Plywood could probably save you some money but it will be more work than all glass. For long term reliability I think the wood should be lined with fiberglass or something alone those lines and then epoxy painted. Many people will just epoxy over the wood and this can work but I’ve seen many of these tanks in person and after a few years they start to show signs of seepage, nothing major but I could tell the wood was taking on moisture. For an idea on cost I would say you’d be looking at $800 to $1000 to build the wood portion properly including the epoxy paint, fiberglass sheet and resin. Then add the glass front which won’t be that cheap either. So realistically if you can get a better price on an all glass tank you’d be better off. For reference I know someone who had a 200 gallon tank built from 19mm starphire all around for $1200 but this was from BWA and a better deal than the average Joe would get. Going with standard glass and bracing I would think $1500 would be a good price to pay for the tank you’re looking at from a reputable builder.
As for building the tank yourself from all glass, I doubt you’ll save much money. It really depends what you can get the glass for but most of the time you’ll pay more for the glass alone than you’ll pay for the tank from a manufacturer.
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