Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

With the changing of season, my system is getting more and more direct sun each day. Can I use plywood as a Fish tank cover? Maybe extend it 6-8" on the sides for a shaded area around the tank. I have a half sheet of leftover 3/4" that will cover most of the tank up. Or do I have to worry about the termite treatment leaching into the fish tank or run off during rain? That plywood is just sitting there and a perfect fit as is just begging to be used.
I have a mix of koi and tilapia and have noticed that they squeeze into any shaded side they can find. This is going to be my first summer with my system fully running so its still a work in progress. So far I'm very happy with the results, now just have to keep it going and fine tune it.

Cory

i am told that if you paint it with latex or epoxy it should seal it and it shoudl be safe. if its going to be constantly wet i'd resin coat it.
some people use a pop-up tent or a 'swap meet tent'.

what about a tarp set up? kinda like a e-z up tent

is wind an issue?
-df

I would worry about any insecticide treatment running off into the fish tank, even with paint. In my book, not worth the risk. Of course, I have a tank covered with ply, but our exterior plywood is not treated.

another option is make a frame of PVC pipe or wood and use shade cloth over it. Dats what I did and it works great.

Pop up tents aren't really made for longterm use. Fabric will eventually breakdown under sun.

Yea, thats kinda what I was thinking. I don't think untreated plywood would last very long here is Hawaii with our high humidity & termites. I guess its time for another trip to HD and get some shade cloth and build a frame for it......Cory

You'd need marine plywood, probably sealed... to cope with the humidity...

I use a pvc frame with shade fabric strapped with UV resistant zipties. Works good for me except I wish the shade fabric came wider than 6'.

I've made covers with fencing panels and then tied netting over it to keep leaves out. Then I can simply lay shade cloth or any cloth on top to shade the tank. Even a tarp would work. This makes for an easy to open cover that I can also lock closed to keep children out.

Actually the borate pressure treated wood is suppose to be very good in Hawaii's climate. Suppose to hold up for may years unpainted as long as there's no direct contact with dirt. Did my research on that one

Lucero, don't buy the roll of shade cloth. Look for the tarp like shade cloth. You can buy 10x10 and 10x20. Its a lot cheaper than the roll too, probably doesn;t last as long though.

The plywood you have will be fine for a cover, but as has already been suggested you will need to seal it with a decent sealer. I've done this with various laquers.Unfortunately can't remember brand names at the moment, but there are plenty out there. The other thing you will need to do if it's long term is to brace the ply.It will sag in time.We've got 3 x 2 pine underneath on edge ( not treated or sealed) but that should be sealed as well.Spacings of about 600mm is usual for the length.

I used a simple frame of pine with shade cloth draped over the top. So far the pine has held up really well to the weather. And it's cheap enough so that if I do get problems I'll simply put together another one. PVC pipe would also probably do well as mentioned above.

I think the shade cloth is a good idea because it doesn’t stop airflow much but does keep the UV out of the tank.

Edit . I used dressed pine not treated pine. Dressed seemed an overkill but Bunning’s has 1200x19x42 lengths for a couple of dollars and I didn't have to worry about poisons.