Potential DIY 569 gallon glass tank
- Thread starter Egon
- Start date
I was planning something similar (6x4) but I got so frustrated trying to find a cheap 4x2 for sale I gave up and went with a 600 plywood (see sig)
There are a few problems with using a glass panel. They are all surmountable, but please consider them carefully.
1) a 6 foot by 6 foot glass panel will be very heavy - like 400lbs heavy, maybe more. It will also be very awkward to move, and even a tiny bump on the floor will crack it.
2) Making a 6 foot by 6 foot floating bottom would be a lot to ask of your silicone. your silicone seams linking the bottom to the sides will be directly supporting nearly 3 tons of water column. You would have to be sure to support it with foam very carefully to ease the load on the seams.
3) Once assembled, the tank would be nearly impossible to move. Not just from a manpower point of view, but from a twisting/seam integrity point of view. It would need to be assembled in place, because picking it up may tear it apart.
4) 6 foot by 6 foot glass will be pricey in and of itself but the delivery of such a large, heavy object will be difficult as well. You may get dinged heavy transport fees.
As someone else suggested, you would be much better off with a slightly larger than 6x6 fiberglass and plywood base with a notch around it's perimeter for the glass to set into. This is how I had planned to build the 4x6x2 tank, only I was going to tile the bottom, and build a wood frame/canopy for the top rather than use eurobracing.
There are a few problems with using a glass panel. They are all surmountable, but please consider them carefully.
1) a 6 foot by 6 foot glass panel will be very heavy - like 400lbs heavy, maybe more. It will also be very awkward to move, and even a tiny bump on the floor will crack it.
2) Making a 6 foot by 6 foot floating bottom would be a lot to ask of your silicone. your silicone seams linking the bottom to the sides will be directly supporting nearly 3 tons of water column. You would have to be sure to support it with foam very carefully to ease the load on the seams.
3) Once assembled, the tank would be nearly impossible to move. Not just from a manpower point of view, but from a twisting/seam integrity point of view. It would need to be assembled in place, because picking it up may tear it apart.
4) 6 foot by 6 foot glass will be pricey in and of itself but the delivery of such a large, heavy object will be difficult as well. You may get dinged heavy transport fees.
As someone else suggested, you would be much better off with a slightly larger than 6x6 fiberglass and plywood base with a notch around it's perimeter for the glass to set into. This is how I had planned to build the 4x6x2 tank, only I was going to tile the bottom, and build a wood frame/canopy for the top rather than use eurobracing.
Yeah, I'm going with the fiberglass plan for sure. Thanks for your input! I never worked with fiberglass but at least I will be working on a flat surface and I can do it out side or in the garage.
Do you guys think I should laminate two sheets of plywood together, one slightly larger than the other so there's a ledge for the glass to sit in? I may go with two 1/2 inch sheets laminated together, that way I can overlap the seams also.
Ideally this will fit through a door. I may have to move it some day but I will build the tank right on the stand initially. The door widths are about 30" so I'm thinking about some kind of double decker stand system so I can take the stand apart and put it on its side to move it out of the room one day............then again 30 inches is a good hight for a stand? I'm way over thinking this
Do you guys think I should laminate two sheets of plywood together, one slightly larger than the other so there's a ledge for the glass to sit in? I may go with two 1/2 inch sheets laminated together, that way I can overlap the seams also.
Ideally this will fit through a door. I may have to move it some day but I will build the tank right on the stand initially. The door widths are about 30" so I'm thinking about some kind of double decker stand system so I can take the stand apart and put it on its side to move it out of the room one day............then again 30 inches is a good hight for a stand? I'm way over thinking this
Egon;3530731; said:Yeah, I'm going with the fiberglass plan for sure. Thanks for your input! I never worked with fiberglass but at least I will be working on a flat surface and I can do it out side or in the garage.
Do you guys think I should laminate two sheets of plywood together, one slightly larger than the other so there's a ledge for the glass to sit in? I may go with two 1/2 inch sheets laminated together, that way I can overlap the seams also.
Ideally this will fit through a door. I may have to move it some day but I will build the tank right on the stand initially. The door widths are about 30" so I'm thinking about some kind of double decker stand system so I can take the stand apart and put it on its side to move it out of the room one day............then again 30 inches is a good hight for a stand? I'm way over thinking this
overthinking is good, you'll thank yourself later when you have to move it and it easily fits through your doors
I like the ply bottom better for both weight and cost. and dang it get on google sketch and get us a diagram it'll help us all out., we've all though about doing this.
The latest stand I built is 4x8x40"tall - I just designed it so the top and bottom frames are one piece, and the legs can be removed so it fits thru doorways.
If you do go with the glass bottom I would consider something greater than 1/2" thickness. I realize it compounds the weight problem but the center would be 36" from any edge and would be quite vulnerable to bowing and cracking.
Again, foam support underneath would help with that particular issue. A very accurate flat/smooth stand would be a must with full bottom support like a large acrylic tank.
Again, foam support underneath would help with that particular issue. A very accurate flat/smooth stand would be a must with full bottom support like a large acrylic tank.
