Connecting 2 tanks to make one larger tank???
- Thread starter tjfish
- Start date
I agree with the poster that you don't want a frankentank in an apartment. I'm nervous enough about my legit tanks in my apartment. If either failed I would be in some serious trouble. Might be a fun experiment to try when you can test it outside and let it hold for an extended time before bringing it in. I doubt it will work, but it would be fun to try. If you sold both 55's you would have most of the money you would need for a 120. I'd go that route if I were you.
Wow, people spew opinions without knowledge a lot.
Water depth, as in vertical depth is what determines glass thickness. I can build a million gallon tank with 1/8" glass as long as i don't build it to high.
As for the OP's question, yes it can be done. Most 55's need support as they are built with the bare minimum glass and use a center brace to compensate for the depth. As you will be increasing the footprint from front to back you will need to brace front to back AND side to side. If however your tank was built with 8mm glass or larger you may be able to skip side to side bracing. 6mm glass just has too low of a safety factor imho to trust at that water depth without bracing for any long side. 8mm glass has a safety factor of 2.6 without bracing, 6mm has a 1.5 and 1/4" has 1.7. thats what you need to be aware of when doing this project. GL
Water depth, as in vertical depth is what determines glass thickness. I can build a million gallon tank with 1/8" glass as long as i don't build it to high.
As for the OP's question, yes it can be done. Most 55's need support as they are built with the bare minimum glass and use a center brace to compensate for the depth. As you will be increasing the footprint from front to back you will need to brace front to back AND side to side. If however your tank was built with 8mm glass or larger you may be able to skip side to side bracing. 6mm glass just has too low of a safety factor imho to trust at that water depth without bracing for any long side. 8mm glass has a safety factor of 2.6 without bracing, 6mm has a 1.5 and 1/4" has 1.7. thats what you need to be aware of when doing this project. GL
I fail to see how increasing the lengnth of the span across the front and back pane would in any way differ from doing so to the side panes, either way you are doubling the span with a seam... how would it be any different? Actually it should in theory be less of an issue do to the fact that its a shorter span.
Now as for the thickness of glass. The water level is going to be the same height as it would be in the origional tanks, im not making the the tank taller which would be the determining factor in how thick the glass needs to be, which it would seem was already done at the factory since neither of my tanks has cracked yet, so thickness of glass is kinda a non issue aside from the fact that if it were thicker i might not need some of the bracing which i would still put in just as insurance lol.
I am definately appreciating all the feed back guys. And if someone knows of something im not considering here please let me know.
EDIT: OOPS sorry guys i didnt read the second page before i replied lol it would seem that river already kinda covered what i just typed lol.
I guess if it was braced it might work. I'm no pro, I was under the impression from previous build threads I've read that depth was the determining factory for glass thickness and making sure it could handle the pressure of the water volume. 12" front to back depth, double it to 24", wouldn't that add more pressure to the front and back panes? Front to back depth, not actually vertical water depth. I wasn't aware it was the water vertical depth that determines glass thickness.
I personally would never attempt such a thing on property I didn't own, but good luck and if you do attempt this you definitely need to document it so we can see how it went.
Actually vertical depth, or water depth is a HUGE factor in determining glass thickness. I mean there are always other factors to consider such as the amout of bracing and things like that which also play a roll.
You could have 120 gallons of water for example at a height of an inch and it would be huge front to back, but you wouldnt need hardly any thickness at all in the glass to hold the water pressure. now step that up to 2ft water height and the amount of pressure from the weight of the water being piled up in a small area like that creates exponentially more pressure in all directions (aside from up of course) and dictates the need for thicker glass.
Not sure im conveying this in any kind of effective way, I know the idea, and what im tryin to say but im just not sure how to explain it
EXACTLY what this guy said. All that matters is vertical depth of the water, not width of the tank.
Very informative. pretty much reinforces the theories i already had in this crazy head of mine about the engineering/bracing side of things making the tank work, which i already had in my head, just didnt really know how to describe it all. and great information on glass thickness vs. depth of water. thanks.
