Glass thickness for overflow box?

[scumonkey]

I'm building my own 1/2 inch thick Starphire glass tank-112 gal.
36 long x 24 wide x 30 High.
I need to put in a top to bottom corner overflow box 8.5 x 5.
Please tell me the glass doesn't need to be 1/2 " thick for this (too many $$$ :eek1: already)!
What would be the thinest glass or plexi I could safely get away with

 

[reefnetworth]

window pane is 1/16" it will work. if you are needing cut outs as all of them do. 3/16" acrilic or plexiglass. REEF-ON!!!

 

[elliotklinger]

Either 1/8 to 1/4 acrylic should do it, your design is not big so those thickness should be sufficent. I'll suggest to go with 3/16.

 

[scumonkey]

I don't need cut outs as I can apply a strip of gutter guard to the top of a piece of glass and get better flow but.....are you sure 1/16 would hold? That seem's a bit too thin?! 3/16 acrylic sounds right......wouldn't glass need to be at least that thick as well?

 

[Stile2]

I have built several external overflows out of 1/4" glass. This seems to be the cheapest glass around as it is one of the most common.

Keith

 

[kgross]

It will depend on how high the water level is inside of the overflow compared to the main tank, and how safe you want to be. If you want to be able to drain the overflow without draining the tank, and want max safety the overflow should be close to the same thickness as the tank since it will have full tank pressure on it.

If you are only going to have the water level 1 inch lower in the overflow than the main tank, the 1/8 inch glass will work for you since there is be very little pressure difference, but then of course if you bump it to hard it will break very easily. If It was my tank I would try to see if I could get some 3/8 or 5/16 glass to make the overflow out of since it is 30 inches tall, for 2 small pieces it should not be to expensive. 1/4 would work, but with the 30 inch depth I would feel more safe with the slightly thicker glass.

Kim