350g plywood build

carlfike

carlfike

Active Member
Thanks. I'm working a little on it everyday. Having a heck of a time finding the glass for it. Seems every place I contact either doesn't respond or doesn't have what I need. If anyone in arizona knows a good glass place I'm all ears.
 
cracker

cracker

Well-Known Member
Interesting build.I have built several large sumps out of plywood but nothing this big. I see no reason why it won't work just fine. what are the dimensions of the glass and how thick will thick will it be? why did You go with composite plywood for the stand as apposed to 2 by 4's? Please keep us up on the build!
 
carlfike

carlfike

Active Member
Glass is going to be 68.5" x 33" atleast 5/8" think. That should give me the safety factor I'm looking for. I did a test using 2x4 and those composite boards I made. 6' piece across a gap. Added 500 lbs of weights and the composite flexed a lot less than the 2x4. Also I think its lighter and the composite was on sale lol.
 
carlfike

carlfike

Active Member
ZzU1ZVd

my daughter showing how big the tank is. She wants to get in it when I do a test fill lol.
 
carlfike

carlfike

Active Member
So I got a couple quotes back for glass.

Shop 1
"Your price for a 68 1/2" x 33" Clear plate with high flat polish 5/8" will call will be $729.67. If you went with 1/2" you would be looking at $316.51"
Shop 2
Here is pricing for 1ea. Clear 5/8" glass 68 1/2 x 33
material 766.00
tax 63.58
Total 829.58

I'm wondering if I could get away with the 1/2" glass. The plate would be sitting about 1" off the bottom of the tank and the water line would sit around 32" up from that. What do you folks think?
 
StirCrayzy

StirCrayzy

Well-Known Member
I remember seeing a volume /pressure calculator somewhere, .... Still looking.
compare the pressure rating of the glass per surface area to the # you get from your tank volume pressure.
 
StevesLEDs

StevesLEDs

RS Sponsor
Awesome looking stand. That is terrific overkill - so you are speaking my language. You could probably hold an aquarium about 80" high with that kind of reinforcement.

I believe my 210 gallon (72" long) aquarium has 1/2" glass on all for sides. For the bottom you absolutely will want the 5/8" thick glass (tempered if possible and not cost prohibited) since you'll have hundreds of pounds of life rock resting on just a few contact points with the glass. Tempering adds something like double or more the strength to glass.

Jeff
 
carlfike

carlfike

Active Member
StevesLEDs said:
Awesome looking stand. That is terrific overkill - so you are speaking my language. You could probably hold an aquarium about 80" high with that kind of reinforcement.

I believe my 210 gallon (72" long) aquarium has 1/2" glass on all for sides. For the bottom you absolutely will want the 5/8" thick glass (tempered if possible and not cost prohibited) since you'll have hundreds of pounds of life rock resting on just a few contact points with the glass. Tempering adds something like double or more the strength to glass.

Jeff
Click to expand...
Actually I'm going to fiberglass and pond armor the inside. The glass will just be for the viewing pane. Double the cost for an 1/8" just doesn't seem like it would be worth. I think the 1/2" would be ok but that's a lot of water to guess with lol.
 
StevesLEDs

StevesLEDs

RS Sponsor
I just wanted to confirm that my aquarium does indeed have 1/2" glass. Not sure how thick the bottom is because there is no way for me to measure it since there is a plastic "frame" around the base. I imagine it is 1/2" as well. I am always paranoid when moving the rock because I'm afraid to scratch the bottom glass, thus creating a weak spot. If it were me, I'd go with 1/2" on the sides and either thicker for the base just for the peace of mind. You will be having hundreds of points of rock resting on a very tiny fraction of the surface area on that bottom piece, the size of a few pinheads. I suppose if you were to cushion the rock and evenly distribute the load, then you'd be fine with 1/2" glass.

