Large glass aquariums

[bmxer100]

Just reading in a book ' advanced marine aquarium techniques' and in it it says something like a 300gallon glass aquarium would regularily shead its seams every 2 to 4 years and it's recommended that any tank this size be made from acrylic. Is this true? I am planing on getting a glass tank (6ftl, 4ftw, and 2fth) and want to know if it's too big for a glass tank, will be 10mm all round with standard bracing.
Thanks

 

[john rochon]

never heard of that before. i did however incorperate oak trim around all the edges for added strength.

 

[Nanook]

Sounds like very outdated misinformation.

 

[tkeracer619]

I just cut apart a 7 year old or older glass 360G. I can assure you silicone lasts longer than 2-4 years. I went through 3 boxes or razorblades and the original silicone job was junk.

My last tank burst because of the carpet sagging in one corner, the remaining seals were quite strong and when it failed the broken seem held long enough for me to get the livestock and drain the other half.

Here is the tag from that tank.

 

[gary faulkner]

bmxer100


[welcome]

 

[elvictre]

Seems like bad info to me also, I would say the only issues would be the weight of the tank. I know glass is alot heavier than acrylic. Moving a tank like that in place takes incredible manpower. I know it took 4 of us to lift my tank and it's acrylic.

Vic

 

[bmxer100]

Thanks, I assumed only as much. Just seemed weird in the book considering the other information given seems accurate and knowledgable. Please check out my tank journal that I have just started.

 

[N0okie]

Does anyone really believe that AGA made that tank on Christmas?? lol

 

[RonBuck]

Re: Large glass aquariums

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10733635#post10733635 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bmxer100
Just reading in a book ' advanced marine aquarium techniques' and in it it says something like a 300gallon glass aquarium would regularily shead its seams every 2 to 4 years and it's recommended that any tank this size be made from acrylic. Is this true? I am planing on getting a glass tank (6ftl, 4ftw, and 2fth) and want to know if it's too big for a glass tank, will be 10mm all round with standard bracing.
Thanks

It will last longer that for sure. But, I recommend you use 12mm glass, minimum, for that size tank.

 

[The McReefersons]

You can probably get away with the 10mm on that tank if properly braced to prevent excessive bowing, but you would be cutting into your safety factor. 12mm would put you around industry standard for margin of safety, I say this without doing the math though so it is a little loose and just off the top of my head. Industry standard leaves you a safety factor of 3.8 FWIW.

 

[The McReefersons]

I would expect a properly made aquarium to last you ten years or better. Also, thicker glass would result in less tendency to bow and flex, thereby putting less stress on your seems. I would think this may contribute to tank longevity(or lack thereof)... just kind of thinking aloud here though, could be wrong.

 

[bmxer100]

Ok thanks guys looks like I'll be getting 12mm, will be worth the extra cost for peace of mind.

 

[JHemdal]

Hmmm,

Actually, I wrote that and it is accurate information. There is a strong tendancy for large glass aquariums to split their seams. Of course, this is not universal, nor does my book imply that. Not stated in the book (since it is an unproven opinion) I think the issue stems from mis-cut glass. When you find a big tank that splits its seams (like the pair of 300 gallons mentioned in the book) any repair done will often fail again in a few years.

The take-home message of that section of the book is two-fold: If you are installing a tank larger than 180 gallons, be certain of your floor loading, and secondly, with glass tanks, think more along the lines of what will happen WHEN the seams splits, not IF (safer to see the glass as half-full than to see the tank as half-full<grin>).

JHemdal

 

[Elliott]

Someone over at Tenecor told me it's not if a large glass tank will leak, it's when

 

[Chihuahua6]

This is pretty scary to hear. Maybe this is why Perfecto's largest tank is 265 gallon? If a tank is built correctly and braced properly is it really doomed to fail due to its size?

 

[Nanook]

I think there are scare tactics at work from the acrylic people

 

[gary faulkner]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11240234#post11240234 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nanook
I think there are scare tactics at work from the acrylic people

x2:lol:

 

[Elliott]

I don't think a large glass tank is doomed to fail as long as it is constructed properly and level.

 

[tinmanny]

it is not the fact that the tank is just a big tank or poor glass. But more over that the same silacone seam that holds a 75gallon tank, is now required to hold well over a 2,000lbs. or more. Also most tanks are set up on wood floor and they move over years causing the silacone to split over long periods of time

 

[Elliott]

tinmanny: good point, not only that, the entire house can move a little over time, expecially a new home