explain something to me, why glass on the bottom? |
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 Sep 15 2005, 11:01 PM
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#21
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 don't be a twit  Group: Members Posts: 3848 Joined: 7-February 05 From: Berkeley, CA, USA Member No.: 11658  |
Reasons to use all-glass construction (from an engineering perspective):
--manufacturing is much cheaper when using a single material needing a single process --you'd have to use a different adhesive to attach the glass to metal/wood --an organic material such as wood would degrade quickly and require expensive special processing --most metals corrode to some degree in water --the less a steel corrodes, the more Chromium it contains and the more expensive it is --corrosion is almost always oxidation would remove oxygen needed for fishy respiration --corrosion also leaches impurities into water (many of which could easily be toxic) --ceramics (glass is a ceramic) exhibit the least amount of temperature distortion --ceramics resist deformation better as a whole, meaning less bending/warping --ceramics are rather strong when loaded compressively (pushed down by water and up by stand) --glass is mostly silicon and silicon is cheap |
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Sep 15 2005, 11:14 PM
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#22
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Fish Fanatic  Group: Members Posts: 86 Joined: 28-July 05 Member No.: 14921 |
QUOTE(pica_nuttalli @ Sep 15 2005, 11:01 PM) Reasons to use all-glass construction (from an engineering perspective): --manufacturing is much cheaper when using a single material needing a single process --you'd have to use a different adhesive to attach the glass to metal/wood --an organic material such as wood would degrade quickly and require expensive special processing --most metals corrode to some degree in water --the less a steel corrodes, the more Chromium it contains and the more expensive it is --corrosion is almost always oxidation would remove oxygen needed for fishy respiration --corrosion also leaches impurities into water (many of which could easily be toxic) --ceramics (glass is a ceramic) exhibit the least amount of temperature distortion --ceramics resist deformation better as a whole, meaning less bending/warping --ceramics are rather strong when loaded compressively (pushed down by water and up by stand) --glass is mostly silicon and silicon is cheap [right][snapback]907599[/snapback][/right] great answer...thanks. |
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Sep 15 2005, 11:48 PM
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#23
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Fish Fanatic Group: Members Posts: 52 Joined: 17-March 05 From: Long Island, New York Member No.: 12531 |
Years ago some tanks had a slate bottom. Someone in this hobby for many years can vouch for me.
I sure its cheaper to use and make the glass bottom as opposed to the old slate ones. |
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Sep 15 2005, 11:56 PM
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#24
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 Sleepy Chook Group: Members Posts: 2867 Joined: 13-December 03 From: Sleeping Somewhere. Or doing water changes. Or running with Mac. Newcastle, NSW, Australia Member No.: 3178 |
ummm, stainless steel does rust overtime when exposed to enough water/chemicals.
Also, rusting can occur underwater.....how else would you explain the now rust-bucket of a titanic on the bottom of the Atlantic. Was it rusted that bad when it sailed? NO. If it was it would have fallen apart a LOT sooner. Also, there is enough oxygen in the water to cause rust, where else would our fish get their oxygen from? |
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Sep 16 2005, 12:21 AM
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#25
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 Fish Crazy  Group: Members Posts: 142 Joined: 3-July 05 From: Ontario, Cananda Member No.: 14393 |
Why not use glass?
Not sure about everyone else reading this thread but I have owned over a dozen different tanks over the past 10 years and I have never broken a bottom in a tank yet... I'm sure if it was wood/steel we would be discussing a thread on why it isn't glass haha. Xtech, I have a 10 gallon with a slate bottom, bought it at a garage sale a few years back. And its actually a perfect example as to why we use glass. Whatever was used to seal the glass to the slate has rotton away. After looking at it a bit closer it was obvious that someone had already tried to reseal it years ago. |
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Sep 16 2005, 12:40 AM
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#26
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 Boss Major Group: Members Posts: 2752 Joined: 2-December 03 From: San Francisco/San Jose, CA Member No.: 3073 |
well, metals are malleble, and that load of water will make it change shape. glass is much harder than steel, but steel is more durable. if you look at a sheet of sheet metal, you will realize why they dont use metal. silicon is a very common element, so its cheaper. it doesnt make sense to use something that isnt as good and costs a lot more than what works really well.
