How We Built The 880 Gallon Wooden Aquarium and the PRICE!!!

[@DankDaHerbalist]

My dude stepping it up.. King of diy status 🙌

[@dwsdarius]

Lol, thank you!

[@DankDaHerbalist]

@@dwsdarius pressure treated wood was a great call. Edit: of course the cichlids are still fighting hahah

[@catfishcave379]

Even better - Darius obviously genuinely loves fish. That other guy however...

[@jcgjcg3844]

Woa Bro No One and I Mean No one Beats Joey The King Of DIY!

[@jcgjcg3844]

No offense to DWS but Joey is insane on his DIY and tutorials. He is always tearing his set up down and building new one's anyways I just wanted to say that I'm not throwing shade. Joey's channel is literally called the King Of DIY and I think it's well disserved.

[@svtcontour]

Yay another plywood tank owner. Mine is only 308 but love it. Happy to see you with one.

[@dwsdarius]

Thanks!

[@PhilGrady]

Darius watched your channel for years, I love your passion for your hobby! Really enjoyed the video! Not all of us have have 15,000 for an acrylic!

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you! I honestly can't believe I'm still as addicted to the hobby as I was when I first started...you would think that over time it will die down a bit

[@PhilGrady]

Darius I have kept fish for over 50 years! And believe me , the interest has not diminished!

[@dwsdarius]

I respect your time...here are some shortcuts to this LONG Video: Quick Overview 0:34 Detailed Overview 6:38 Filtration 12:49 Cost: 24:30

[@DankDaHerbalist]

Really really amazing looking build bro. If i owned my home id try it myself!!

[@justinbombs955]

Im still gonna watch it all. Love the content

[@anthonyle1733]

Thanks for the time stamps and not splitting up the video on 8 parts

[@jewellegardner270]

880 gallons, wow!!!! And for the price! Unbelievable.... My custom 10ft long x 26" wide x 25" high cost me $2000 w/ stand, sump and quarantine tank underneath it. But your tank is amazing. I might have to get u to build me a tank.

[@Darkcloud1983]

The crazy part is you This you self like the DIY king but you get less views and subs bro. That’s total BS, your content is freaking awesome. Also I know why your not getting those views and subs but I’ll be quite.

[@CichlidBros]

Awesome setup. Hard work pays off 👌🏻

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@drew5555555555555555]

I've always had a dream of having a huge tank like this with nothing but nano fish. Cory cats, goramis, guppies, tetras, etc and just watching how that ecosystem evolves and plays out with the different territories and everything being set up. I bet you could also breed some fish that would be really difficult to breed in captivity since they really wouldn't knot the difference between where they are and being in the wild.

[@littlewigglemonster7691]

School of thousands of tetra be so dope!

[@augieh6146]

All I’m thinking

[@beyondfubar]

I'm working on the same thing. Figure I'll buy a 125 gal and see how it works with the fish in that, then if it works out run with it. Mega-mini fish concept, I love it and will probably call it that.

[@stevewilhoyt924]

Feel like I'm on my way to a final fantasy boss fight every time I watch this video. Love the music.

[@dwsdarius]

Thanks!

[@richardmaloney5566]

My dude coming at it in "Beast Mode" with yet another banger video. Doper than dope.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@marcuscarsonsr]

Man, Im glad you came back quick with this video.

[@dwsdarius]

Thanks!

[@carolineraimbeau1124]

This 880 gal build is impressive! Great job Darius. Makes me want to build a tank, not as big, but this gave me ideas.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@eatwhatthemonkeyseat8161]

So glad YT suggested your channel, love the tank and your fishroom.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@HaYNFishKeeper]

Great Build D... dayum Pond Shield is no joke 15 hundo geez!! Lol looks great well thought out! 🤙🏽🐠🤙🏽

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you, yeah next time I'll go with one of the half priced less famous brands

[@truckersreef6369]

Really wasn't expecting it to be that cheap.🔥🔥👍🏾

[@jayholt7399]

