AbsolutelyGuaranteed Posted February 25, 2017 Share Posted February 25, 2017 Hey good afternoon PNWMAS, Have any of you guys had luck with building your own glass tank? I've been looking looking into tank options and am wondering how viable this is. I would be going for a rimless 90 long with black silicone. I understand hydrostatic force and its relationship to depth and the shear force that the silicone needs to hold. So clean surfaces and good surface area for the bond is essential. I feel like using temporary spacers between the glass and using injection of the silicone would be the best way to go, to eliminate all bubbles and give the most perfect and cleanest result. It would depend on the cost and availability of the glass. Having a glass shop order and cut the glass would be the only way to go on pieces this thick. I've worked with glass before but haven't had the cleanest cuts on the thicker stuff and they could sand the edges and polish or bevel the top better than I could. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xmas_one Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 Price out the glass first. I think you will find that for the price you are going to pay for the glass alone, a custom builder can build you a tank for less. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R-3 Posted February 26, 2017 Share Posted February 26, 2017 What dimension are you looking at? That plays a lot into it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsolutelyGuaranteed Posted February 27, 2017 Author Share Posted February 27, 2017 Well yeah pricing out the glass is an issue. A lot of people, including me, enjoy constructing things just for the pride and ability to say "I made this" so that has some value added. I will weigh my options as I get closer down the line. A used tank would be a good choice too. The dimensions would have to follow what the glass shop can order in sheet glass. A standard 90 long is 48x18x24 Tall, so that would be my starting point. I'd prefer something slightly longer, say 52x19x20 Tall, but then I'd be looking at the throw of light from what ever light fixture I go with. I'd probably do a custom hanging canopy to fit the length either way. But do you know what I mean about the glass sheets, a front and side of the tank would lay up on a raw 6' by 3' sheet x2 and the bottom on a third sheet. This works if the length and width fit on a single sheet. Then you avoid having up buy a fourth piece of glass. The bottom could be slightly thicker thank the walls or all of it can be on the tick side if no braces. The thickness would have more to do with the surface area of the silicone bonds and less about the glass cracking. Still just a though, I was mostly wondering if anyone out there has had success with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectra Posted February 27, 2017 Share Posted February 27, 2017 I agree with the above just go have a shop do it. Crystal Reef up north does custom glass tanks and a few of us down here have them also me included.......a warranty is included and well if yours leaks then you are going to pay to fix it..... I do know a local built a few tanks years ago and well that didn't go so well from what I heard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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