3/4 vs 5/8 low iron glass distortion

[Tuffloud1]

I'm having a custom tank built.

Dimensions are 72L x 28D x 30H

It will be a rimmed tank with low iron glass.

5/8 glass will work but I was thinking about overbuilding for peace of mind.

Is there more distortion in 3/4 glass over 5/8 because of the extra 1/8 of glass I will be looking through? Besides extra weight, are there any cons to the 3/4 glass?

 

[alton]

With 3/4" glass comes a piece of mind of strength with being 30" tall. My bosses tank which is 29" tall is 19 years old and still holding up. Even though the original cabinet gave way on one side by a 3/4", the tank never has leaked. Thinner glass would of exploded.

 

[Tuffloud1]

With 3/4" glass comes a piece of mind of strength with being 30" tall. My bosses tank which is 29" tall is 19 years old and still holding up. Even though the original cabinet gave way on one side by a 3/4", the tank never has leaked. Thinner glass would of exploded.

Do you notice that the tank is harder to look through compared to thinner glass? I've heard some people say that they get a headache looking through 3/4" glass.

 

[alton]

When it was full of water no. Especially with having PPG Starphire, there should be no issues. FYI I have had issues with other low iron glass with scratches, including my Planet Crystalline 65.

 

[alton]

I need to add one thing my bosses tank was from the original Oceanic which used a much clearer glass than all others at the time.

 

[Tuffloud1]

When it was full of water no. Especially with having PPG Starphire, there should be no issues. FYI I have had issues with other low iron glass with scratches, including my Planet Crystalline 65.

Custom Aquariums (Lifetime Aquariums) is making mine. They call it "œultra clear" glass. Not sure of the difference between that and "œStarphire".

 

[alton]

My Crystalline from Planet with low iron glass was built in 2015 and has scratches. My Oceanic built in 2003 with PPG Starphire has no scratches. Just be extremely careful cleaning the tank. FYI the scratches in the Crystalline where caused by a Tunze Long with Plastic cleaning blades. My 180 Planet with regular glass I clean with Tunze Long with stainless steel blade and no scratches.

 

[Tuffloud1]

My Crystalline from Planet with low iron glass was built in 2015 and has scratches. My Oceanic built in 2003 with PPG Starphire has no scratches. Just be extremely careful cleaning the tank. FYI the scratches in the Crystalline where caused by a Tunze Long with Plastic cleaning blades. My 180 Planet with regular glass I clean with Tunze Long with stainless steel blade and no scratches.

That's funny because the Tunze Plastic long (without metal) is exactly what a couple recommended for their low iron glass.

I've heard tons of mixed reviews on low iron glass in regards to scratches.

 

[Tuffloud1]

My Crystalline from Planet with low iron glass was built in 2015 and has scratches. My Oceanic built in 2003 with PPG Starphire has no scratches. Just be extremely careful cleaning the tank. FYI the scratches in the Crystalline where caused by a Tunze Long with Plastic cleaning blades. My 180 Planet with regular glass I clean with Tunze Long with stainless steel blade and no scratches.

Do you leave the Tunze in the Crystalline or take it out after every cleaning? Do you think sand may have got between it and the glass? I haven't scratched my 90 gallon tank at all with the Tunze, leaving it in at all times and going in and out of the sand. It's regular glass but still makes me wonder how it could have scratched the low iron glass when being extra careful.

 

[alton]

It stays in all the time just like my 180, the side panels have no scratches in the 65 but they are regular glass. Only the front panel is low iron. Maybe I just received a very soft panel on this tank?

 

[nematode]

Weight will be the main difference.
Glass has a different refractive index from air (or water) and thus the thicker the glass, the more the light path will be altered. However, since you are looking straight on a tank, the effect should be minimal. I think for a curved glass the effect will be much more dramatic as the glass gets thicker.

As for scratches, I have had no issues with the “low iron” glass I bought from my local glass place a few years ago. Until that, I had always been too cheap to spend the money on the “star fire” style glass. FYI, the way to know if the glass is low iron or not is to look across the panel rather than through the panel. A traditional glass will look green, and a “low iron” glass will appear much clearer. Very obvious when you have a pane of each.

 

[outssider]

A traditional glass will look green, and a "œlow iron" glass will appear much clearer.

it will also look blue rather than green

 

[nematode]

Clarification.
I was talking about the IDing the glass by looking at it lengthwise. Certainly looks less green, perhaps one could argue it is more blue.
The attached photo shows a 1/8th in of standard glass and a low iron glass slide (1/16th inch) . I didn't have a piece of 1/8 th low iron glass other than the slide hanging around.

Honestly, I don't notice the difference between the my low iron glass tank and my regular glass tanks when looking at the tanks, though I am would guess that if one had a tank with 1/2 the pane low iron and 1/2 the pain regular one could see the difference. Less green tinting of colors and ~5% greater transparency are what glass companies advertise you will get by purchasing the 2 fold more expensive low iron glass.

Add a link to another discussion of the difference with image
https://www.dillmeierglass.com/news/the-difference-between-clear-glass-and-low-iron-glass#

 

[D-Nak]

Weight will be the main difference.
Glass has a different refractive index from air (or water) and thus the thicker the glass, the more the light path will be altered. However, since you are looking straight on a tank, the effect should be minimal. I think for a curved glass the effect will be much more dramatic as the glass gets thicker.

As for scratches, I have had no issues with the "œlow iron" glass I bought from my local glass place a few years ago. Until that, I had always been too cheap to spend the money on the "œstar fire" style glass. FYI, the way to know if the glass is low iron or not is to look across the panel rather than through the panel. A traditional glass will look green, and a "œlow iron" glass will appear much clearer. Very obvious when you have a pane of each.

This.

I only time I've heard of people getting dizzy are when they look through a curved pane of glass.

 

[Tuffloud1]

I just placed my order. I decided on 5/8 non tempered for all panels. After speaking thoroughly with Custom Aquariums as well as tons of research on safety factors, the 3/4 was just way overkill and not worth it for 72x28x30H.

 

[Tuffloud1]

I hope not tempering the bottom will be okay. Custom Aquariums didn’t think it was necessary at all.

I hear tons of people say to temper the bottom in case rocks fall.

 

[alton]

Good luck with your new tank and post pictures on your build