Eurobracing your DIY Glass tank

[TexasMFK31]

Hey Lepisosteus . After looking at your tank, i am really intent on getting a bigger tank. The one i have now is 54in x 18in x 18in and is made with 3/8ths glass but i want to go bigger. Where im from though nobody builds tanks over 100g. Id trust them to assemble it but not design it. Id like a tank thats 54 x 25 x 22 (LxWxH). The thickest glass i can get is 1/2in. What do i need to get a tank as neat as yours but with these specs? Id pretty much tell the builder what you say. Any help from you or anyone who knows tanks would be most appreciated. I really dont want this tank to fail.

IMO you can safely go up to 28" tank of water with cross bracing every 4' in length with a 1/2" sheet of glass. My plywood build uses a donor 150G aquarium for the glass. GL!

 

[Saintnova]

Yeah but I don't want any cross bracing. Only Eurobracing. Does that mean I can just tell him to assemble the tank as usual and put the Eurobraced on top? Do I need a bottom Eurobrace?

 

[TexasMFK31]

Yeah but I don't want any cross bracing. Only Eurobracing. Does that mean I can just tell him to assemble the tank as usual and put the Eurobraced on top? Do I need a bottom Eurobrace?

You could eurobrace, it'd be 1/2" thick glass and I'd do a 2" thick strip along the front and back pane both top and bottom. Bottom is where the most pressure is and needs it most IMO.

 

[Saintnova]

So the bottom has to be braced? I thought i could avoid it since I've seen a few without. Hopefully we get consensus asap.

 

[Tobiassorensen]

So the bottom has to be braced? I thought i could avoid it since I've seen a few without. Hopefully we get consensus asap.

I dont think you need to brace to bottom. As i stated in my last post ive got a tank thats 150x60x60cm thats only braced on top built in 10mm glass wich is thinner then 1/2 inch glass. Ill post some pics tonight or in the morning.

 

[Saintnova]

Awesome. It would save me a whole lot of money if it could be 10mm instead. How come such thin glass? Are you happy with it? Would you have gone 12mm if you could do it all again?

 

[Tobiassorensen]

Awesome. It would save me a whole lot of money if it could be 10mm instead. How come such thin glass? Are you happy with it? Would you have gone 12mm if you could do it all again?

The whole tank is built in 10mm glass. Id say 60cm high is maximum 10mm glass can handle with the pressure. If i where to build an higher tank i would build it with 12mm glass upp to 80cm then above that 15mm glass.

 

[Saintnova]

The whole tank is built in 10mm glass. Id say 60cm high is maximum 10mm glass can handle with the pressure. If i where to build an higher tank i would build it with 12mm glass upp to 80cm then above that 15mm glass.

Well I'm going only 22 high but due to the fact that I hate cross bracing, I was looking at some of those 150g like yours to see what I might need. All of them were 12mm though which is why I asked about safety factor etc.

 

[Tobiassorensen]

Well I'm going only 22 high but due to the fact that I hate cross bracing, I was looking at some of those 150g like yours to see what I might need. All of them were 12mm though which is why I asked about safety factor etc.

Bracing you will need any way IMHO. But give 10-15 minutes and i will post a picture on how my tank is braced.

 

[Tobiassorensen]

Here you see how the bracing on this tank is made. Just two 5cm strips of 8mm glass along the front and back panel and an 10cm wide 8mm glass strip from front to back. The tank has been holding water for 4 years now without any bowing of the glass.