Matthew Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 G'day all I am after some advice for some of the tanks that I am about to purchase. I currently have some 4x18x18 tanks made out of 6mm glass. So I am confident that these are fine built out of 6mm glass. However I need to get some 5x18x18 and 6x18x18 tanks. What thickness of glass do you recommend or have experience with? PS. Going through previous posts it appears that the height is the main issue rather than tank length. Thanks very much Matthew... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosco Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 Matthew, Not a huge expert but the 6x2x18's I got from one of the top breeders down here were a 10mm base and 6mm sides and 2x18x18 have an 8mm base with 6mm sides. I don't think he had a problem and I certainly have not yet. From my research I think that is go but I not 100% sure. cheers Rosco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMK Posted May 23, 2005 Share Posted May 23, 2005 Matt, my 4 and 6 x 18 x 18's are all 10mm base and 6mm sides. No problems there. AK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catcher Posted May 24, 2005 Share Posted May 24, 2005 Hey there Matt, Check out this site it may help http://www.fnzas.org.nz/glassthickness.0.html cheers glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted May 24, 2005 Share Posted May 24, 2005 Matt I have a 6x18x18 and a 5x18x18 and both have 6mm bases. The 6ft has the base in three pieces and 5ft in two. I have had them for many years with no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaZ Posted May 24, 2005 Share Posted May 24, 2005 I'm no tankmaker but from what I understand the best setup is the type Nigel has (when using thin glass). Having the base in sections like that allows it to flex more if needed. Obviously if we were able to provide a perfectly flat and rigid surface for the tank to sit on this wouldn't be an issue. But with our hobby being the way it is, and the possibility of rocks slipping out of our hands onto the base etc etc, I'd be going for 10mm bases if it was me. Matt, you know I have the same 4x18x18's with the same 6mm bases, all made by Speedy Gonzales. Mine have never given me any grief but some days I wish we'd talked him into using 10mm on the base Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CThompson Posted May 24, 2005 Share Posted May 24, 2005 The thickness of the glass is dependant on the height of the tank. If your smaller tanks that are 18” high are fine at 6mm, then a larger tank with the same hight will also be okay. But for me, the glass thickness is for two things, one is to hold the pressure created by the tank height, and the other is the safety factor if it is knocked, ether by you or others, or from dropping something on it. From this point of view, it may make sense to go up the next thickness in glass. If your fish room is an actively working one, and you’ll be spending a lot of time in there, accidents do happen. The only down side will be the extra cost , but there is the befit of peace of mind for the “what if” factor. What if you accident knock a tank hard enough to break a 6mm piece of glass, and not something just that bit thicker? What if you’ve got some really expensive fish in there? Or a huge number of young growing up? What if they are all killed? Or you or others cut themselves? To me a thicker glass is simply less likley to be broken, and that may save hassle in the future. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anchar Posted May 24, 2005 Share Posted May 24, 2005 Hi Matthew, I agree....6mm sides with a 10mm base. Andrea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted May 24, 2005 Share Posted May 24, 2005 I also have six 4x20x20 they are 6mm with 10mm bases. I think it all comes down to cost the thicker the glass the more expensive also how good the tank maker is. I would agree that it is better to have the thicker base just to be safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anita_ozfish Posted May 24, 2005 Share Posted May 24, 2005 Hi Matty, All my 18 x 18 are in 6mm glass with 10mm bases (also the same with my 2' wide x 18high) and that seems to be the general consensus going here. No use in taking shortcuts with dramas down the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAZ Posted May 24, 2005 Share Posted May 24, 2005 Ditto WAZ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanceswithDingoes Posted May 24, 2005 Share Posted May 24, 2005 I'm looking at 5x18x18's for my rack and they will all be 6mm base and sides, $130 versus $220 for the 10mm base price, but I wont have any rocks in them, just fine gravel and some wood. If you're only putting some pots in for mbuna then the 6mm would be fine, 10mm all round is too expensive imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted May 25, 2005 Author Share Posted May 25, 2005 G'day A big thankyou to everyone that responded Seeing the tank builder today and I will be getting 6mm sides and 10mm bases. Budget just won't stretch to 10 mm all around Thanks again for everyones replies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaZ Posted May 25, 2005 Share Posted May 25, 2005 Who's making them Matt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.