DIY giant glass tank

[Industrial]

I just hatched an idea. I am trying to decide if I should still squash it while it is young or let it get bigger.

It seems like a big expense on plywood tanks is the sealant. I am wondering if instead of sealant if I could line the plywood with thin glass on the inside and use more studs on the outside. I do not really see why this wouldn't work and I would think this may be cheaper than sealant. This would give me 4 thin glass plates over the plywood and a thick glass plate for viewing.

Do you think this would work and be cheaper?

 

[Pharaoh]

You would have to worry about the rigidity of the wooden supports. Any amount of flex could crack the glass.

 

[kjfan1]

It's a bad idea man. No flexibility. I thought about doing it with my current project but it's not worth the risk. Just use US Composites.

 

[Conner]

Might work better with thin acrylic sheets, since they have some flexibility built into them. But still probably not the cheapest option, I'd think.

 

[Industrial]

So it sounds like the waterproof seal paint stuff is still the cheapest way to go?

 

[Conner]

So it sounds like the waterproof seal paint stuff is still the cheapest way to go?

Pretty much.

 

[Pharaoh]

yes

 

[john73738]

Especially if the glass breaks and dumps a ton of water all over your house... My 8x2x2 is costing about $120 for the sealant. Peace of mind...priceless

Bear

 

[BadOleRoss]

Might work better with thin acrylic sheets, since they have some flexibility built into them. But still probably not the cheapest option, I'd think.

I did this about 20 years ago on a 360G tank. They same that silicone does not bond well with acrylics but I had this tank for several years. Maybe it sealed OK because I didn't know it wasn't supposed to!

 

[Conner]

I did this about 20 years ago on a 360G tank. They same that silicone does not bond well with acrylics but I had this tank for several years. Maybe it sealed OK because I didn't know it wasn't supposed to!

I would think this could work quite well, but for very large tanks, a thin sheet of acrylic will probably cost more than an equivalent square footage of rubber waterproofing material.

Got any pics of said tank?