Nice , one of the best looking plywood built tanks I’ve seen on you tube. 👍👏👏

[@ethanfallon2576]

I’m happy for you man! Good to see you living out your dreams.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@earthgirl7267]

Wow! Great video young nan!! Good job on this aquarium. 🐟

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you

[@southlcc]

Deff happy i found this channel! Awesome content man, tanks look great.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@gillgang7247]

Dang!!! That is so crazy!! Keep up the great work and videos. I love the content

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@gzuspeterson4748]

Damn dude that is some heavy duty work you put in. Always inspiring to see shit like that

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@sondercichlidaquariums4951]

I wish I had your DIY skills ..I am very jealous...superb

[@dwsdarius]

Lol, I'm still a newb...I need to do a few more before I'm confident

[@rondecaro]

Loving your bass man. Again great project.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@BC-uu6iz]

Great sharing the itemized costs of the total build, this we can have a better pic of the project

[@cichlidguru1163]

Nice build .i wish I had that much space and time but for sure in future those are the goals

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@sal9842]

Awesome! Just plan awesome ... you did a fabulous job ! So nice.❤️

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@FreeSwimmer]

Awesome DW.. Are you stealing my fire from my 1210 gallon system ? lol Your job looks great.. I wish I couldve helped.. I was very pleased with Pond Armor as well.. My system got total of 7 coats..

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you, lol yes I watched some of your videos over and over!

[@popparock6506]

Awesome build brother! scape looks good too! I like the natural look I think a river rock bed would set it off though! find a creek collect river rocks, soak/scrub them up w/ hot water you want to get all the dirt off, then lil soak/scrub in Hydrogen peroxide fill up 5gal bucket halfway pour the entire 32oz in, load rocks to the water line shake/spin/stir soak 5-10 min. Rinse well then safe to add. (DO NOT bake some rocks will explode) Also, Lava Rocks are another good media option and it's cheap.. do a 2-3in layer of lava rocks in the bottom of the tank then top with the river rocks to 3x-5x the bio efficiency! Utilize that massive 4x8 footprint as an additional beneficial bed. You could also glue some of the river rocks together to make caves/piles for the knife as well that would blend in.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you, yes I ended up putting more substrate down, now I just have to collect some more river rocks for that right side

[@jackanddan]

Awesome work🌱💪🌎👍

[@backwheelbandits2.0]

Great job you over done yrself here absolutely love it can't wait for the next

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@backwheelbandits2.0]

@@dwsdarius no problem.

[@LJsReef]

Wow this came out friggin amazing! I love the plants on the top, definitely something I would do. You could cover the outside with plywood and paint it for aesthetics.. all in all its pretty friggin awesome!

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@Mofski1]

Amazing, very informative. I use filter floss for water polishing to help get that crystal clear look if that helps.

[@dwsdarius]

Thanks, yes normally I use the same but my local supply has been closed due to covid 19

[@AleAlbert999]

Very good video. Thanks !!!

[@GCaquatics]

haha kinda hoped to see a small shot of you swimming in it before putting in driftwood. If i ever win the lottery I'm flying you down to have you build me one of these :D .

[@dwsdarius]

This tank is small now, if I had the space I'd need 3x bigger

[@edwardsdeacon]

You can absolutely add more moving bed media but you would have to add a large air stone to help it move which is good because that would help with degassing the water. You could also put a “tee” connection and a several inches of pvc pipe with a “either a 45* pr 90* elbows. Connect it to the either or both filter barrels and that will create a swirling filter/bio-filter hybrid. You could also attach moss ( java or Christmas moss) to the wood in the tank and that will grow and help with the filtration as well. I hope I gave you something to use. Good luck with your tank, hobby and you tube channel. Thanks you for your videos.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you, yes I'll try the air stone underneath and see how that works

[@ronderfulaquariums2978]

Pretty awesome build congrats

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@SwampyAcresHomestead]

