Glass thickness

[Mabyboi]

Hey guys,

My friend and I are looking to build a new tank, were looking at doing a 36"W x 24"D x 20"H. Were looking to do 3 sides starphire.

I want to know, from all of you guys, what the recommended thickness is for glass for this size build?

I went and found this website:

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/planasystem/ig/Guide-Charts--Tables--Diagrams/Glass-Thickness-Calculator.htm

But for roughly this size its recommending 6mm-9mm thickness, to me that sounds thin?

What do you guys think!

Thanks!

 

[wooden_reefer]

The difference between 6 and 9 mm is great.

Are you in North America USA or Canada?

In the USA, safe would be 3/8 inch thick. A little more than 9 mm.

If there is mm choice, I'd choose 8 mm.

It matter whether the top has a rim.

24" D means 24 from front to back I suppose.

20 inch is not high. The old "55 gal" are 20 inches high. 48" long. Some are with only 1/4 inch but tempered. 6 mm is too thin for this.

 

[uncleof6]

The difference between 6 and 9 mm is great.

Are you in North America USA or Canada?

In the USA, safe would be 3/8 inch thick. A little more than 9 mm.

If there is mm choice, I'd choose 8 mm.

It matter whether the top has a rim.

24" D means 24 from front to back I suppose.

20 inch is not high. The old "55 gal" are 20 inches high. 48" long. Some are with only 1/4 inch but tempered. 6 mm is too thin for this.

Since glass is metric not imperial, 3/8" has no meaning other than nominally. There is 9mm, 12mm, 15mm, 19mm. These do not match the nominal imperial measure used. 6mm is not actually 1/4" thick, however in the U.S. it is nominally 1/4"...10mm can also be nominally 3/8"... 8mm can be had, but it is very difficult to find glass in other than the standard thickness e.g. 5mm, 5.5mm, (sometimes) 6mm, 9mm, 12mm, 15mm, 19mm, 25mm... again, glass is manufactured to metric standards, not SAE or imperial measurements....acrylic is metric as well, which is why it never matches the nominal thickness either...

 

[uncleof6]

Hey guys,

My friend and I are looking to build a new tank, were looking at doing a 36"W x 24"D x 20"H. Were looking to do 3 sides starphire.

I want to know, from all of you guys, what the recommended thickness is for glass for this size build?

I went and found this website:

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

But for roughly this size its recommending 6mm-9mm thickness, to me that sounds thin?

What do you guys think!

Thanks!

For this size tank, to be rimless, you can use 12mm glass (nominally 1/2") however, this is a bit less than what is actually required. For safety and amatuer building you would be better off and safer to use 15mm (nominally 5/8".) The charts, calculators, tables, and whatever else you happen to run across on the internet are inaccurate, and intended for tanks with full metal rims, and there is no compensation for the other factors that influence the necessary glass thickness for rimless tanks....what manufacturers use for glass thickness is irrelevant as well.

 

[wooden_reefer]

For how long has plate glass been all metric in the USA?

 

[uncleof6]

For how long has plate glass been all metric in the USA?

Forever as far as I know. SAE/Imperial naming (nominal = exists in name only) is used in the U.S. because it seems metric system is intangible for some reason....generally the glass is thinner than the nominal value. For instance 12mm glass is nominally 1/2", but 1/2" is actually 12.7mm (25.4mm per inch) 3/8 is actually 9.525mm hence both 9mm and 10mm can be "considered" as 3/8", but neither is accurate.

 

[Mabyboi]

Thanks for the input guys, what about if we were going to do a euro braced tank?

 

[uncleof6]

Thanks for the input guys, what about if we were going to do a euro braced tank?

I would still use 12mm glass... but if you are really good...10mm (glass cages markets 10mm glass, rather than 9mm glass as their 3/8" ....

 

[wooden_reefer]

I don't think any commerical tank just 36" long and just 20" high would be 12 mm glass.

9 mm is predictable.

Many 125 gal 6" 24" H is 9 or 10 mm glass (close to 3/8), but with top brace and in the center

 

[uncleof6]

As I said, the thickness of glass used on manufactured (read mass produced) tanks is not relevant to diy/custom tank builds, that do not utilize a full rim. This is a rather complex topic, that is very hard to get across to folks that have never built a tank, or have very little experience...and is based on sound engineering, not profits and opinions, and mis-information. From 20 years of building large custom tanks professionally...