Anyone have experience building a steel frame all glass tank

[X24]

I would NOT recommend putting a tank of anywhere near that size on a stand. they are really better off on a solid concrete base. Also stands can create points of pressure and you do NOT want that for a tank that large.

 

[justin guest]

Thank you justin, not so much of a damper, i have a llong term investment which should pay out around when i should get my year end bonus so i'm researching how big of a tank can i put together from that.

Is that a fish store in the photo you attached??? looks very impresive, we don't have anything like that down here in south africa.

I'm actualy thinking of something about 4' high by 15' or 18' as i have an area quite like that in the photo in post #1 which doesn't get used for anything. I want to use it for the tank and all the filters so i may need a walk way next to it(and the filters etc behind) unless i have it on a stand then i can have all the filters etc under it...

Yeah the pictures are from two different stores from a chain i used to work for in Germany
See koelle-zoo.de
I designed and oversaw the building of four of their 6 stores together with architects. I was responsible for anything technical as well as the aesthetics of the animal displays. If you have any questions now or when it gets closer to the big day then ask away.
j<><

 

[justin guest]

I would NOT recommend putting a tank of anywhere near that size on a stand. they are really better off on a solid concrete base. Also stands can create points of pressure and you do NOT want that for a tank that large.

Sorry to contradict you but it´s actually the opposite way around. You can never get a concrete base perfectly flat which is the reason why most tanks of this size are build on stands. It is of course possible to put such a tank on a concrete base but it takes a lot of work to even out the high points. The secret to having a tank of this size sit correctly on a stand is to configure the bottom sheets of glass to the braces of the stand. for instance a tank which has a 4 by 1 metre base would have four base plates each 1 x 1 metre. The stand would then have bracings every metre. This system allows each 1 x 1 metre plate to sit in the middle of a bracing border with flexibility between the plates possible in case of irregular settling when full. Of course a sheet of some sort of pressure insulating material needs to be put between the stand and base sheets of glass. The base sheets are then sealed to each other by siliconing an overlapping strip of glass over two adjacent sheets. The best material for such a stand is stainless due to it´s low compression quotient when compared for instance to wood and the zero danger of the stainless expanding due to water contact as is often the case with other materials including other types of steel (due to rust).
j<><