Glass corner brace?
- Thread starter Dsoars
- Start date
Scratching is the biggest thing for me tbh. And I’ve also read that acrylic absorbs chemicals which isn’t a huge concern to me but just one more reason for me to go with glass. However I’m gonna be using acrylic to make the sump because it’ll be a lot easier with the baffles
For tanks this size, glass>>>>>acrylic. Imo the only edge acrylic has is its availability in thicker panels for truly monster builds. It is true that recently acrylic has become far more cost effective though since glass prices seem to be on a continuous hike up mt. crazyshit.
What’s your opinion on using thinner glass for the side panels and braces? Like 3/8 inch thick. Might save me a little money
Heres my opinion: no!
Your side panel thickness determines the strength of your vertical structural seams. 1/2" glass gives you significantly more surface area than 3/8". Seeing as you are self admittedly a beginner builder you are gonna want as much surface as possible to work with. Ime the difference between 3/8" and 1/2" in price is not persuasive enough for me to sacrifice the strength of the seam.
The top eurobracing will be fine and effective in 3/8" imo though.
Expanded thought: the only place i actually would consider using 3/8" on this tank is on the front and back long panels provided you could come up with effective top bracing across the entire 88" span. But again, being a beginner it would be best to stick with thicker material and minimize your potential for error.
One of my more recent experimental/low cost tanks is this 63x26x21 tank made with 1/2" annealed bottom and sides, 3/8" front and back tempered panels. I diy'd a scrap lumber canopy/top brace for it and it has performed admirably for 2+ years now.
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That makes sense I agree. So you’re saying 1/2 inch for the euro brace pieces that go around the perimeter of the tank, and the cross braces right?
3/8" will work for the top eurobrace. For a full perimeter eurobrace on your proposed 88x24x18, i would use two pieces of 3/8" @ 86-7/8" long x4" wide to "inset" along the top of the front and back panels. Then i would use four pieces of 3/8" @ 24"x4" as crossbraces, two "capped" over the ends of the tank and the other two centered at roughly 30" from each end.
First build the tank itself and allow it to cure. The top brace silicone does not need to meld with the structural silicone of the tank so it is much easier to install after imo rather than attempting to do it all at once. First you will place the long strips inside the tank (not attaching them), then install the capped crossbraces and allow them to cure at least a day. Then you will be able to lift the long pieces up to crossbraces, apply silicone along the entire top of the long panels and the areas where they will contact the crossbraces, and clamp them to the crossbraces to cure.
Keep in mind this is just my method. I am just an amateur like you but have dabbled in quite a few methods by now just finding out what works and what doesnt. I dont have any pics of the one tank i built with a full euro top so i hope this all makes sense.
One obstacle to watch out for is the length of the inset long pieces...i said 86-7/8" long earlier...well thats only if each end of your tank was set perfectly square and straight up and down with 1/2" glass. You may need to measure the gap after the tank cures and make sure this measurement is correct as it will need to be cut if you come up shorter and the long inset pieces wont fit into the tank.
If you build with 1/2" thick long wall panels and you dont mind a somewhat "amateur" look, you can avoid the long inset pieces altogether and just use the crossbraces. For 3/8" long wall panels i would want reinforcement along the entire panel though.
That ^ is exactly the way I do all-glass tanks...which I have built only rarely in the past couple decades...and very similar to my build method for plywood as well. The only thing I would change is foregoing two cross-braces for a single 6-inch wide one right in the middle. That will be more than adequate for your purposes, and will leave you with two much larger openings to allow easier access to the tank.
By the time you put four crossbraces of roughly 4-inch-width evenly spaced along the length of an 88-inch tank, you end up with a large tank that has three separate openings to access the interior, each around 24 inches long. If that seems like a big opening...trust me, it isn't! When it comes time to aquascape or even simply to catch fish out of there, those little openings will drive you crazy.
With a 4-inch cap at each end and a single 6-inch one in the centre, each of the two resulting openings will be about 37 inches long. That gives much easier access to the tank interior once you're done; the difference is astonishing.
My first 96 x 36 tank had two separate crossbraces in addition to the end pieces; that tank lived in the living room of my condo for many years...and all throughout those years I regretted the decision to use the two centre pieces rather than just one every single time I had to go inside to do...just about anything.
By the time you put four crossbraces of roughly 4-inch-width evenly spaced along the length of an 88-inch tank, you end up with a large tank that has three separate openings to access the interior, each around 24 inches long. If that seems like a big opening...trust me, it isn't! When it comes time to aquascape or even simply to catch fish out of there, those little openings will drive you crazy.
With a 4-inch cap at each end and a single 6-inch one in the centre, each of the two resulting openings will be about 37 inches long. That gives much easier access to the tank interior once you're done; the difference is astonishing.
My first 96 x 36 tank had two separate crossbraces in addition to the end pieces; that tank lived in the living room of my condo for many years...and all throughout those years I regretted the decision to use the two centre pieces rather than just one every single time I had to go inside to do...just about anything.
I like both of your ideas. I think I’ll do one big center brace like your saying and then use the method of putting the long braces in the tank then silicone the cross braces so the long braces can be glued underneath and securedThat ^ is exactly the way I do all-glass tanks...which I have built only rarely in the past couple decades...and very similar to my build method for plywood as well. The only thing I would change is foregoing two cross-braces for a single 6-inch wide one right in the middle. That will be more than adequate for your purposes, and will leave you with two much larger openings to allow easier access to the tank.
By the time you put four crossbraces of roughly 4-inch-width evenly spaced along the length of an 88-inch tank, you end up with a large tank that has three separate openings to access the interior, each around 24 inches long. If that seems like a big opening...trust me, it isn't! When it comes time to aquascape or even simply to catch fish out of there, those little openings will drive you crazy.
With a 4-inch cap at each end and a single 6-inch one in the centre, each of the two resulting openings will be about 37 inches long. That gives much easier access to the tank interior once you're done; the difference is astonishing.
My first 96 x 36 tank had two separate crossbraces in addition to the end pieces; that tank lived in the living room of my condo for many years...and all throughout those years I regretted the decision to use the two centre pieces rather than just one every single time I had to go inside to do...just about anything.
One more question
Backfromthedead
jjohnwm
when I silicone the side panels (24”x18”), should they be glued to the side of the bottom panel or sit on top of the bottom panel? I know the long front and rear panels are glued to the side of the bottom panel, but I’ve seen the side panels done both ways. Which do you think is better or does it not matter. If I glue them to the side then they will be the same height as the long front and back panels (18”) which I think would be easier, but if they should go on top of the bottom panel I’ll have to make sure I order them at 24”x17.5”
Backfromthedead
jjohnwm
when I silicone the side panels (24”x18”), should they be glued to the side of the bottom panel or sit on top of the bottom panel? I know the long front and rear panels are glued to the side of the bottom panel, but I’ve seen the side panels done both ways. Which do you think is better or does it not matter. If I glue them to the side then they will be the same height as the long front and back panels (18”) which I think would be easier, but if they should go on top of the bottom panel I’ll have to make sure I order them at 24”x17.5”
