Glass/Acrylic Thickness Calculations

[Jexnell]

Ok so roommate found some free glass. It's 3/4in thick 3ft x 4ft. Wants to cut them in 1/2 to have 4 18in x4ft panels. Wants to use them for viewing panels on a plywood tank. Wants to make it 16ft long x 2 ft wide by 2ft high. Now the 4ft on either end would be a sealed off separate tank, with a 8ft tank in the middle. So 3 tanks but one massive build.
Will the 3/4 in glass be thick enough?

 

[Ken Seeley]

Checking out the garf calculator, planning a 96x36x36 with one piece top and cut openings. They are saying over 1 1/4? Does that sound correct? I thought i wpuld have been more than ok with 1"

 

[Drstrangelove]

Ok so roommate found some free glass. It's 3/4in thick 3ft x 4ft. Wants to cut them in 1/2 to have 4 18in x4ft panels. Wants to use them for viewing panels on a plywood tank. Wants to make it 16ft long x 2 ft wide by 2ft high. Now the 4ft on either end would be a sealed off separate tank, with a 8ft tank in the middle. So 3 tanks but one massive build.
Will the 3/4 in glass be thick enough?

Assuming the glass is plate glass and in good condition, and that cutting it doesn't cause any fractures, 3/4 inch should be plenty for a 2 foot tall tank.

 

[Drstrangelove]

Checking out the garf calculator, planning a 96x36x36 with one piece top and cut openings. They are saying over 1 1/4? Does that sound correct? I thought i wpuld have been more than ok with 1"

I don't get those results. Maybe you could post a picture of the calculator showing it as 1.25"?

22mm should be fine for a 96x36x36, assuming you have proper bracing.

 

[Drstrangelove]

I don't get those results. Maybe you could post a picture of the calculator showing it as 1.25"?

Actually, I tried and I can't get 96x36x36 to work, so I must be using it wrong. I agree with you though that it sounds wrong.

 

[Peter Dillon Dwyer]

Hi, i know that so many people have asked this question but i could do with some help if anyone can advise. We are building a new Timber Framed & Fibreglass tank. The internal measurements are 10ft x 5ft x 4ft (L x W x H) the gladd panel in the front will be approximately 2.7 metres x 1.15 metres. The tank has 4 supports across the top. This is slighlty bigger than the last one we built which was 8ft x 4ft x 4ft, we used 19mm Toughened glass for the original but not sure what thickness we need for this new one. None of the calculators seem to go to this size. Can anyone help or advise please?
Thank you in advance

 

[audigex]

Probably not quite MFK territory for the tank size... but the advice and discussion in this thread is better than I can find anywhere else

What kind of acrylic thickness do I need to be looking at for the following tank dimensions? (LxWxH, all sizes in feet, all would be using euro bracing, although I'm not averse to adding a center brace too)

- 5 x 2 x 1.5
- 5 x 1 x 1
- 4 x 1.5 x 1.5
- 4 x 1 x 1

Depending where I look, I'm seeing anywhere from 1/4" to 3/4", but each calculator tends to just pick the same thickness for all 3 of the above dimensions (I would have expected the 5x2x1.5 to need thicker acrylic than the 4x1x1, for example)

 

[Justin Martin]

currently planning a build. Wondering if this pricing seems reasonable. Doesn’t seem bad to me.

 

[andyroo]

I've been asked to do a budget for a villa, the intended tank's space is about 8' x 4' footprint... to 6.5~7' tall.
Is low-iron glass an option, or am I stuck with acrylic?
If the former, who might I call to supply? (preferably in the Miami area)

 

[sohit]

Planing a new build. 12 ' L X 6' W X 4 ' H
Will 1/2 inch / 12 mm tempered glass work?

What thickness of glass is recommended specifically for the bottom panel?

What will be the pressure of water on the glass in terms of psi?