What glass is suitable?
- Thread starter Twicksisted
- Start date
I used 1o mm laminate on my 6x2x2 and it holds just fine it's even got a drilled hole. Im more worried about the laminate interlayer waring away from the water...
I would go for 15mm plate for your glass though.
I would go for 15mm plate for your glass though.
My 6'x2'x2.5' (2.5' tall) is made out of 10mm glass and I have had no problems. But I would suggest always going over board, better safe then sorry.
hmmmm.....
well so far the cost is too high if I go my own route and do 20mm glass....
I have found manufacturers who make 84" X 24" X 24" tanks for only £280
(the glass alone for my homebuilt tank was £1830!!!).
the cost jumps up to £580 though is I want a 84" X 24" X 30"
The only worry that I have with this is the fact that my clown knifefish isnt gonna be able to grow up in there being only 24" wide.
thanks to all for their advice so far
I will keep you all posted on what I decide to do and take loads of snaps when I build and set it all up
well so far the cost is too high if I go my own route and do 20mm glass....
I have found manufacturers who make 84" X 24" X 24" tanks for only £280
(the glass alone for my homebuilt tank was £1830!!!).
the cost jumps up to £580 though is I want a 84" X 24" X 30"
The only worry that I have with this is the fact that my clown knifefish isnt gonna be able to grow up in there being only 24" wide.
thanks to all for their advice so far
I will keep you all posted on what I decide to do and take loads of snaps when I build and set it all up
Hi, Ive been looking at the same cost issues myself. Glass is certainly expensive, particularly in the UK.
Im building something rather smaller myself (5long x2.5wide x2 feet deep), 3 sides and the base will be made out of plywood. Its way cheaper and stronger this way and so long as you dont need to see in through the other sides youve not lost anything.
Im just investigating the possibilities of lining the inside of the ply with thin polycarbonate sheets (to save on all that messing about with sealing epoxies, which puts a lot of people off this method) . The ply provides the structural strength and the polycarbonate the water proofing.
You could still use a glass front as polycarbonate scratches up pretty easily. The good thing about polycarbonate is, unlike acrylic, you can get silicone adhesives which will stick well to it AND glass.
To keep the thickness of the glass down and ensure its still safe you could consider not having the glass go all the way to the very bottom and use a central vertical divider on the front glass as well.
Im building something rather smaller myself (5long x2.5wide x2 feet deep), 3 sides and the base will be made out of plywood. Its way cheaper and stronger this way and so long as you dont need to see in through the other sides youve not lost anything.
Im just investigating the possibilities of lining the inside of the ply with thin polycarbonate sheets (to save on all that messing about with sealing epoxies, which puts a lot of people off this method) . The ply provides the structural strength and the polycarbonate the water proofing.
You could still use a glass front as polycarbonate scratches up pretty easily. The good thing about polycarbonate is, unlike acrylic, you can get silicone adhesives which will stick well to it AND glass.
To keep the thickness of the glass down and ensure its still safe you could consider not having the glass go all the way to the very bottom and use a central vertical divider on the front glass as well.
Sounds like a very complicated build though...
I am not sure that I am up for the task of building such a structure out of ply and glass and ensuring that it was good enough to hold 750 litres without leaking.
Also if had to sell up eventually... i would be better off with a glass tank i think. Perhaps if i was a little handier with tools Id brave that route
I am not sure that I am up for the task of building such a structure out of ply and glass and ensuring that it was good enough to hold 750 litres without leaking.
Also if had to sell up eventually... i would be better off with a glass tank i think. Perhaps if i was a little handier with tools Id brave that route
you could look into 1 of these also i know a guy that owned 1 a 700gal and he loved ithttp://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/6445/cid/1754
You could order two tanks (each with a side missing and put them together once inside.
Have you considered industrial salvage? Building reclamation is getting to be big business now. Store fronts, display cases, check cashing business' gone belly up (talk about bulletproof ).
I've found some great deals and some will deliver for you too.
Dr Joe
.
Have you considered industrial salvage? Building reclamation is getting to be big business now. Store fronts, display cases, check cashing business' gone belly up (talk about bulletproof
).I've found some great deals and some will deliver for you too.
Dr Joe
.
I have been going through classifieds and have found a 7ft tank with sump and stand thats a year old for £600!!!
Great sounding deal!!!
Only issue with it is that its only 24" wide.... so if I do go for it, my knifefish wont be with me for very long (as he gets that long)
I think that perhaps the idea of getting a 2nd hand tank is best as the glass here is just crazy. And I have never even built a small tank, never mind a 180 gallon monster.
I do have some time with this as the fish are still manageable in my overfiltered 50gallon.... I still have to renovate the basement and im doing this myself on the weekends!
I have to tank the room for damp, put up plasterboard panelling on the walls, level the floor, put in tongued wooden flooring and a new ceiling!!!
If I go for that 2nd hand tank, its gonna sit in the upstairs lounge empty (wooden floor wont take it full) till I have completed my DIY.
When its done its gonna look great though...gonna post loads of pics
Great sounding deal!!!
Only issue with it is that its only 24" wide.... so if I do go for it, my knifefish wont be with me for very long (as he gets that long)
I think that perhaps the idea of getting a 2nd hand tank is best as the glass here is just crazy. And I have never even built a small tank, never mind a 180 gallon monster.
I do have some time with this as the fish are still manageable in my overfiltered 50gallon.... I still have to renovate the basement and im doing this myself on the weekends!
I have to tank the room for damp, put up plasterboard panelling on the walls, level the floor, put in tongued wooden flooring and a new ceiling!!!
If I go for that 2nd hand tank, its gonna sit in the upstairs lounge empty (wooden floor wont take it full) till I have completed my DIY.
When its done its gonna look great though...gonna post loads of pics
GOOD LUCKTwicksisted;1001536; said:I have been going through classifieds and have found a 7ft tank with sump and stand thats a year old for £600!!!
Great sounding deal!!!
Only issue with it is that its only 24" wide.... so if I do go for it, my knifefish wont be with me for very long (as he gets that long)
I think that perhaps the idea of getting a 2nd hand tank is best as the glass here is just crazy. And I have never even built a small tank, never mind a 180 gallon monster.
I do have some time with this as the fish are still manageable in my overfiltered 50gallon.... I still have to renovate the basement and im doing this myself on the weekends!
I have to tank the room for damp, put up plasterboard panelling on the walls, level the floor, put in tongued wooden flooring and a new ceiling!!!
If I go for that 2nd hand tank, its gonna sit in the upstairs lounge empty (wooden floor wont take it full) till I have completed my DIY.
When its done its gonna look great though...gonna post loads of pics
