? Large diy glass tank

[Mrfresh]

I've been doing a LOT of research on a large diy tank...
I have seen plywood tanks and acrylic but no glass... Not the size I'm thinking of going. The biggest glass I have seen was a 75 gallon.
The dream:
48x36x30 tall.

I know it can be done. Because company's make large glass aquariums. But I'm just not sure about doing it my self.
I've looked into the glue and it would be rtv 108.
But I'm still not sure of glass thickness and just over confidence...

Has anyone built a large glass aquarium on here and if so can u post the link?

 

[fyrfytr]

Curious...at that size why glass and not acrylic?

 

[Mrfresh]

Bowing is the main reason, and I want the top to be very open. And the overall design is quite unique

 

[fyrfytr]

Bowing is the main reason, and I want the top to be very open. And the overall design is quite unique

Not a glass or acrylic expert...but wont you have some bow with glass as well? I was under the impression that the acrylic was stronger then the glass.

 

[Mrfresh]

Price is another issue for 1/2 acrylic would come out to 1500 before tax and without shipping....

 

[Mrfresh]

Not a glass or acrylic expert...but wont you have some bow with glass as well? I was under the impression that the acrylic was stronger then the glass.

Glass it stronger but more brittle Will not bow but will shatter
Acrylic is durable but softer Will not shatter but starches easy

 

[Ron Reefman]

Google "aquarium glass thickness" and you'll find sites like this:
http://www.theaquatools.com/building-your-aquarium

I want to build a 72" x 30" or 36" x 20" or 24" tank with a starfire front (and maybe the ends). I want a thicker and less height. I have a standard 180g now. So I've been toying with the idea. I've already made a 24g frag tank and my next step is a 48" x 18" x 16" rimless quarantine tank. If that goes well... maybe I go big. My concern is bracing. I have a canopy, so it's not going to be rimless. But how do I make a quality rim?

 

[glamisracers]

i'm in the process of rebuilding my 300 gal glass tank 1/2 inch thick .pretty easy to do just have to make sure you silicone really well and clamp it for a few day

 

[Ron Reefman]

i'm in the process of rebuilding my 300 gal glass tank 1/2 inch thick .pretty easy to do just have to make sure you silicone really well and clamp it for a few day

With a tank that big and glass that heavy, are you doing anything to keep the silicone from just squeezing out from between the sides and bottom due to the weight of the sides? I've seen a couple of big builds, one at MACNA last year. They used small dry silicone 'dots' every 6"-8" under the vertical glass sections where it sits on top of the bottom glass. And I was told you could accomplish the same thing by running a heavy bead of silicone and then stretching a fine weight of mono-filament fishing line and laying it into the silicone. The idea is to support the weight of the glass just off the bottom glass and keep it from squeezing out all the silicone and weakening the grip. Anybody ever heard of this technique, or even better, has anybody tried it? My only build so far is a 24g, 10" deep frag tank, so the weight of the sides wasn't an issue. I've also heard about doing a 'double' glass bottom. One thick sheet that the sides sit on and a smaller (by twice the thickness of the side glass) sheet that sits just inside the side glass. It can be thinner and accomplishes 2 things. It holds the side glass square as you clamp the side glass in at the bottom, and it gives more surface for the sides to bond to. You could accomplish the same thing by adding 'euro bracing' on the bottom glass and letting it cure for 24-48 hours before installing the sides. In most cases the bracing will be under the sand anyway.
Just my 2 cents worth of info.

I'm ordering glass for a 48" x 18" x 12" (maybe 16") frag tank build today.

 

[ReeferBob]

That sounds pretty close to a standard 150 gallon tank. Why not just get one of those? You would need 1/2" glass at least. I think finding a custom tank builder might end up cheaper then doing it yourself.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I have a custom built 90 gallon that is all ½ inch glass….and measures 60 long by 18 wide by 21 deep…..with no plastic trim. I was told by a fellow reefer that the sides are going to blow out without the plastic trim or euro-bracing. This tank was set up in 2008 and the sides are still attached.

 

[backpack]

A 300 standard is one of the bigger standard sizes. But yeah people go way bigger than that with glass. Super thick glass sheets can be expensive. The taller the tank is the thicker the glass will need to be. Resealing a bigger tank is a pita and I wouldn't attempt to build one. look on monster fish keepers or shark forums for big cheap glass. 180 and 210 are my favorites sizes. I keep a 180 in my bedroom.

 

[glamisracers]

i will agree that larger tanks are a pita to build but as long as you do it properly and know what your doing you will be fine i was going to upgrade to a 550 cube but decieded to start fresh with what i have. we have a 975 glass reef in our shop that we built and has been running strong and hard for the past 9 years.. i agree anyone thats looking for a cheap used glass tank can find good deals on monster fish keeper ebay etc but if your not close to the seller freight will kill you better off to build yourself or buy new..

A 300 standard is one of the bigger standard sizes. But yeah people go way bigger than that with glass. Super thick glass sheets can be expensive. The taller the tank is the thicker the glass will need to be. Resealing a bigger tank is a pita and I wouldn't attempt to build one. look on monster fish keepers or shark forums for big cheap glass. 180 and 210 are my favorites sizes. I keep a 180 in my bedroom.