my DIY 60g cube please help asap

[thesaent14]

Hello Every One I Have This Really Good Q?, I Made This Cube Yesterday I Drill To Holes In The Side The of Glass Is 1/4 Thick All Around My Q? Is, Any One Think I Have To Change The Bottom To 1/2 Inch Or I Can Use 1/4 And Drill The Bottom, To Make The Overflow In The center With The Returns, So Ill Be Able To Walk Around The Cube Any One With A Input

Thanks

Thesaent14

PS
i am not finish with this tank i am trying to make some changes i will be posting the build really soon

this is a pic of the holes in the side wich i will change tomorow and how it look

 

[IsThisNameTaken?]

looks like awesome craftsmenship but I'm afraid you may have made it with too thin of glass. Not positive but pretty sure.

 

[thesaent14]

do you mean at the bottom or all over

i just saw this and it gave me a good idea

like this i dont have to take it apart

 

[BruiseAndy]

60 gallon cube would be 24x24x24. 24 tall glass needs to be 3/8".
You could fill it up outside and try it or cut 6" off the top so it measures 18 tall.

 

[thesaent14]

so you tink it probably will work at 24" if not i have to go 3/8 and make it all over corect

 

[BruiseAndy]

I wouldn't think about putting it in my house. 18" is max height for 1/4" glass. You could cut the pieces up to make a 18" cube. It needs to be 3/8" at that height if it is made out of glass. 1/2" with bracing if it's acylic (I am currently setting up for a 60G cube and looked into it quite extensively).

 

[thesaent14]

so i guess i have to go with 3/8 to make my cube i can do it 1/4 and 1/2 in the bottom

 

[tekknoschtev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6637503#post6637503 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BruiseAndy
60 gallon cube would be 24x24x24. 24 tall glass needs to be 3/8".
You could fill it up outside and try it or cut 6" off the top so it measures 18 tall.

Is that for a non-braced tank? I just picked up a stock (manufactured) 60 cube that has .25" glass all around, with the black rims on top and bottom. I'm 100% confident in its ability to hold water and not bow or make me worry - actually I'm more worried about the floor I intend on putting it on

 

[thesaent14]

.25" is ??

 

[tekknoschtev]

.25" = 1/4"

 

[thesaent14]

my freand he work for a glass manufactor and tollme it will hold

 

[tekknoschtev]

I would reccomend bracing the top - perhaps some sort of euro bracing. Mine has the black rim, which I dont believe does much but I suspect that its there for a reason (but perhaps that is ignorance talking). As for the bottom, I'd think having thicker would be a good idea, especially if you are drilling it.

 

[thesaent14]

yea thats what i am planing to do make it 1/2 in the bottom

 

[tekknoschtev]

Sounds like a good call to me

 

[thesaent14]

i will tomorow the glass is free any way lol

 

[BruiseAndy]

http://www.fnzas.org.nz/articles/technical/glass_calculations/
1/4" will give you safety factor of 2.0 (minimum) 1/2" would be needed for safety factor of 4.5
So yes 1/4" will work but make sure the tank is fully and evenly supported on edges.

 

[thesaent14]

bruiseandy thanks

you save my cube, i tink i will go with the overflow from the top picture insted of drilling the bottom what you tink

 

[tekknoschtev]

Based on the spread-sheet calculator I get a safety factor of 2.14 for 1/4" glass on a 24" cube. And a factor of 4.78 for 3/8" glass. In reading through the article, it states that toughened (which I assume means tempered based on their description) glass is much stronger and more resilliant than normal glass. I dont believe - based on what I read, that the calculator takes that into account.

Also, that calculator doesnt seem to take into account the fact of bracing (be it euro-bracing or black rims or what not) which would undoubtedly add to the strength of the glass and prevent any deflection.

I'm not trying to make this a huge argument, just trying to show that the tank I purchased came like this rfom the manufacturer. While I know things slip through the cracks, I'd imagine that if 1/4" glass was not appropriate, it would not be used. I dont ever in the article see an explination of what exactly the safety factor is in terms other than tensile strength, other than to mention that 3.8 should be a goal when building an aquarium. Oddly enough, calculating the safety factor of our 150 back home yields a safety factor of 10+. If you look at their "common aquariums" the safety factors are either 2 or 3.8. That being said I'd believe 2.0 would be satisfactory.

I'd say if you have the ability to go thicker, it cant hurt, however, if properly braced and supported, I think 1/4" would be sufficient for a perfectly safe aquarium.

 

[tekknoschtev]

And just FYI, to achieve a safety factor of 3.8 for our 150, a glass thickness of .37 is necessary. I wouldnt feel comfortable at all with 150gallons of water only supported by glass marginally thicker than .25 inches, especially given that the tank is 26" tall...

I guess what I'm saying is that the calculators arent necessarily correct for every situation/

 

[BruiseAndy]

Also have to take into account it's drilled, so thicker glass on bottom, and only drill bottom.