can i use tank glass to build a larger tank ?

[new2natives]

i am all about saving money, and i am decent at the DIY stuff. but i dont think i have seen anyone try exactly what i am thinking, so i figured i would see what everyone thinks ...

its pretty simple really

the front and back of a 55g is 48 x 21
the front and back of a 50g is 36 x 21

so could i buy one of each (i can get them on craigslist where a side if busted for about $10-$20 each, then discard the side panes), pull them apart and then use the front and back of the 55 as the front and back of my tank, and then use the front and back from the 50 as the side.
this would make for a 48"x36"x20" high or roughly 150g

i would use plywood as the tank bottom, and then cover it in the epoxy that everyone uses for their plywood tanks. and then use silicone to seal all the glass corners obviously.

where a normal tank would have the plastic braces, i would build braces of 2x4s, or some sort of wood to brace it just like a plastic one. and i think i would even run wood up on the outside of the tank at the corners, just to make sure its extra strong. and brace the top across the 4' (maybe even both directions, so it holds the 3' section too?)

under the plywood bottom, i would run 2x4s every 6" or so, to add strength so the plywood doesnt bow from the weight.

then after everything has cured, i plan to fill it and make sure it holds water for a while before i trust it in the house
then i would just build a stand, and have a cheap tank!!


am i overlooking something, or would this work ??

 

[chesterthehero]

buid it yes... have it up and running.. maybe not so much.. IMO the thickness of the glass would be the issue.. i may verywell be wrong though...

 

[alleykat0498]

I'm really liking this idea so far, I would love to see how it turns out and hear the advice from some of the DIY pro's.

 

[LeahisAwesome]

Sounds like an awesome idea.
But i was thinking about the thickness of the glass as well..
being a problem of course.

 

[new2natives]

IMO the thickness of the glass would be the issue.. i may verywell be wrong though...

that was my concern ... but from what i have read the issue with glass is the height, and so they make the thickness according to the height of the tank, so it hold the pressure pushing OUT. so my thinking is if it comes off a tank thats 20" tall, and my tank is 20" tall, it should hold (in theory ).

then the issue of water weight pushing DOWN should be alleviated as long as the bottom plywood and bracing is overbuilt, which is my plan


then again, just because it makes sense in my head, doesn't mean it will work!
so i hope someone with more experience can help us out!

and if it works, i will put up a thread on how i built it

 

[dominicolas]

This plan would absolutely work. I've considered doing this a few times, but I have no room for it. The only thing you should consider is the bottom. The bottom shouldn't be plywood. You should use the two bottoms you will already have and the 4 short sides you will have to make a bottom, just glue them together on a flat surface. I havn't done the math, but you will probably need to buy a small peice of glass to finish the bottom; get that peice drilled and then you have a drilled tank! Go for it.

 

[new2natives]

CHECK THAT ... i just grabbed a 30g tank for 10 bucks, and i have another 30 in my garage that i got for free on trash day!

so it'll be 36x36x16 = 90-95g for $10 + the cost of wood and sealer ...


i would still like to get some feedback from everyone though, and if it works out, i will probably try it with lager tanks

The bottom shouldn't be plywood.

why wouldn't plywood work? (just curious)

 

[invisyblegypsey]

these mite help
http://www.glasscages.com/?sAction=ViewCat&lCatID=43

frames are cheap looks like and you could go all glass

 

[dominicolas]

CHECK THAT ... i just grabbed a 30g tank for 10 bucks, and i have another 30 in my garage that i got for free on trash day!

so it'll be 36x36x16 = 90-95g for $10 + the cost of wood and sealer ...


i would still like to get some feedback from everyone though, and if it works out, i will probably try it with lager tanks




why wouldn't plywood work? (just curious)

It's not that wood won't work, but it's an unnecesary cost and workload. Also, some believe that wood has a life of around 6-10 years for fish tanks, but reguardless of that, glass will work for hundreds of years.

 

[new2natives]

it's an unnecesary cost and workload.

yeah as i am looking through all these websites, i am seeing that the epoxys and resins and all of that stuff are more than i thought they would be. my intent was to see if i could do it, and see if i could do it CHEAP

so now 2 questions ...
if i were to use pieces of glass, i would just lay them flat and silicone the seams? then just put something under all the panes to support them and the weight of the water? what thickness of glass would i need with 90+ gallons of water?


also, i realized that i have access to material similar to kitchen countertops. without knowing exactly what it is (i have never taken a good long look at it) i would say that it is 1-2" thick particle board (more than strong enough to support the weight), and then on the top it is some sort of laminate (sp?) or plastic
i can buy it for about $6 for a piece thats 3' x 5' and easily cut it to the size i need
would that work do you think? i would assume its waterproof? and then do you think i could just silicone the joints where it meets the glass??
(just an idea? maybe a stupid one?)