Wow what a tank thanks for sharing

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@Teramydog]

great job man

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@Thek1DNexTDooR]

You’re content is way too amazing definitely had to subb

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@SY-oy7st]

Looks great, I wish to make one some day, not so big though. 😁

[@jhtyler31]

Great vid great music to go along with it

[@sondercichlidaquariums4951]

Everything is so much more expensive in the uk, though I feel you, peace of mind is priceless

[@dazellis8057]

It is im thinking a rectangle pool inside a shed for now and loving your pic i keep dovii myself

[@sondercichlidaquariums4951]

@@dazellis8057 I've got to do a home build at some stage

[@eddyortiz8110]

Great job !🐠🌿🌿

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@rickrodriguez6675]

Sweet sweet setup Dee

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@VinnysAquatics]

That’s very impressive my friend 👍

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@StanTheObserver-lo8rx]

My 240 is all the work I need. But,of course back in the day ,I wanted tanks the size of houses-lol. Good deal..saved huge. If you were into plants..than it really would look pondish. But on the other hand after you go big,small fish just seem to disappear in very large natural Amano tanks. I would go Arowana and Oscars..and the smaller Cichla mono something? If you do up the lighting..try Jungle Val or ...water lillies...you put stones no cichlid can ever move..and you get the super pond feeling watching them swim under 12" pads. Use tropical outdoor pond lilies,not those itty bitty aquarium types. Congrats!..I want one too really..wish I had a basement.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you, I want to try plants my cichlids will most likely destroy them!

[@lukekids6735]

Awesome 🔥👍🏾👌🏾

[@dwsdarius]

Thanks!

[@erick6102]

Bravo!

[@lauchlanstill6677]

Loved the music at the start

[@lboogie738aquatics]

Awesome tank my dude. Do you do plumbing too? That’s a hell of a setup you got

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you, yes I did

[@lboogie738aquatics]

DWSDARIUS FISH TANKS . Oh ok cool, that’s my career too. Do u still enjoy do plumbing work ?

[@dwsdarius]

@@lboogie738aquatics Its the easiest in my opinion out of the different aquarium task

[@OriginalMindTrick]

What would be a cheaper alternative to pond shield? For mechanical filtration, you could always put one or two FX6 filled with extra filter floss and active carbon to polish the water or just put filter floss right at the inflow.

[@dwsdarius]

There are other less famous brands of epoxy just like pond shield. Liquid Rubber is one brand that is $99 per gallon. Not as much reputation but doesn't mean it won't work

[@scottgleason4511]

Very awesome I like it a lot do you get any dead spots in a tank that big? I think the best part is it looked like a family project which is the best kind my wife and kids will help if I ask but don’t share my interest in the hobby but they do enjoy looking at the fish again awesome build

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you, flow in the tank from the filter alone isn't bad...my only concern if for the bottom, the tank being so tall I think a circulation pump pointed downward would be beneficial

[@beyondfubar]

Love it! I really want to do something like this, but I'm guessing at the forces involved and would want a lot of viewing angles. Glass thickness and price looks to kill me.

[@davtreatutube]

nice job looks cool

[@IsabellaM._]

This tank is huge! You saved a lot of money. How will you clean it,though? ( if you already said, sorry)Terrific work!

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you, well I did a 50% water change the other the day the normal way I do with my other tanks and it took 2 and a half hours....next time I'll use a water pump to pump out the water out of a window and that should save me a lot more time. I use a window pole to clean the glass

[@IsabellaM._]

@@dwsdarius ,That's a bit of time!

[@rogerwitmer2659]

Nice build

[@dwsdarius]

Thanks!

[@tompbz]

Nice tank.

[@dwsdarius]

Thanks!

[@SH-os1ck]

New Sub. Really neat work sir! I think the video was great info! Maybe with it so dark inside, paint the outside a lighter color? Looks great though.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you, I ended up going would a wood stain and it looks like a giant tree trunk...which I like!

