Custom 12′ Plywood Tank Build – Glass Thickness Check

[SDwisco]

Hey all,

I’m in the planning stage for my first plywood aquarium build and want to double-check my glass specs with folks who’ve been down this road.

• Footprint: 12′ long × 30″ deep
• Viewing height: 26″
• Design: Straight 8′ front run, then an angled pane (~34″ wide) cutting back toward the wall on the left side.
• Glass spec quoted: ¾″ annealed plate glass, polished edges

From my research, ¾″ annealed plate glass seems to be the standard choice for this height/span when paired with perimeter + cross bracing. My plan is to brace the top fully and run 2–3 cross braces to keep deflection down and to support lids.

Questions:

1. Does ¾″ annealed sound sufficient for a 26″ water height over this length, assuming full top bracing?
2. Anyone running similar dimensions long-term who can share how their glass has held up?

Thanks in advance for any feedback — I’d rather double-check now than regret it later.


(Forgive my artistic rendering, hah, but I wanted to include a rough sketch of the footprint I envision)