New 130 Gallon Tank in need of a serious overhaul -- Suggestions anyone? XD

[Kisa]

So I just picked up an awesome 130 gallon tank from Goodwill for 1/10 of the price. It's in good condition, but with one major problem...

It's made of wood!

I plan on putting a whole sh*tload of darts into this tank (specifically Dendrobates auratus) and I know they require high humidity. I'm pretty sure this tank was used in the past for a desert reptile, there is no water damage and it is basically dry on the inside with little dirt particles everywhere. The front panel is plastic for viewing, which I will probably replace because of the scratches and dirt all over it. My dad works in the trade show business so he can get a lot of supplies for free, he says I'd be surprised at the amount of materials they just throw away, brand new and unused.

The main suggestions I'm looking for are how to make this tank water/rot proof. I don't want the high humidity to warp the wood or cause it to start rotting. One idea is to over the inside with plexi glass, siliconing it directly onto the wood, to protect it from water damage and rot. Another is to spread silicone directly over the wood, but I have a feeling that won't be as successful as the glass idea.

I've turned this into a sort of father/daughter project, my dad will be helping me with the tank remodel and the actual build. I won't be getting the frogs until August, but the sooner I set up this tank, the better. Who wants a big empty tank sitting in their living room? XD

Any suggestions you guys have would be greatly appreciated, I have never worked on a project like this, especially on this big of a scale.

Also, I'm thinking of dividing this tank right down the middle so I can keep both the "microspot" and "camo" morphs, as these are my two favorite styles of auratus. Any ti[s on how to do this successfully in a tank this size would be helpful as well. I was thinking of making two hinged lids of plexi, one for each side, to minimize escapes. The original lid is wood and has been warped, as if someone set something very heavy on it for a long period of time.

Anyway, here are some pictures. The tank dimensions are 60x23.5x21.5 (inches) and it sits on a large cabinet types thing that we are going to replace with folding legs.


Got my friend to stick her arm out to give the tank some proportion. We could fit a person inside this thing. XD


This is the right side of the tank, built in light fixtures and vents included. (We'll be covering most of the vents with plexi to hold in humidity.)


Here's the left side.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions you guys may have, I am REALLY excited about this!!!

[clownonfire]

Kisa, looks great!

Couldn't you just prime it and paint it with a waterproof exterior paint? If you do it well before getting your darts, it would have time to off-gaz...

But god damn, I want it!

Eric

[Kisa]

Kisa, looks great!

Couldn't you just prime it and paint it with a waterproof exterior paint? If you do it well before getting your darts, it would have time to off-gaz...

But god damn, I want it!

Eric

Thanks Eric! This really was a steal, and a lucky find! My friend sent me pictures of it yesterday when she found it and was like "look what I found...>>" XD

I would need to water proof the inside as well. I want to go the cheapest route possible, how much is waterproof paint? My dad would be able to get all the plexi, glass, and silicone I needed to line the tank, not sure about waterproof pain though. XD;

Thanks for the compliment, if I didn't have plans for this tank I might sell it to you, lord knows you could put it to good use with all the darts you plan to get. XD

[clownonfire]

Thanks Eric! This really was a steal, and a lucky find! My friend sent me pictures of it yesterday when she found it and was like "look what I found...>>" XD

I would need to water proof the inside as well. I want to go the cheapest route possible, how much is waterproof paint? My dad would be able to get all the plexi, glass, and silicone I needed to line the tank, not sure about waterproof pain though. XD;

Thanks for the compliment, if I didn't have plans for this tank I might sell it to you, lord knows you could put it to good use with all the darts you plan to get. XD

If anyone deserves to strike such a deal, it's you, Brit. Have fun with it!

[Kisa]

If anyone deserves to strike such a deal, it's you, Brit. Have fun with it!

Why thank you Eric! I hope to make my future frogs as happy as possible. ^ ^ It's great suggestions from the people here on the forum that will make it amazing, I'll just provide the elbow grease.

[daziladi]

Brit that tank is so killer!! Have fun with it

[Grrrit]

Silicon or titebondIII. I know theyre probably not the cheapest but its a start. Your going to want to keep that wood from warping and getting soggy. This is usually when ginger comes in with a good idea. Lol

Really cool though, I want one!

[DonLisk]

I'll have to think on this since I have a few ideas but don't want to suggest anything not healthy or may cause issues later on.

I'll look into one product I was thinking of and if its good then I'll give you a run down of what it is and how to apply.

That enclosure is huge.

[Kisa]

I know!!!! I never thought I would find one this big, I was hoping for a deal on a 40 or 50 gallon for five or six Auratus for the living room, this tank is over double the size and that means I'm going to try and keep double the frogs!

