RE: NANFA--plywood aquariums?

Nick Zarlinga (njz_at_clevelandmetroparks.com)
Wed, 19 Feb 2003 17:17:47 -0500

What sort of problems? I have some that are 20 years old and still holding
up
great. Can I look for the tanks that I have made to all start failing at
some
point?

They will at some point. The better made they are, the longer they last of
course. Having a plywood tank in a concrete fish room is one thing, but
having one in the living room is another. It is all about your comfort
level. The bottom line is, wood is a degradeable material and when water
hits it, it grows things that break it down even faster. And might I also
suggest not to think of paint as the perfect water proofer. It is tough to
hold water in a confined space, it inevitably wants to find a way out,
especially large amounts of water. We have some tanks that are 30 or so
years old. They do well for us but I would not trust them like I would
tanks made of other materials.

Nick Zarlinga
Aquarium Biologist
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
216.661.6500 ext 4485

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-nanfa_at_aquaria.net On Behalf
Of Moontanman_at_aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 4:16 PM
To: nanfa_at_aquaria.net
Subject: Re: NANFA--plywood aquariums?

In a message dated 2/19/03 3:38:46 PM Eastern Standard Time,
njz_at_clevelandmetroparks.com writes:

> There is no doubt that plywood aquariums are a quick and dirty way to hold
> water, however we have found that they are subject to many more problems
> than frp, acrylic, or glass aquariums.

What sort of problems? I have some that are 20 years old and still holding
up
great. Can I look for the tanks that I have made to all start failing at
some
point?

Moon

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