Epoxy/Fiberglass in Sal****er

[Kevin Kinney]

I'm have a passing familiarity working with epoxy & fiberglass. (West
System Epoxy, to be exact.)
A buddy wants me to help build some pseudo reefs out of the stuff.
We're both wondering if there are bad leaching effects if we use epoxy
& fiberglass.

Can anyone help?

Regards,
Kevin Kinney

[Rick]

I dont know of any effects from epoxy-But I have built aquariums using
fiberglass years ago- no problems. Using fiberglass is an
inexpensive way to build one. As I had little moey to buy a tank when
I was young we made our own from fiberglass. Also made a few
surfboards-anyway

What I used to do was build the tank (bottom-Sides-front and back)with
3/4" plywood. (glued and screwed together using stainless steel
screws) Once assembled I then cut out the window for the front glass
using a jigsaw. (this inabled me to make diffeent shaped windows as
they where almost scrolled out).

Once that was done I would then layer the inside of the tank with
fiberglass and resins (3-4 times on all sides) For the back i used a
powder blue pigment mixed with the resin so I would have a colored
back.

The last part is to adhere the glass to the inside of the tank using
silicon/clamps. You need the glass to be about 2-3" larger then the
hole that was cut for the window. Once you have clamped and the
silicone has dryed-put a additional bead of silicone around the
inside edge of the glass then dry again. Once that process is done
then put abouut a 2-3" seam to make a layer of fiberglass on the
inside edge of glass and on the inside of the front of tank. This is
the final process to seal the glass to the inside of the tank.



Then I would burn the wood with a blowtorch to make unique finish on
the plywood and then varnish.


wait several days for eveything to cure- fill and check for water
leaks.

This was a fun project when I was a kid. Most of the tanks I make was
50-60 gal- tried larger once but they where leakers-