Any advice AT ALL on best coating over painted plywood?!

Franquixote

Established Member
Sorry to post again but I really want to get this squared away and no amount of Youtube searching or Googling seems to be helping.
I have a painted plywood bottom. I want something better- more waterproof and sanitary so I can cut a hole, install a drain, and spray clean.
I bought Bondo fiberglass but it seems sketchy- on other forums people suggested it might even leave micro shards that would cause irritation or worse.
I have used epoxy type resin in the past to cover a large bar, but even after 15 years it still hasn't really cured properly- a wet drink will leave it discolored for days and it's really soft. Something heavy will leave a dent which will fill in after a few weeks or months.
Anyway, I really do NOT want to tile it, it's a massive headache to cut and grout tile to a custom shape- it's roughly a 3' pentagon corner cabinet.
I'm hoping there is something I can mix up and spread over the bottom that will cure hard and watertight.

As the days go by and my plants grow it's going to be more and more destructive when I finally take everything out to put a proper floor in. I can't do bioactive because the bottom is only 2-3" deep and I think there are cracks large enough for very small nymphs to escape from. I could silicon the cracks but I need a floor.
ANY ideas?!!!!
 
Following along, would like to hear. I've heard marine resin before, but have never used it. I use pond liner for the insides of my substrate bins, but would look terrible anywhere in view.
 
I am posting some research info below in the hopes maybe someone has used one of these options before and can comment, or for people that may search our forums in the future to aid in their own research.

Hopefully we can keep this conversation going long enough for a few definitive options that might help someone else down the line.

I'd really like to get this done this weekend so please jump in if you have any thought/experience/advice.

Info below the line is where I am at in the research

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Some of the best waterproofer used by plywood aquarium builders is Ponder Armor, Max ACR, and Westsystem.

For fiberglass plywood aquariums, the sites below provide amazing detail and build logs.

Monster fishkeeping doesn't always mean monster fish:
Compilation of DIY plywood tanks (Load Warning) | MonsterFishKeepers.com

DIYFishkeepers is the site for Joey or King of DIY:
DIYfishkeepers

Happy Reading
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PondArmor.
Great Stuff "Pond and Stone"
Rhino Liner
Sweetwater epoxy
http://www.ebay.com/itm/EPOXY-RESIN...459?hash=item4831f75a83&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0

http://www.westsystem.com/instruction-2/

https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/how-to-waterproof-a-plywood-aquarium.356641/

http://www.westsystem.com/products/
 
If anyone knows min depth or bioactive could you fill me in?

Also got zero responses about putting down a waterproof nontoxic epoxy or resin to use
I bought a drain and hardware do I could just spray and scrub but have had zero specific brand epoxy to accomplish this
Really wnt to sort this out this weekend if possible so please post suggestions or ideas ASAP!
 
t what is the brand or actual chemical? I have ben looking all over but when I ask for that the people Home Depot or Lowes just stare at me puzzled.
 
I used Rustoleum Leak Seal to coat the wood and plywood on the inside and bottom of my big DIY cage. I used the spray can so it went on really easy and helped seal up and cracks or gaps in the wood. I've never had soil in the cage but it's held up great to heavy mistings and occasional standing water for 4-1/2 years now.
 
There's not really a minimum depth for bioactive, just depends if you want plants in it, how well it drains water, etc. My cages right now have like an inch, though I'm a little skeptical of how well it'll work. I usually like to have at least 6 inches, but I have two enclosures that are two feet deep even(for large plants)
 
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