newaqua Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Hey Guys. Wanting to know what you think about glass thickness. (I cant seemt o find many people doing it professionally). I am building a tank, 1.2m long, 40cm deep, and 60cm wide. Going by these calculations it will hold about 280L. It is fully braced under neath with grid steel work. Any idea on thickness of this glass? Looking on the only webstie I can find should be about 6mm? Any ideas? Thanks for your time...again... Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 10mm base, and 6-8mm sides to be safest. side bracings should be sufficient. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
si_sphinx Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 I think that would be fine but its always to go thicker if you can. 8.5mm is good also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 on the home page of this site under technical is some articles and calculators on glass thickness http://www.fnzas.org.nz/index.php?PG=glass2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Personally I would use the calculator, you want the glass to be as thin as is safe because unless you have low lead glass it changes the colour more as it gets thicker. Of course it also costs more as well. It's the height of the sides that really dictate the thickness, the tank your looking at is pretty standard, I think when you do the calculation you will find 4mm glass is okay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David R Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 10mm all round may be a little overkill but you could get away with smaller euro-style bracing on the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrie Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 no1-I am a glass merchant and have a glass company (not interested in building tanks) No2- DO NOT USE 4mm GLASS No3- Use the caculator No4- dont skimp on thickness, go thicker if you can No5- LowIon glass when viewing through will make next to no difference becasue water is also coloured Glass thicknesses that are availiable here in NZ are 2,3,4,5,6,8,10,12,15 and 19mm glass. Do not use laminated glass as its only as strong as its thinnest sheet (3mm) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 I don't know about where you are but the place I get my glass from it can be cheaper to buy offcuts of thicker glass like 10mm than to buy 5mm. The reason being that the thicker glass is used in bigger sizes for bigger windows and the thinner can be used right down to small louvres or the like so it is charged at a new rate rather than as an offcut rate. You would need to work out what you want and get some quotes. Building tanks is a good skill for a fishkeeper to have and it is not as hard as you think untill you have done a few. It would be a bit of overkill but I would build a tank that sixe from 10mm. I have two that are are 1200 x 450 high from 10mm with euro bracing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrie Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 I don't know about where you are but the place I get my glass from it can be cheaper to buy offcuts of thicker glass like 10mm than to buy 5mm. The reason being that the thicker glass is used in bigger sizes for bigger windows and the thinner can be used right down to small louvres or the like so it is charged at a new rate rather than as an offcut rate. You would need to work out what you want and get some quotes. Building tanks is a good skill for a fishkeeper to have and it is not as hard as you think untill you have done a few. It would be a bit of overkill but I would build a tank that sixe from 10mm. I have two that are are 1200 x 450 high from 10mm with euro bracing. Totally agree 5 and 6mm can be used to glaze normal windows (charged at 3 or 4mm rates) but the rebates wont allow 10 mm to fit so often they can be cheaper. Not all smaller companies will stock 10mm however and large companies may well use it for shelving Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 The thickness calculator is interesting, the panel your interested in (1200x400) gives a safety factor of about 1.5 when using 4mm glass. What I would like to know is want is an acceptable safety factor?? To me 1.5 indicates it is 1/2 again as strong as it needs to be to safely hold? I also have a professionally made standard 4 foot tank that is made from 4mm glass, I aways thought a pretty standard glass size for this size tank should I be worried about it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrie Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 The thickness calculator is interesting, the panel your interested in (1200x400) gives a safety factor of about 1.5 when using 4mm glass. What I would like to know is want is an acceptable safety factor?? To me 1.5 indicates it is 1/2 again as strong as it needs to be to safely hold? I also have a professionally made standard 4 foot tank that is made from 4mm glass, I aways thought a pretty standard glass size for this size tank should I be worried about it? I use the Glass Merchants recomendations but Warrens are similar. Without studying Warrens, I belive you may have misunderstood? Any 1200 long tank needs a minuimum thickness of 6mm in the sides to a water height of 300mm after that and untill a water height of 450mm the recomended thickness is 10mm Personally, I would never ever think of having any normal tank made from 4mm unless they are the little show tanks Also check the thickness again as you may be measuring and not including the arris which can take a mil of either side (the arris takes the sharp edge of) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Without studying Warrens, I belive you may have misunderstood? The calculator asks for panel height, panel thickness and safety factor, using 1200, 400, and 1.5 I get 4.3mm. Using a water height of 300mm (1200,300,1.5) gives 2.79mm I did just actually measure my tank, the sides are 5mm and the braces 4mm. With regards the colour of the glass, your correct it isn't uncommon for the water in fresh water tanks to have a tint of yellow. But the colour in the glass does significant impact the viewing. My marine tank is made from 10mm glass (sides are 600 high), when I have visitors I often get them to look down from the top rather than through the glass and they are stunned at the difference. Some things are completely different colours, I have a clam for example that changes from fluro blue to fluro green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 The thickness calculator is interesting, the panel your interested in (1200x400) gives a safety factor of about 1.5 when using 4mm glass. What I would like to know is want is an acceptable safety factor?? To me 1.5 indicates it is 1/2 again as strong as it needs to be to safely hold? It means the glass can withstand 1.5 times the water pressure that is on it. This does not account for things like earthquakes, bumping the tank, rocks shifting inside the tank and hitting the glass. Which is why a safety factor of 3 and up is commonly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted June 30, 2009 Report Share Posted June 30, 2009 Even in "The Good Old Days" when a standard tank was 24x12x12 inches (600x300x300mm) and they were made from second hand glass from broken shop windows they were all 1/4 plate. 4mm on a tank that size even though only 300mm high would not be sitting in my lounge full of water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newaqua Posted July 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 Hey Guys, Maybe you could shed a little light on euro bracing? Thanks Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 euro bracing makes it easier to catch fish as there is no centre bracing running from the rear pane of glass to the front pane. it runs along the perimeter (internal) of the tank, and has provision for wires, filter pipes etc to be able to enter the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted July 1, 2009 Report Share Posted July 1, 2009 Euro bracing is a strap about 40-50 mm wide going right round the top and often the bottom of each panel attatched on the edge and adds rigidity to the panel. In my view it is superior to braces accross the the top in the middle of the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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