks?
The middle seem between the two front glass panes? They are locked in place in the recess at the bottom, and held by the metal brace at the top. The join is bridged by silicone and a glass strip inside, and silicone and aluminium strip on the outside. I haven’t used paint to seal the tank. I used 5 coats of Botecote epoxy, and 3 coats of Aquacote polyurethane for colour and the decorative finish. I hope this makes sense. Feel free to keep shooting questions through
@@australianaquarist ah I didn’t see the glass strip on the inside. What thickness is the glass out of interest? Ok the epoxy should be pretty tough. But if a rock hits it I’d think it could scratch. The colours look amazing how are you gonna keep coraline algae off it?
Thanks for all the documentation of your progress as well sharing your thoughts and reasoning for the decisions you're making. I wait with anticipation for the future updates on the Palau reef build. What is the marine safe paint/epoxies you used for this build? Like what you painted the plumbing/support structure for the rock work of the island? Happy Reefing!
You are very welcome. I very much appreciate your support! All the epoxies and polyurethanes I used are from Boatcraft Pacific in Brisbane QLD. Australian owned and manufactured. The epoxy is called Botecote, which I’ve used pretty extensively in my plywood builds. The polyurethane coloured topcoat is called Aquacote. It’s a water based polyurethane, so pretty easy to use. Both are used widespread in the Aussie boatbuilding industry. Keep asking questions if you need help!
@@australianaquarist I appreciate all the information and the fact you clearly explain what you're doing and are not trying to hide tips or tricks you have learned that can help us all be better reefers. Do you happen to know what the American equivalent to those epoxies would be? I have an old Red Lobster Marine Land tank that would be nice to seal the fiberglass bottom of. I haven't found anything that I know for certain is safe longterm in a corrosive environment such as a reef tank. My buddy wanted to use a Pond coating/paint and I wasn't comfortable with that as it was black and I don't trust whatever is in the ingredients to be inert.
@sgbbco3981 Im sorry, as I’m not familiar with American products. Can I make a suggestion? Send a short email to Edward from Boatcraft Pacific. Edward and Boatcraft are great to talk to, and have been in the industry for decades. I’m sure he’ll be able to answer your questions regard epoxy toxicities, and comparable products. He may even ship product to the states already- afterall, your exchange rate is pretty favourable! Let me know how you go. edwardp@boatcraft.com.au
Been watching this with a keen eye mate. Quick question however, whats your opionion how fixing a front viewing panel exactly how you have in this build/Turtle tank (one piece not 2) but it being acyrlic? I feel with your method it would be successful due to effectively making a strong U shaped gasket that would lock it in place. Keen to see what you think.
So I think you’re asking about using one acrylic pane as the front window, and how it would go with the way I lock the bottom in the rebate, and brace the top? There are always problems when mixing building materials… this is the reason I’ve had to use metal bracing, as traditional glass strip braces can’t be structurally siliconed to the plywood rear wall. I feel your issue would be getting a watertight seal at the bottom ( in that rebate I build). I don’t think silicone adheres very well to acrylic, so that seal would be more of a gasket, where the weight of the acrylic pushes the silicone down into the rebate. Bracing up top would be easier though, as you could use acrylic bracing and where it meets the timber wall, just screw the bracing down to the timber. Am I thinking the same as you??
