DIY Concrete Aquarium 5,000 gallon - Anderson Family Reef

[Ben Pedersen]

I know it’s overkill on the rebar spacing but I only want to do this once!

How do you bend rebar like that?

 

[dca22anderson]

How do you bend rebar like that?

I set up a jig and bent it by hand...

 

[Jepprox]

Simply amazing build. You've got skillz! Tagging along.

 

[Ben Pedersen]

I set up a jig and bent it by hand...

Very impressive.. That is hard work..

 

[dca22anderson]

It's been more work that I thought... hardest part so far was removing the 2x4's from the floor for the keyway!!

 

[dca22anderson]

splinter by splinter

 

[sabeypets]

Hows the best way to contact you for a rebar estimate on my next job?

I set up a jig and bent it by hand...

 

[McPuff]

I set up a jig and bent it by hand...

That must have taken a lot of time! Great job. Must have saved a lot of money doing this yourself!

 

[jhawksoon]

Definitely following. Have you poured any concrete walls before? I rent concrete forms for a living and most people don't realize how much pressure you will have at the bottom if there's 10' of liquid head.

 

[dca22anderson]

Definitely following. Have you poured any concrete walls before? I rent concrete forms for a living and most people don't realize how much pressure you will have at the bottom if there's 10' of liquid head.

Thanks for your note!

No, I haven't. It's a bit intimidating but my concrete pump guy and a local fish enthusiast/concrete guy are coaching me along. Plan to build the outside walls tonight, fit the rebar cage to the center then bolt down the walls and get to bracing them all up.

What are your thoughts on screwing in the baseplates to the new concrete floor (the screw holes will be inside the tank)? Or should I just brace them up with supports pushing down from the floor joists above? Or both?

 

[jhawksoon]

Thanks for your note!

No, I haven't. It's a bit intimidating but my concrete pump guy and a local fish enthusiast/concrete guy are coaching me along. Plan to build the outside walls tonight, fit the rebar cage to the center then bolt down the walls and get to bracing them all up.

What are your thoughts on screwing in the baseplates to the new concrete floor (the screw holes will be inside the tank)? Or should I just brace them up with supports pushing down from the floor joists above? Or both?

Sent you a message

 

[New Jersey REEF]

@dca22anderson what do you estimate, how much long until this project will be completed?
Very exciting build!
Thanks for sharing !

 

[dca22anderson]

@dca22anderson what do you estimate, how much long until this project will be completed?
Very exciting build!
Thanks for sharing !

It’s 28 days of cure time once the walls are poured (hopefully next week) then a little longer for epoxy and windows to cure so I’m planning on 60 days or so!

 

[dca22anderson]

Outside walls going up this weekend! And tons of bracing!!

 

[VanDalsenReef]

I'd go 70-90 just to be "over exaggerated safe"

 

[VanDalsenReef]

It's just a lot of "oh sh###, that's a lot of water on my floor accident"

 

[dca22anderson]

Viewing panel form in place... front wall is 9-1/4” thick.

 

[cmaxwell39]

Looking really good. Great attention to detail and a well thought out and executed plan. Can't wait to see it finish coming together.

 

[dca22anderson]

All walls, interior and exterior done Next up bracing it all

 

[mehaffydr]

This is an awesome build. Makes my 1100 gal look like a frag tank. The amount of steel you have in there is impressive. Looks more like a safe than a fish tank. Can't wait to see this come together.