PlanetCatfish.com

right ive decided to build my own tank ive done loads of reading about the prosses off the net. just want to know what type of glass to use i have room enough for a 7x3x2 or a 8x2x2 the other way down the wall . Im going for the extra width in the 7x3x2 i know it has to be at least 12mm glass but what type? ie toughend, laminated or just normal window glass. eny help would be apreciated.

also dose eny one have eny tips of tank building ive read afew articles but personal experience is always best

cheers for eny help

check out http://www.thekrib.com if you haven't already. i think alot of the choices on glass are just what yould personly rather have. tempered glass breakks up into small pieces, only takes one pressure point to break, can't be drilled easily, and usually a whole pane will break. plate glass cracks in bigger pieces and so is more dangerous (cuts). my concern with laminared glass although i've never seen or used it would be seperation of the layers causing "cloudy glass". i have seen a 90 gallon were the top 10-8 inches broke off, it was a plate glass aquarium. if it had been tempered its likely the whole front would have "popped" out.

good luck with the project
BK

Hello there,

A tank can be made of 10mm glass as long as it does not exceed 24 inches deep. If it exceeds this 12mm glass is required. A tank wider than 2ft should ideally have a double base (still using 10mm) to ensure rigidity. Is there any reason you want to build your own? There are companies who produce very good tanks, for very reasonalbe prices. I recently bought an 8 x 2 x 2 from Wharf in Nottingham and was very pleased with the tank. I'll shortly be getting another.
You will also get a good guarantee if it is built for you?

Cheers

Steve

i was looking at the prices at wharfand if you go past two feet wide you start to jump up in price quite alot and if i could aford it it would be fine. I still need to price up the glass but its got to be cheaper. so if i can use 10mm glass for 7x3x2 why is the price double of a 8x2x2

Hi there - I agree with stevetd, and wonder about the economy. I looked at building one, even had the benefit of a glass shop right next door, but decided that tens or hundreds of litres of water are best left in the hands of professionals - plumbers or otherwise. IMO a fish tank of anything less than 1000 litres is best out of a box and not a shop - at least if you buy it you can rant when it breaks

Hello again,
the price of a 7x3x2 is a lot more as any tank over 2ft wide should be made with a double base to give extra rigidity. You can find companies who will make them with a single base over 2ft wide, but I certainly wouldn't be willing to risk it

Cheers

Steve

just a thought about the double base bit,couldnt you just add strengthener's around the bottom edge like you have round the top?

Do you mean fit bracing straps on the inside bottom of the tank?
The wider a tank is made, the more stress is put on the silicon joints at the corner. Hydrostatic pressure on the glass may also build up. The bracing bars become less effective the longer they have to stretch to 'tie-in' the panes of glass front and back. The double base is more effective.

Cheers

Steve

dose eny one know how much i should expect to pay for the glass for a 7x3x2 im going to be starting over the next few weeks to get every thing ready for the move from my flat to the house. i have my plans for my filter system sump tank and an aditional sand filter its going to be a big prodject for me. im realy good with my hands and have plenty of friends to help so makeing it wont be a problem i just want to do it right. i have all the time i need to gather info as my fish are still babys and the fastest growing red tail wont out grow my 70gal in a month.(and yes i do have a good home for him when hes to big!)

I'm not 100% sure, but would imagine it to be about 60% of the cost of the tanks you see ready made.
Do you know what type of glass you will be using? also, make sure the glass is not 'second-hand' i.e. salvaged. It can be re-worked to look new.

Cheers

Steve

i dont know what type to use i want to use the best but which is best also whats the price difference between them if the cheapest is going to be ok and cause no problems then probably ill use that. ive been thinking of laminated as ive been told its stronger and it wont shatter if eny thing gose wrong it may give me valuable time to save my fish. Its just the seperating of the layers because of the pressure of the water thats putting me off all this time and effort for a cloudy tank. some one please let me know there opinnion and why.

I think that plate glass would be the most suitable.

Cheers

Steve

pturley wrote in a previous thread:

Save your money and buy cinderblocks and epoxy instead.
http://www.gcas.org/articles/info_1000_ ... tanks.html

If your talking big tanks you are more or less talking about a perminent installation anyway. This would be much cheaper, but you will not be able to move it.

You could always try this method of building.

check out
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/lit ... index.html
for some great info on making glass tanks


BK

reading this i would build it if i had a little more room my fish room is actually a wash room built in the back yard of the property its 7`x9` and ive taken a third for my tank as i need some room for my other tanks. building out of concrete i would loose valuable inches in the thick ness of the walls