Free 4x8 Sheets of Glass!!!! Big Tank???

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cabinetman

Exodon
MFK Member
Sep 28, 2012
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nova scotia canada
So, just like the title says Ive got access to tons of 4x8 sheets of 3/16 glass for free. Im planning on buiding an 8ftx30x30 tank using it for the viewing pannel. what I plan on doing is to have four pieces stacked together and siliconed in. Who thinks it will work? Anybody ever try anything like that. It would make a real cheap tank thats for sure concidering I can cut it myself and the glass is free. Ive got an 8ft tank allmost done and the glass was crazy for price. 94x24x1/2 cost me $350. 4 layers of 3/16 will give me 3/4 of glass so it should be more than strong enough. Clarity shouldnt be a problem either. Just look out the window and most are 2 panes...2 more wouldnt make much of a difference Im sure. My 1/2 inch piece will be here thursday and im going to do a few comparisons..number one..clarity..2 deflection with weight added to the center with glass suspended between two points. THought about this...8 layers would give me 1 1/2 of glass. 4x8 tank in my future? That would definetly be an outside tank! Curious to know if anyone has ever thought about this or tried it.:naughty:
 
It might work if you glue the sheets of glass together, other wise your relying on the strength of a single sheet of glass to hold back all that water. I see a cascade failure in the glass if it's not glued to each other.
 
According to the glass experts on my local forum laminated glass is useless for aquariums is only as strong as its thinnest sheet, so I'm guessing it would be the same here. I certainly wouldn't be risking that much water damage (not to mention livestock lost, or poor clarity from all the layers of silicone) for the sake of pinching a few pennies on a big tank like this. Do it once, do it properly.

3/16 isn't even 5mm, the big sheets would be cool if you want to make a low wide tank, or if you were doing something like a paludarium with a big window but low water level, but thats about it...
 
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