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Sep 16 2005, 12:45 AM
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#27
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Fish Fanatic Group: Members Posts: 95 Joined: 23-February 04 Member No.: 4392 |
Okay what hold the tank together silicon what glass made from silica. How well does silicon stick to glass. Try getting it off.
And that is pretty much the reason they use glass. Though silicon sticks to stainless and many other materials. The bond on glass is much stronger. |
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Sep 16 2005, 01:06 AM
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#28
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 Fish Fanatic Group: Member Posts: 33 Joined: 13-September 05 From: Auckland, New Zealand Member No.: 15839 |
QUOTE(xamdarb @ Sep 16 2005, 08:50 AM) hahaha stainless stell rusting ya right actualy you could use almost anykind of metal that doesent leak toxins because metal cannot rust under water it has to be exposed to air....man thats such a good point on why the bottoms are made out of glass..hmm could it be cheaper maybe ah who knows....would can rot and im guessing the sealents that you use on the wood so it wont rot would be toxic but stell hhmmmmm good point [right][snapback]907355[/snapback][/right] Ummmm what is the stuff in the tank that the fish breathe and what is water made up of, H2O. Oxygen will cause the metal to rust. Stainless or any other metal will corrode under water, that goes for alloy as well. I would say for it's weight glass would have to be one of the strongest, least flexible, cheapest and also waterproof materials around. |
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Sep 16 2005, 01:48 AM
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#29
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 Li'l Ole Fish Lady  Group: Moderators Posts: 12969 Joined: 31-August 03 From: New York Member No.: 1847 |
QUOTE Years ago some tanks had a slate bottom. Someone in this hobby for many years can vouch for me. I sure its cheaper to use and make the glass bottom as opposed to the old slate ones. I remember when tanks had slate bottoms, Xtech.  They were also put together with metal on all the edges and the sealant was some kind of messy, dark colored stuff. From time to time my tank would spring a leak and fixing it was a job for my dad.  All things considered, I think the newer, glass all over tanks are better.  |
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Sep 16 2005, 04:32 AM
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#30
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 Fish Crazy Group: Member Posts: 111 Joined: 11-September 05 From: Missouri, USA Member No.: 15807 |
Stainless steel is very expensive, and would be much heavier than the glass it replaced.
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Sep 16 2005, 04:56 AM
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#31
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 Gun Toting Lunatic Group: Moderators Posts: 6734 Joined: 1-October 03 From: Chicago Member No.: 2323 |
The reason they used slate on the old tanks was so they could heat them from underneath with oil burners. Glass won't hold up to the heat, and I'm guessing there would be problems with expansion & contraction having a flame on one side with cooler water on the other.
I have one of those old slate bottomed metal framed wonders. It's 5 feet long, holds 63 gallons. The thing weighs at least 200 pounds empty. I'm probably going to start working on resealing & cleaning up the frame in a week or so. Tolak |
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Sep 16 2005, 07:13 PM
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#32
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Fishaholic  Group: Members Posts: 268 Joined: 19-August 05 From: n.s Member No.: 15355 |
im saying the thing were he said that stainless stell will flex....to have a peice big enough not to flex it would way a tone i think they should make one out of stainless stell and have the bottom flat instead of only the edges holding it then it couldent flex and you would have less chances of breaking it .....i droped a rock by accident once and broke my sisters 10 gallon haha i told her the fish did it lol that was 6 years ago haha i was 12
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Sep 16 2005, 07:24 PM
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#33
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Fish Addict Group: Members Posts: 722 Joined: 15-July 05 From: stockport Member No.: 14657 |
hey tolak would be ace if you could post some pics of that slate bottmed tank, i never know they used to be made like that
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Sep 16 2005, 07:29 PM
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#34
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 Fishaholic Group: Members Posts: 387 Joined: 24-June 05 From: Canada Member No.: 14226 |
I agree with the strength issues, also that engineering a tank with ALL glass sides would make weight and stresss distriubution better as the same tensile strength and 'flex' would occur on all sides. Making a more sound container than one with different components and compositions/properties .
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