I recently purchased a 6x2x2 tank and as soon as i got it home i noticed it had no bracing around the top, the glass is 10mm thick and the guy i bought it off told me had filled it before with no issues. I got it home and filled it to 3/4 of the way and noticed it bowing at the front and back. Do i need to install some kind of brace to strengthen the tank or is the bowing normal and if so what are some easy and cheap ways to brace the tank?
180 GALLON RIMLESS BOWING
- Thread starter Nick2
- Start date
10mm is not a good thickness for a 6x2x2 glass tank unless you have suitable bracing and even then it's a concern. It will bow. At 10mm on that tank, you will see a deflection of around .8mm. Safety factor is around 2.5.
If it were me, and I couldn't or didn't want to return it, I'd empty the tank and add enough bracing to reduce the deflection to around .4mm. In addition, I'd probably not fill it to the top and just take it up to 22", (so 2 inches below the top.) You can measure it at that point and see if the deflection is significantly lower.
The guy might have been leaving the tank partly filled as well, so it wasn't as large of an issue.
It might not fail with no bracing, but you are much closer to a failure than perhaps you care for.
Also, I'm confused. Rimless tanks are supposed to be made with thicker, not thinner glass. Is this glass? Did he build it himself?
If it were me, and I couldn't or didn't want to return it, I'd empty the tank and add enough bracing to reduce the deflection to around .4mm. In addition, I'd probably not fill it to the top and just take it up to 22", (so 2 inches below the top.) You can measure it at that point and see if the deflection is significantly lower.
The guy might have been leaving the tank partly filled as well, so it wasn't as large of an issue.
It might not fail with no bracing, but you are much closer to a failure than perhaps you care for.
Also, I'm confused. Rimless tanks are supposed to be made with thicker, not thinner glass. Is this glass? Did he build it himself?
Or just get a reptile if you are not set on fish... But i assume you 100% want fish... Some people add styrofoam beneath it to help absorb shock... You could just make a rim from scratch but it will be difficult... Any way that you can possibly solve this problem will not be easy...
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Safety factor of around 2.5 and 10mm glass is WITH bracing. Without bracing it is a big gamble IMO.
Here is the article on calculating the thickness of glass required; http://www.fnzas.org.nz/?p=1732
And if you take the numbers from Warrens post in this thread you'll be able to work out the thickness required for having unsupported top edge; http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=57688#p623450
Thanks, I didn't make that too clear.
10mm and 'normal bracing' is only a 2.5 safety factor. "No bracing" is not a good option as the OP can see with the visual bowing. I'd want above normal bracing at that thickness as 'normal bracing' would not reduce the deflection to .4mm.
I've seen many 6x2x2' tanks with 10mm glass, but IIRC all of them had two front-to-back braces at the ends, one in the middle, and full length strips (euro brace) running across the top and bottom of the front and back panels. Don't think I'd want to gamble with anything less.
Why not just add regular glass bracing? Any glazier will be able to cut them to size, then you just need to glue them on.