[@user-vz8pb2fk5d]

How much do you spend on food to feed your fish? Awesome job. Nice looking solid tank.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you, I buy about $120 worth of bulk food that last about 6 months

[@cannondale97]

You should remove ALL of the K1 media cos they won't do much in terms of biological filtration in your current filter setup. You're supposed to have very strong aeration to create agitation and bounce between the medias for it to work properly. I'd suggest you replace them with pumice stones. They're very affordable and is extremely porous as compared to larva rocks. As for having plants in the middle section of the pond........ you can try mint or even sweet potato (heard they are excellent for getting rid of excess nutrients and the best part is they don't need a substrate to grow). Another suggestion is have water hyacinth, water lettuce or amazon frogbit in the planter "basket". The basket allows nutrient rich water to flow through without having the plants floating all over the pond and at the same time it also prevents the roots from breaking and going down into the bottom of the pond.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you, yes someone suggested adding air stones to the sump to help the k1 to be more effective...I'll try that and if that doesn't work I'll go for lava rocks

[@terrellc428]

Put a Mermaid in there😉👍

[@aquariumaddictions7672]

why did you choose black color for the pond shield ? . i always put white color for my aquarium background because it makes the tank look more brighter. great build "BUILT LIKE A TANK".👍

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you, now I'm regretting that black as well. I like it because it gives a infinite look...but it also creates a greater reflection in the tank and my fish are definitely not used to it

[@OffTheDeepEndAquatics]

Like 300. Great build

[@dwsdarius]

Lol, thanks I referred a lot to your 1100g build video...and can't wait to see your 1800g!

[@senxzunekomata4766]

Perfect

[@ebertcombs6610]

Makes me wanna do one

[@brucewashington5564]

Nice

[@dwsdarius]

Thanks!

[@FRamirez1A]

Is the bottom piece of plywood resting on the ground or on a 2X4 base like the frame? Thank you so much!!!!

[@Brianhahahaha]

Man you could even put insulation in that bracing and seal it on the outside with maybe 1/8 sheets of wood

[@RussellDale6019]

Wow congratulations.

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@eddyrdz7543]

Hey Darius, do you not keep African cichlids anymore? Just curious and I’m getting back into them myself.

[@dwsdarius]

Hey, I ended my last African cichlid tank about 3 years ago...but I just got back into them last month because you know those tilapia I had...I thought they would look awesome in a tank with mbuna. Its a tricky tank to balance...but if I can get the mbuna comfortable with the tilapia I think it'll look sweet

[@Alligator.commonsnappers]

I’m thinking of making one of these for my alligator snapping turtles when they outgrow aquariums. I wouldn’t need more than 12-18” of water so it would probably work out really well.

[@goneviral6037]

That thing is built like a tank, it should last forever

[@WorldAquariumSingapore]

real awesome there giant aquarium tank nice :D who else have a giant aquarium tank at home ?:D

[@dwsdarius]

Thank you!

[@men-o-mayhem1840]

Wanna come to Canada and build one for me? Ahahah looks good

[@dwsdarius]

Lol, thank you!

[@men-o-mayhem1840]

DWSDARIUS FISH TANKS no problem this video helped me out might build one like this a little smaller tho in a few months

[@yamatosazuske6939]

I would like to know how heavy would this tank be without water.

[@dwsdarius]

Probably 800-900Ibs.

[@bobbys8777]

So the only piece of glass is on the front? The rest is held by wood?

[@tjobrienRC]

Did you put "Fiberglass" AND "Resin" on the plywood or just "Fiberglass Resin" on the plywood prior to assembly?

[@dwsdarius]

I used fiber glass resin prior to the build, then the cloth once it was all together

[@IDMRPodcast]

Dope

[@Boogerboys1990]

damn 1500 for 9 gallons. price is about the same in 2023 i got lucky and got a 5 gallon bucket for 180 shipped off ebay. nice tank. good stuff

[@averyflood694]

Could you use that ponds seal stuff with salt water tank?

