[Dyi make your own aquarium] Diference between glass glue layout question

[dlegend]

Good day to all, hope everything is alright!

I am making my own aquarium with a custom size. Im stuck deciding how i ll glue the glass. Should i go with

Layout 1 (all glass over the bottom)

Layout 2 (front and back glued on the side)

Layout 3 (all panels glued to the sides of the bottom panel)

Is there any diference in pression that i should be aware off?


Thanks for your inputs.

 

[blaxsun]

My Red Sea tank is layout #3 with vertical corner braces for additional support.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

To my knowledge, all three are used with success, but the one you go with impacts how you should support the tank on the bottom.

From a super old (2009) thread on a different site (reefcentral.com) by the user uncleof6, who built tanks for a living:
“Neither way is right and neither way is wrong. There are two schools of thought on this. The difference is in how the tank is supported. Sides on the bottom, behaves as an acrylic tank. The bottom needs 100% support (plywood top, and front to back beams every two feet under the plywood), foam is used under this type tank, to alleviate point stress due to irregularities in the plywood (not level or twist issues). Raised bottom, (or bottom inside) behaves as a rimmed glass tank, requiring support around the outside perimeter. No foam is used on this style of tank, as it COULD cause the bottom to fail. (break). Honestly, for a first time builder, the sides on the bottom is easier from a construction standpoint.

As far as tempered glass goes, use the proper thickness of glass, and tempered glass is unnecessary. Manufacturers use tempered glass so they can use thinner glass, less weight, less shipping costs. There is not really any other advantage to it.

Regards,

Jim”

He addressed your styles 1 & 3, in that order, and recommended style 1 for a beginner tank builder. I’m not sure how you would want to support style 2, but I know it has been done before without issues (I believe it has fallen out of popularity it recent years though).

 

[dlegend]

My Red Sea tank is layout #3 with vertical corner braces for additional support.

I like style #3 because you lose less volume per space. Nice to know you can do it with sucess.

 

[dlegend]

To my knowledge, all three are used with success, but the one you go with impacts how you should support the tank on the bottom.

From a super old (2009) thread on a different site (reefcentral.com) by the user uncleof6, who built tanks for a living:
“Neither way is right and neither way is wrong. There are two schools of thought on this. The difference is in how the tank is supported. Sides on the bottom, behaves as an acrylic tank. The bottom needs 100% support (plywood top, and front to back beams every two feet under the plywood), foam is used under this type tank, to alleviate point stress due to irregularities in the plywood (not level or twist issues). Raised bottom, (or bottom inside) behaves as a rimmed glass tank, requiring support around the outside perimeter. No foam is used on this style of tank, as it COULD cause the bottom to fail. (break). Honestly, for a first time builder, the sides on the bottom is easier from a construction standpoint.

As far as tempered glass goes, use the proper thickness of glass, and tempered glass is unnecessary. Manufacturers use tempered glass so they can use thinner glass, less weight, less shipping costs. There is not really any other advantage to it.

Regards,

Jim”

He addressed your styles 1 & 3, in that order, and recommended style 1 for a beginner tank builder. I’m not sure how you would want to support style 2, but I know it has been done before without issues (I believe it has fallen out of popularity it recent years though).

Thanks for the detailed answer, and ill try to find the post of uncleof6.

I think ill use common glass because i dont like the idea of my tank exploding, i think is dangerous. The thickness im going to use is 10 mm in a 300 liters tank measuring 120cm L, 40cm H, 63cm W (maybe will increase the dimensions of glass by 10 mm to compensate the loss of volume from the thickness here and there). Don't know with this measurement ill need braces but will do just for safety.

Good to know you can do all thress with sucess, but since im a beginner ill stick with layout #1 for now. Maybe in the future will do the other ones.
And thanks again!