Here's the answer to your question regarding the base. Is it cheaper to buy the 5/8" glass, or cheaper to have the base fall through when your aquarium is fully stocked with precious fish and corals? Sounds absolutists and perhaps harsh, however, I'm just saying that because my 1/2" base seems like it is going to fall through at any moment - although I have never heard of this happening before anywhere else, but always get very nervous. Murphy's law?

Jeff
 
carlfike

carlfike

Active Member
StevesLEDs said:
I just wanted to confirm that my aquarium does indeed have 1/2" glass. Not sure how thick the bottom is because there is no way for me to measure it since there is a plastic "frame" around the base. I imagine it is 1/2" as well. I am always paranoid when moving the rock because I'm afraid to scratch the bottom glass, thus creating a weak spot. If it were me, I'd go with 1/2" on the sides and either thicker for the base just for the peace of mind. You will be having hundreds of points of rock resting on a very tiny fraction of the surface area on that bottom piece, the size of a few pinheads. I suppose if you were to cushion the rock and evenly distribute the load, then you'd be fine with 1/2" glass.

Here's the answer to your question regarding the base. Is it cheaper to buy the 5/8" glass, or cheaper to have the base fall through when your aquarium is fully stocked with precious fish and corals? Sounds absolutists and perhaps harsh, however, I'm just saying that because my 1/2" base seems like it is going to fall through at any moment - although I have never heard of this happening before anywhere else, but always get very nervous. Murphy's law?

Jeff
Click to expand...
I'm not sure we're on the same page here. There will be no glass in the tank except the viewing window. It's a plywood tank.
 
cracker

cracker

Well-Known Member
Do You have a front piece of Ply for the front and the glass will mount on the inside? the pic doesn't show a center brace from front to back support on the top piece . You can't have any flex ,bulge at all, not with that long of a piece of glass.The 1/2 glass ? it would be close. 5/8s will give better safety /piece of mind. 7 plus is a lot of money though. That's a hard call!
 
carlfike

carlfike

Active Member
cracker said:
Do You have a front piece of Ply for the front and the glass will mount on the inside? the pic doesn't show a center brace from front to back support on the top piece . You can't have any flex ,bulge at all, not with that long of a piece of glass.The 1/2 glass ? it would be close. 5/8s will give better safety /piece of mind. 7 plus is a lot of money though. That's a hard call!
Click to expand...
Yes it will have a eurobracing with two 3" cross supports. I'm just leaving it off to make the glass install easier.
 
D

DaveK

Well-Known Member
carlfike said:
So I got a couple quotes back for glass.

Shop 1
"Your price for a 68 1/2" x 33" Clear plate with high flat polish 5/8" will call will be $729.67. If you went with 1/2" you would be looking at $316.51"
Shop 2
Here is pricing for 1ea. Clear 5/8" glass 68 1/2 x 33
material 766.00
tax 63.58
Total 829.58

I'm wondering if I could get away with the 1/2" glass. The plate would be sitting about 1" off the bottom of the tank and the water line would sit around 32" up from that. What do you folks think?
Click to expand...

I think 1/2" glass would be marginal.

Here are a gouple of calculators for glass thickness in aquariums (offsite) -

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/pl...bles--Diagrams/Glass-Thickness-Calculator.htm

http://www.theaquatools.com/building-your-aquarium

This is one area you can't afford to be wrong. I know it costs a lot more, but your far better off being too thick rather than too thin (grin).
 
carlfike

carlfike

Active Member
DaveK said:
I think 1/2" glass would be marginal.

Here are a gouple of calculators for glass thickness in aquariums (offsite) -

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/pl...bles--Diagrams/Glass-Thickness-Calculator.htm

http://www.theaquatools.com/building-your-aquarium

This is one area you can't afford to be wrong. I know it costs a lot more, but your far better off being too thick rather than too thin (grin).
Click to expand...
I asked for some quotes on 3/4". I think the 5/8" was so expensive because it's not a normal thickness and needed to be special ordered. We'll see what the 3/4" will cost. Lol I didn't think the glass would be the most difficult item to procure. Go figure..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top