Choosing the right glass?

Dane fisher

Dane fisher

Joined
10 Mar 2013
Posts
28
Reaction score
0
Location
East London, Eastern Cape
What thickness and type of glass must i buy? Im planning on building a 2m length x 6Ocm width x 60 cm height. The volume calculates to around 750 l. And 1l = 1kg So it has to hold around 750 kgs. What type of stand should i build then? Im planning on making it into a coral tank.:)
 
hi @Dane fisher

a tank of that size is ok to be built out of 10mm glass with euro type bracing top and bottom including width way bracing....
 
Last edited by a moderator:
10mm plus bracing should be enough.. as for the stand 25mm square tubing will be good too. just get someone who can weld well to do the job as 750 kg is no joke
 
Dane fisher said:
What is the ideal depth for a coral tank?
Click to expand...

no ideal depth really just personal preference and also what lights you can afford... just to give you an idea, the corals in the wild are found between 15 and 20 feet going deeper, but in a tank is very difficult to replicate that for obvious reasons
 
Last edited:
Dane fisher said:
What is the ideal depth for a coral tank?
Click to expand...


a personal choice in depth for me is no deeper than .650mm but width on the other hand is optional i am personally at .800mm and love it...
you also get better light penetration

just take into consideration that if the tank ever needs to be moved it will have to be moved on its side owing to some doors being standard around .730mm
 
Last edited:
leslie hempel said:
a personal choice in depth for me is no deeper than .650mm but width on the other hand is optional i am personally at .800mm and love it...
you also get better light penetration

just take into consideration that if the tank ever needs to be moved it will have to be moved on its side owing to some doors being standard around .730mm
Click to expand...


.65mm is an awfully shallow tank.... :lol:
 
Well technically .650mm is 0.65 of a millimeter. Damn that is shallow haha. Just kidding, loving the dimensions of this tank and looking forward to seeing it's progress :thumbup:
 
HOT SAUCE said:
10mm plus bracing should be enough.. as for the stand 25mm square tubing will be good too. just get someone who can weld well to do the job as 750 kg is no joke
Click to expand...


Hi HOT SAUCE, i just posted something regarding a stand that i am building also. its the same steel you described above. according to an online calc, my tank with dimensions 1500x1000x550 will hold 825L and weigh 944kg including 10ml glass. Would this steel hold the weight? I am still thinking about all the LR that will be added, along with live stock corals, and salt.
 
in theory yes the 25mm square turn e will be enough if done by someone who can weld properly. however you would sleep a lot better at night if you build the stand out of 50mm square tube. and since you are going the diy route the price difference will not be that much.. again make sure its someone that knows how to weld that makes the stand for you. also make sure you powder coat it it give it a proper pain with red oxide as the salt water will eat through that steel in a mater of weeks
 
HOT SAUCE said:
10mm plus bracing should be enough.. as for the stand 25mm square tubing will be good too. just get someone who can weld well to do the job as 750 kg is no joke
Click to expand...

Wow man.
I would not trust a stand for that weight made out of 25mm square tubing.
I built my own stand to hold about 660L of water plus the weight on the glass (1200x1000x550 = +/- 270Kg on glass) = +/- 1000kg out of 50mm square tubing that is 3mm thick.

Yes you can get away with thinner but no ways I would sleep at night with something that thin. One bump from the side and the whole stand will wobble.....
 
Just for interest sake. A 1m square 50mm tubing with 3mm wall thickness, standing 100% vertical. With no movement. Can carry up to 9300kg before issues. So on a stand properly made, never mind testing it with a car, you can put a truck on it. We tend to underestimate the strength of steel.

Biggest concern is to prevent movement. Enough and proper gussets would solve that. Just design it so that the gussets are not in the way when you try to get to the sump, or when you try to put the sump in its place.
 
RiaanP said:
Just for interest sake. A 1m square 50mm tubing with 3mm wall thickness, standing 100% vertical. With no movement. Can carry up to 9300kg before issues. So on a stand properly made, never mind testing it with a car, you can put a truck on it. We tend to underestimate the strength of steel.

Biggest concern is to prevent movement. Enough and proper gussets would solve that. Just design it so that the gussets are not in the way when you try to get to the sump, or when you try to put the sump in its place.
Click to expand...

Chances are you will never be able to weld a stand to stand 100% vertical.
My engineering buddy helped me with mine and it is out by 0.34 deg. Plus you also need to take into account that the floor in will stand on is not a 100% level either.
Personally over engineering is not a bad thing when you have small kids in the house.
My two year old is like a bull in a China shop and tends to bump into things without thinking.

Just imagine the little guy bumping a stand that is made out of 25mm sq holding up a ton of weigh. I would have heart failure for him and the tank as any movement, including as you mentioned before using a cleaning magnet to clean the glass will make the stand wobble.
 
Last edited:
Quintin said:
Chances are you will never be able to weld a stand to stand 100% vertical.
My engineering buddy helped me with mine and it is out by 0.34 deg. Plus you also need to take into account that the floor in will stand on is not a 100% level either.
Personally over engineering is not a bad thing when you have small kids in the house.
My two year old is like a bull in a China shop and tends to bump into things without thinking.

Just imagine the little guy bumping a stand that is made out of 25mm sq holding up a ton of weigh. I would have heart failure for him and the tank as any movement, including as you mentioned before using a cleaning magnet to clean the glass will make the stand wobble.
Click to expand...

AGEED bud. 50mm is the best.
My 200l system used to wobble on 25mm tubing before i fixed the wood cabinet to the stand...
Still skepticle.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom