glass costs

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1972ford

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 7, 2015
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I went and got quotes on glass today and came home extremely disappointed best price I can find for 96"x24" x 1/2"glass in OKC was $600 for plane Jane annealed regular clarity glass. This seems absurdly high in my opinion as acrylic is about the same price in my area. What would a reasonable cost for this glass be in your opinion?

At this rate I might as well just order a 240 long from glass cages and take that aquarium apart for the glass.
 
Ok I found acrylic locally that is VERY cost effective I can get 1/2" 48" 96" sheets for $306 a sheet. That is way better than a piece of glass that is half the size and costs twice as much.

Now time to start estimating the rest of the costs I can get 1 1/4" tounge and Grove plywood for $40 a sheet and I have buckets of 3" framing screws that leaves the sealant (most likely liquid rubber), silicone at about $6 a tube and structural lumber ie 2x4s and such. Now I got to do a drawing and figure out how much of everything I'll need to do a large plywood tank. If I am missing anything else I may need let me know so I can get an estimated cost to double for the budget lol.
 
Just an fyi, I believe 1/2" glass is more rigid than 1/2" acrylic. True, acrylic is pound for pound stronger than glass, but all things being equal, acrylic will bow out under water pressure...hence, a tank built with 1/2" glass vs. an acrylic tank of the same dimension, the acrylic will be built with 5/8"-to combat bowing. Just a thought. ..and I may be over thinking things. It's just been my experience....
Glass is very expensive...especially custom ordered...and 8x2 is custom because they have to cut it...long ways...
I have had good luck with glass that is repurposed...just for fun and curiosity, ask around to some door and window places and see if they have any Hurculite doors laying around or glass that was ordered for a project that fell through. I got a 3'x10'x3/4" $5000 piece of glass for free once. It was a big glass door from a building lobby the door company took down for a tenant improvement project for a high rise in L.A.
They were going to throw it away. I also got four pieces of 4x3x1/2" tempered safty glass for free....
I don't know what your plywood dimensions will be, but to avoid spending almost equal amounts in construction material costs, shop/ask around a little...ypu may be pleasantly surprised what people and businesses throw out.
 
I've been looking around for glass for some time but have not come around anything really worthwhile I'm looking at doing a 24" tall tank at this point and the bottom of the window will only be 22" deep. I'm really hoping the 1/2" will work for it it will be one of the last things I buy so it buys me time to find something else. I'm not afraid to cut thick glass had lots of practice when I was doing windows and doors removing the big plate glass windows
 
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Probably just the most well known...there is a place here in California that ships....but not cheap....they are called Aqua. I believe Visio ships...but again, shipping tanks and glass isn't cheap anywhere.
 
Glasscages quoted me over $400 less on my project, including shipping, than a local supplier. I feel like if that much variation is possible I should probably look for a third opinion.
 
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Being extremely specific in the request helps also...if you mention "aquarium" to a place that doesn't deal with people buying glass for tanks regularly, they may assume you are looking for laminated, tempered and bulletproof glass....when all you really may want is tempered safety or plain annealed glass.
 
....AND....that local supplier may be ordering the glass because they don't stock it so they have to pay a place to fill the order. Buying from a glass manufacturer sometimes gets you a bettter deal...if they will sell you just one pane...
 
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