230G Plywood Tank Question

[mattygreen86]

Hello every1. New to this forum and desperately needing help. After reading lots of other posts and watching lots of videos I've decided to build a plywood fibreglass tank.the dimensions will be 6ftx2.5ftx2.5ft. I'm pretty confident about the build as I work in a Bodyshop so know a thing or two about fibreglass.
I'm just a little unsure about the glass though. The glass would need to be 1400mm x 600mm. Can anyone tell me what thickness and type I'd need. I've had a quote for £190 for 15mm toughened glass yet I've seen people post that they've paid £130 for 19mm. Am I choosing the wrong type or just being ripped off. Please can someone help?

 

[levahe]

Sorry I don't know the answers to your questions, but please do a journal it would be very interesting to follow!
Have you looked at acrylic as an alternative to glass?

 

[mattygreen86]

I certainly will do a journal. I have thought about acrylic and I've emailed an acrylic company for a quote and explained what it was for and that I was unsure about thickness and they replied that acrylic wouldn't work for this and I'd need toughened glass, that's why I've been leaning towards the glass now. I fink I'd probably prepare acrylic though I was just put off by that email. If acrylic would be suitable for this build does any1 know the thickness I'd need and if any1s used acrylic before can you recommend a good company to use

 

[Tim_UK]

Perhaps the cheaper 19mm wasn't toughened ?

 

[SamB]

Acrylic would work for this project.. Not sure why the company doesn't think it would! It would also need to be thick, just like glass. I can't really give you an accurate quote on this because my tanks I've built are much smaller scale - here's the calculator I've used, though it might be on the conservative side for tank thickness, since you have added side supports. Don't forget to brace the tank!

 

[mattygreen86]

That link doesn't say anything about thickness just tank weight. It may not of been toughened glass the post I read didn't state the type. Would I be able to build this without toughened glass? I am on quite a tight budget with this so any money I can save without jeopardizing the the strength of the tank will b a great help.

 

[rustyspurs]

Hi mate, I pm,d you about this but thought I'd post again incase it didn't work.
You don't need toughened glass, I used 3/4 '' or 19mm plate as I needed that thickness for the 3ft height.
You use plate instead of toughened as if it takes a hit it will crack giving you some time to empty the tank.
Toughened will shatter dumping the tank contents onto your floor.
The height of your glass determines the thickness needed.
Here's a glass thickness calculator chart that should get you sorted.
http/saltaquarium....-Calculator.htm
Let me know if you need anymore advice,
Cheers

 

[mattygreen86]

Thanks rustyspurs. That info was really handy. After reading it I decided to go abit bigger, 6x3x3 to be exact. But after making a call to a local glass supplier I was quoted £250 for 19mm or £95 for 12mm. 250 Will send me way over budget so unless I can get a cheaper quote its back to the original dimensions

 

[rustyspurs]

I got my 6ft by 3ft piece for £130.
I ask the glass place for any surplus pieces that they had from cancelled jobs etc...
That's another plus for plate glass, you can recut it. The shop cut a bigger piece down from a cancelled order and could therefore give me a discount.
It worth a try anyhow,
Cheers

 

[mattygreen86]

I fink the reason why I'm having trouble gettin hold Of some reasonably priced is none of the suppliers I've asked actually stock 19mm so there having to special order it in for me. This is driving me mad now knowing this one piece of glass is all that's stopping this tank from becoming a 336 gallon tank

 

[rustyspurs]

If u have to save and wait a while I would do it mate,
I did as I knew if I didn't have the 3ft height It would have killed me everytime I looked at the tank.
I'm talking as someone who built a tank buying £30 worth of wood 1week, £90 poly resin next week.
It took me 2 months+ and I've no patience

Another thought just came to me,
I actually had the whole frame built for most of the build time before I could afford the resin and glass.
I sat my 5ft by 2ft old tank in the frame for at least a month,
I was seriously broke at the time

 

[mattygreen86]

I do intent just doin this a bit at a time. Wood one month fibreglass the next.I just have a feeling that if I have to save for the glass it's gonna take this project too near to Xmas. And if that happens it's likely to end up gettin put off till next year

 

[mattygreen86]

Rite I'm having no luck finding any1 who can sell me 19mm glass at an affordable price so fink I may have to go down acrylic route. Does any1 know what thickness acrylic I'd need to to build this 6x3. Surely it won't have to be as thick as glass will it?

 

[Tim_UK]

Try this

http/www.sdplastics.com/cyro/aquarium/Aquarium.xls