Does thicker glass = more distortion?

[LadyTang2]

If you view something at an angle like looking down at something through the glass I have noticed distortion. Is this related to the thickness of the glass so thicker glass would be worse? Or what causes this?

Are there any types of glass that have lower distortion?

 

[Max!]

Yes thickness can cause distortion. Next time you find yourself at a public aquarium take a look at some of the larger tanks with top down views and through the front glass. The National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD is a great example of this. While working there it was one of my favorite things to point out. The glass on some of their exhibits is up to 10 inches thick! This is obviously overkill but better safe than sorry. As for types I think low-iron improves clarity but I'm not too well versed in that regard

 

[JonJ]

I have a Red Sea 750 that is 3/4" glass and another tank that is 1/4". There is much less distortion on the 1/4" thick tank. So much so that once I upgrade the 750 to a bigger tank, I'm going with a framed tank as opposed to the rimless just so that thinner glass can be used.

 

[LadyTang2]

I was looking down on a tank that was very low to the ground, top of tank was 5 feet. If the top of the tank were at 6 feet, how noticeable is it on the 3/4 glass?

 

[Slawman]

Yes, thicker means more distortion and increasingly as you move off center. Starphire glass or Acrylic will give a better transparency lessening the effect but will still distort.

The reason it is not so obvious in a public aquarium with 10 inch glass is that you are usually viewing from a distance and or focused on what is in front of you however try looking to the side and it becomes completely distorted very quickly.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Agreed. Thicker glass (or acrylic) will likely mean more distortion. IMO the thicker the glass, the more important it is to go with low-iron glass.