How could I pass up this tank for $70? That's how much it cost, and it's in great condition! If I were doing this enclosure for a desert reptile like a snake or tortoise, it would be PERFECT and ready to go, but for darts, it's gonna need some modification. I'm actually not the one who found it, it was my friend, but still, even if you didn't have the room, could you pass this up? It even came with a cabinet stand and a bunch of stuff inside that the owner just left, I need a chance to go through it all...but right now I am in viv heaven!

@Grrrit: Thanks, I'll look into that stuff and see what my dad wants to do. He's the technical lead on this project and I'm picking out all the materials for the actual build once this ting is water tight and rot resistant.

@Don: Thanks Don, anything you can offer would be a huge help! Just tell me what you would do with it, I trust your judgement.

My uncle suggested using penetrating apoxy directly on the wood, he says it does something like petrify it and make it hard and rot resistant. I mentioned this to Cheri and she was hesitant because she said that if this apoxy stuff has any anti-mildew properties it could poison the frogs. Has anyone ever used that stuff before or know what it is? All the information I could get on stuff that could hurt the frogs is first priority. Who would want to do a build on this huge scale and make it awesome, fill it with frogs, and then have them poisoned later? I hope not anyone.

[UncleChester]

Nice find. You might want to look into the marine epoxies people use for building big reef tanks out of plywood. It's not something I've ever done, but you should at least be able to find what types are at least fish safe (who also don't like mildew resistant additives I believe).

[DonLisk]

Kisa,
One option I was thinking was that you could just go with thin plexiglass cut to fit each side, bottom, and then front lower and complete back.
Have cut so they fit with only a slight gap and then fill in all seams with silicone.

Some plexi glass is pretty inexpensive and some is very pricy.
I don't see why you would need to use anything pricey since the wood would be supporting all the weight.

Lowes and Home Depot cut the plexi to size while you wait.
I see Home Depot has a 36in x 48in sheets by Optix for 29.98 a sheet.
Just take your measurements and they should cut it at no charge.

I'll think of more options too.

[bshmerlie]

Kisa,
One option I was thinking was that you could just go with thin plexiglass cut to fit each side, bottom, and then front lower and complete back.
Have cut so they fit with only a slight gap and then fill in all seams with silicone.

Some plexi glass is pretty inexpensive and some is very pricy.
I don't see why you would need to use anything pricey since the wood would be supporting all the weight.

Lowes and Home Depot cut the plexi to size while you wait.
I see Home Depot has a 36in x 48in sheets by Optix for 29.98 a sheet.
Just take your measurements and they should cut it at no charge.

I'll think of more options too.

I agree 98% with Don the only difference I would do is use glass on the bottom so that it never bows as plastic and wood can over time. It would be 100% waterproof, last forever, and have no risk of harmful chemicals. If your Dad can get free plastic you're almost there.

[Leefrogs]

I would think that by time you fill that with plants, your pocket will be empty.
Couple of points, won't great stuff protect your walls from moisture? And then the great stuff gets silicone on it anyway, and any warping will all be covered anyway?
If you imagine all that you'll sculpt in there, there isn't that much wood left to expose right.
I think the plexi would be a waste of money because it'll be a great stuff hills anyway. And from what I gather-- that stuffs water proof also.

I picture a gradual valley, hills built up on both sides and a meandering stream in the middle.

[DonLisk]

Good call on the Glass. Shouldn't have to be anything too thick.

The other option I was checking into is acrylic resin two part which is a pourable resin. It is food safe but I have found to do something so big might be pretty expensive.

[Kisa]

All great suggestions guys, thanks. I think I want to cover the inside with plexi and glass like you guys suggested but my dad seems to be worried that the glass will crack from the weight of all the planting I'll be doing on top of it, though I know that won't happen because it will be sitting against the wood and people plant in all glass vivs with no problems all the time.

Thanks for the other chemical suggestion Don but I want to keep this as cheap as possible, I don't have a lot of doe right now and plan on spending all the money I DO have on the materials for the actual build, not waterproofing the tank since my dad thinks he'll be able to get the plexi, glass, and silicone all for free.

And thanks for the build suggestion Ginger, I'm thinking about doing that as well, building hills up on the sides ands back and leaving the front middle sort of lower, maybe adding a communal pool there at the end of a water fall? I'm not 100% yet, I think I'm going to draw up some plans before I even start the build so I can get a good idea in my mind beforehand. Also Ginger, any plant suggestions you have would be great for me, I know nothing about plants and I want this viv to really pop with color and texture, and I know you have a green thumb.

What do you guys think about an escape-proof divider with two lids so that I can attend to the needs of each side separately without worrying about frogs escaping while I'm providing food, doing a water change, or any other miscellaneous action inside the viv? Any thoughts or suggestions on this would be a great help as well.

[clownonfire]

All great suggestions guys, thanks. I think I want to cover the inside with plexi and glass like you guys suggested but my dad seems to be worried that the glass will crack from the weight of all the planting I'll be doing on top of it, though I know that won't happen because it will be sitting against the wood and people plant in all glass vivs with no problems all the time.

Thanks for the other chemical suggestion Don but I want to keep this as cheap as possible, I don't have a lot of doe right now and plan on spending all the money I DO have on the materials for the actual build, not waterproofing the tank since my dad thinks he'll be able to get the plexi, glass, and silicone all for free.

And thanks for the build suggestion Ginger, I'm thinking about doing that as well, building hills up on the sides ands back and leaving the front middle sort of lower, maybe adding a communal pool there at the end of a water fall? I'm not 100% yet, I think I'm going to draw up some plans before I even start the build so I can get a good idea in my mind beforehand. Also Ginger, any plant suggestions you have would be great for me, I know nothing about plants and I want this viv to really pop with color and texture, and I know you have a green thumb.

What do you guys think about an escape-proof divider with two lids so that I can attend to the needs of each side separately without worrying about frogs escaping while I'm providing food, doing a water change, or any other miscellaneous action inside the viv? Any thoughts or suggestions on this would be a great help as well.

D. auratus are not the boldest of darts, and are mostly terrestrial, although they will use the climbing space you will provide. Your challenge will be mostly if you get juvenile as they will climb more and faster. But once adult, they might retreat when you will open the lid. I would say making one lid should be ok, and make it easier on you.

[Kisa]

D. auratus are not the boldest of darts, and are mostly terrestrial, although they will use the climbing space you will provide. Your challenge will be mostly if you get juvenile as they will climb more and faster. But once adult, they might retreat when you will open the lid. I would say making one lid should be ok, and make it easier on you.

Thanks for the insight Eric. I think I will be getting froglets, though I can't be certain of this quite yet, I still have to speak more with the breeder. I would like to raise some babies though, that would make this project worth while, to be able to watch the babies turn into adults. I'm not exactly sure what I would rather do with the lid yet, as I do want to keep two different morphs in this viv, separated by a piece of plexi, of course.

[JSG]

Brit, this may be a stupid question, but hey, that's me!
If your dad can get all the glass and silicon for free and you have to cover the insides of this huge tank in any case, why not use this tank as a "mould" and just build a new viv inside of it and then as soon as the "new inside" in 100% remove it and Viola, you have a clear, glass viv?
Haven't seen the stand that came with the wooden tank, but maybe use that for the "new" glass viv?
I'm just thinking about this as if you have to fil the entire thing on the inside in any case, you are actually building a viv in a viv, no?
Just thinking alloud. LOL

[wesleybrouwer]

I would use epoxy raisin to make it water proof.
It is the most used way around here by people building large tanks of wood.
Im on my phone right now, soon as I get home ill post a link here.
This is a step to step of the building of a tank I want to live in

[Kisa]

That is a very good point JSG, I guess that thought came to my mind a bit but I never dwelt on it for long. Hmm...Well the one cool thing about this wooden viv is all the built in vents and light fixtures. If I'm able to use them that is...>>

I was thinking of building the glass on the inside and then removing some of the vents and keeping the holes in the wood for little peep holes to look through, because since it's wood you won't be able to see the sides or back of the viv at all.

Let me speak to my dad about that idea, I don't know if he'll go for it or even knows how we could do something like that...because after building a new glass tank inside the old wooden one we'd have to lift it out...I guess we could scrap the wooden tank, but then what if our glass didn't build right and we needed the wooden one in the end in case the glass one broke or was lopsided or something...? I don't know, there are a lot of ideas swirling around in my head. Truth is there's a lot we can do with this tank...I think my dad and I will brain storm and see if we can come up with something...Thanks for the input though! And thinking INSIDE the box. XD

And Wesley, thanks. As I said, all suggestions are welcome, I haven't even really decided exactly what I want to do yet. Does that resin have anti-mildew properties? Those can be dangerous to the frogs, and I want to use as little chemicals as I possibly can. D:

And I think I forgot to acknowledge UncleChester in my last post, sorry! This weekend I'm going to go look around online and see if I can find other methods frog and fish people have used on wooden tanks and maybe I'll post them here if I get a few good ideas!