Starting a 300 gallon build & need advice along the way

[john73738]

Cant wait to see how this comes out.

Great start

 

[Pharaoh]

I think I will spend the money on a larger pump/pipes to overcome more head vs. the hastle/expense of mounting the sump on a self near the ceiling. Thanks!

You should look into Reeflo brand pumps. They have some pressure base pumps that might be right up your alley.


Looking good so far!

 

[MaddMaxx]

As I am sure many veteran tank builders know a fundamental rule in building a monster tank is to be sure your floor can support it. My house was built in 1912 and is a much sounder construction than most modern homes. The beams are old growth and a 2x6 really measures 2 inches by 6 inches. None of this 1.5 x 5.5 inch stuff! Anyway, my floor supports consist of paired true 2x6 fir at 20 inch centers. The subfloor is 3/4in shiplap at a diagnal and the flooring is 3/4 in clear fir.

We are building a tank over a cold air return so you can see the supports previously mentioned:

Looks great! I agree with your flooring assessment too, there is a lot of solid wood down there.

Side-note: Anyone measured a "2x4" lately? The last ones I picked up were all UNDER 1.5x3.5, ridiculous! Sorry for the derail, back to your sweet build... Happy Holidays

 

[oblrman]

So as we near completion of the cabinets that will form the base of the aquarium I have decided to go with glass (vs acrylic) for the front.

But I am having a bit of a challenge with determining what thickness I should get for the glass and I need some help. I have dug through a ton of posts on glass thickness and I must admit I am more confused than informed after reading them. What I cannot determine is how a support frame on the outside of the glass will affect the thickness of glass required. Perhaps I am just plain moronic but it seems to me the glass will have to be less thick if it has a face frame supporting it. Can anyone help provide some insight? Something to note is that this tank is in a high traffic area of my home. The glass will likely get a bump or two in its lifetime.

My second question is: What kind of glass should I get? I think I want to stay away from tempered to avoid catastrophic failure risks. But is there a specific type/make/etc of glass I should use? I want to get something that looks good and cost really isn't a major factor.

Any input is appreciated!

 

[oblrman]

You should look into Reeflo brand pumps. They have some pressure base pumps that might be right up your alley.

Thanks Pharaoh. I was going to ask what brand of pump I should look into. I'll check these out.

 

[oblrman]

I would really like to get some input on the glass thickness. I will have bracing on the top as shown below.

In addition, there will be a structural face frame around the entire front of the tank as previously described.

Any thoughts?

 

[DaveinFL]

At least 3/4" glass from everything that I have read. The support around the glass does not effect glass thickness as much as the amount of water. From what I read, 3/4" in glass at 32" tall gives you a safety factor of 3.5, which should be more than enough for a few hits. You could risk it with 1/2" glass but why??

 

[Pharaoh]

3/4" should be fine for your tank. I come up with .78" for the straight dimensions, but with the front bracing factored in, I come up with .71".

 

[oblrman]

Thanks for the input Dave and Pharaoh. I was trying to keep the glass from being larger than 3/4 inch.

 

[nolapete]

At least 3/4" glass from everything that I have read. The support around the glass does not effect glass thickness as much as the amount of water. From what I read, 3/4" in glass at 32" tall gives you a safety factor of 3.5, which should be more than enough for a few hits. You could risk it with 1/2" glass but why??

The amount of water has nothing to do with it. The height of the glass has the most bearing on the thickness needed. And framing around the glass significantly strengthens the tank and can reduce the thickness necessary, though it is not recommended for safety factors.

If you don't believe me about the amount of water, http://scubageek.com/articles/wwwparad.html will give you the information to validate what I've said.