[@markpineda1977]

How many gallons of pond shield did you use?

[@dwsdarius]

9 gallons

[@joshparkey2018]

How do you vacuum the bottom ? Like how do you get down in the tank to reach the bottom ?

[@dwsdarius]

I drain the tank with a garden hose and for a good gravel cleaning id connect the hose to a long piece of pvc to reach the bottom

[@Sugaree43]

👍

[@andyreminch6550]

Are u using an airstone in k1 bucket, that'll get it moving

[@thefishylife6823]

Those square yellow bio media that you got... Their called stogies...lol they are really good!!! Very popular in China fish hobby , awesome job on that huge tank!!!!! Turned out great!!! You ever think about putting in sand bottom to really light up the tank?

[@dwsdarius]

I dropped a lot of my substrate from my plant baskets inside of it....than decided to just go ahead and use that as a substrate...not as bright as sand...but brighter than the previous black bottom

[@thefishylife6823]

@@dwsdarius yeah it looks amazing!!!! Great job that's a huge freaking tank and when you made it yourself it's so much more satisfying.... right!!?

[@dwsdarius]

@@thefishylife6823 Sure is!

[@CentipedeGuy]

It needs some light substrate in my opinion

[@bhargav49]

Glass thickness sir?

[@letuinchi]

Im planning a 1500+ currently and hearing your price for epoxy in this video hurt lol. The 3 gallon kit is now 640 plus shipping and tax 😞

[@thomaskong5]

how is the pump not sucking in the k1 media in the second barrel?

[@dwsdarius]

The pump has a guard around the intake to prevent that

[@svtcontour]

Though I think pressure treated wood should have been avoided as it off gasses some toxic stuff

[@wabalaka1565]

800 Gallon of water in you house should be more of a problem than that and K never hear any story of fish die because of treated wood off gas. All the people I know in KZbin who built ply wood tank use treated wood.

[@svtcontour]

The off gassing is not an issue for the fish as the inside is water tight. Its an issue for the people in the house. Supposedly not good to breathe the stuff.

[@TheirWorldAquatics]

Outstanding job! Looks perfect, great video and well explained. Feel free to check us out on KZbin as we are building a 1000 gallon, part 17 just released.

[@theswagpotato1959]

Face that overflow up

[@lauchlanstill6677]

There was a 2000 litre aquarium for 2 k near me glass aswell was cool as

[@JohnT2088]

Funny how we keep those fish for pets but those in his tank are sold and fishing as food down in south america

[@bryanbeall3051]

The glass. Who carried that down the stairs?

[@atlanticyak2069]

34hundo you didn't save because it's a one hit wonder. The only thing you're able to take with you is the glass. Your other tanks will always be able to move to new home.

[@jimbobaso2832]

how thick and what is dimensionof the glass?

[@jimbobaso2832]

oh nvrmind it was on 26:00

[@AfricanCichlids]

Mate, thats no aquarium, that's an indoor lake haha

[@dwsdarius]

Lol, thank you!

[@rogerwitmer2659]

That pond shield is pricey

[@dwsdarius]

Yes its is...if I ever do this again I'll try a different brand

[@calamarbronx83]

The real question is, how big is that filter? Sorry I don't want to watch the whole video to see if my answer is answered.

[@dwsdarius]

I upgraded my 55 gallon twin barrels with much more bio media and mechanical media and the pump is now pushing out 100% force compared to its previous 40%

[@kerrmann]

That is chop matt glass. Not cloth. Nice video though. Thanks

[@dwsdarius]

Thanks!

[@oliverwinsome6059]

It is not true that a substrate get your tank dirty, for all I know a deep substrate will be benefital to the tank, remember that nature is well capable in cleaning your tank... I keep a 10 discus fish in a 62 gallon tank with no water changes.. just because I have a deep substrate. If you wanna know more of that system I want to point you guys out to Father Fish also here on YT. I love the tank you made, but in my opinion, you should go for a deep substrate.