Glass weight Limits

[Will Hayward]

Hello,

Does anyone have any information that would discuss the weight limits of glass? There is some hesitation about the tank I have and what it can handle and for how long. I am still a bit stunned from watching this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgEwEiTyYcs) which demonstrates an unsupported 10 gallon tank holding 220 Pounds placed in the dead center covering maybe 25 Square inches. A ten gallon tank is about 3mm (1/8") glass thickness. My 12.7mm (1/2") 215 Gallon Oceanic Brand Tank should hold a good amount. But now after calculating the weight, it's quite stunning.

Lets see:
260 lbs of Sand.
400 lbs of Rock/Wood.
An estimated 600 lbs of water.

With water and Sand alone (minus the rock and wood) the glass bottom, which is 2x6', bows down around 1/8" in the center of it. If I don't post back tomorrow, you'll know that while adding in rock to the tank, the temperer glass has shattered and killed me.

I'm not overly worried about it, more so concerned and interested. So any info or experiences that might be shared would be interesting.

 

[ITHURTZ]

If you take a 1/2 peice of wood say 6x6 inches and punch it, it will be way more strong than a peice 12x12. A smaller peice will always be stronger, its like breaking a pencil the more you break it, the harder to break it smaller. When you go bigger you need to go thicker to get the same strength as the smaller thinner peice.

 

[Will Hayward]

Of course!

Something else that will help... Note that in that video, the weight is all spread over the one small rock that covers maybe 25 square inches. With substrate, and my rocks, the weight will be spread over (though not entirely even, but nothing extreme) 1728 square inches. I just hope that Oceanic systems uses the highest quality of silicone.