glass pond wall?
- Thread starter Reticulated
- Start date
Hi I am in the glass trade so I can help you a little. Would like to know more about your pond detail. Glass is comfirm better then acrylic... it is clear and do not scretch easily.
Just a little advise if your using cement. The glass have to put in Aluminium U channel.
Just a little advise if your using cement. The glass have to put in Aluminium U channel.
Back in the early 80s I and a bunch of friends built a 2500gal concrete pond in a friends 3 car garage to hold sharks and rays. We welded what seemed like miles of rebar, built molds, and filled the molds with concrete. When everything hardened, we stained and sealed the concrete. Then we siliconed in 2 78" x 28" x 5/8" panels of plate glass to the 12ft viewing window on the front of the pond.
A week later, we filled the pond with no problems. 3 weeks later a panel cracked. We replaced it (not cheap). 5 months passed before it cracked again. We stripped everything off (again) and found a slight bump in the concrete. We decided to remove the other plate as a precaution.
Now came the wet sanding with metal grade sandpaper. We ground the entire surface that contacts the glass to a reflective polish. Then we remounted the plate glass panels. There were no further problems for the next 4 years when that friend moved out of state and we stopped monitoring the pond.
A week later, we filled the pond with no problems. 3 weeks later a panel cracked. We replaced it (not cheap). 5 months passed before it cracked again. We stripped everything off (again) and found a slight bump in the concrete. We decided to remove the other plate as a precaution.
Now came the wet sanding with metal grade sandpaper. We ground the entire surface that contacts the glass to a reflective polish. Then we remounted the plate glass panels. There were no further problems for the next 4 years when that friend moved out of state and we stopped monitoring the pond.
The thickness is decided by the volume of water that it is holding as it acts like a retaining wall. Biggest danger to the glass is THUNDER!! 
Better get professional advice...or this can be a very messy experiment for you and your fish.
Better get professional advice...or this can be a very messy experiment for you and your fish.
I agree get professional advice, maybe you could visit to some real aquariums parks or zoos and ask for advice, even the glass specilist should be good info. I am planning on expanding my pond and I went to some exernal pond/.fountain specialist who sais fiberglass is the best thing to not have leaks and cracks,,maybe this in conjuction with the proper glass could help. Also be sure to have a huge bio filter, uvs and everything you could get to make that water clear,otherwise you don't want to have murky water or grean algea covering your glass.
that would be a sweet idea, but i would say plexiglass for sure. I think thats what they use on all the monster aquariums here at west edmonton mall
remeber that lots of glass warps so you need to check into different types of glass or other alternatives to glass, def. ask someone who knows alot about the subject and is in the glass trade and ask them what else is outthere if glass is not a good idea. Although I do rember readins somewhere that glass isnt the best idea. Ask around for sure!
