building a 400 gal acrylic tank

[btwk12]

i don't know if any one can answer this question on here, but i am wanting to build my own acrylic tank dimensions are going to be 96''x32''tall x30''wide. my question is what thickness glass should i use? i was thinking 1/2'' but wasn't sure if thats going to be good enough. i have been watching videos for the past week on how to do i,t and i think i can do it my self and save me quite a bit of money! i am going to do a full sheet for the top, and cut out the access panels my self, so i get exactly what i want and so it will help sturdy the tank up quite a bit more than just piecing the braces in.

 

[btwk12]

p.s the exact water volume is only 398 gal but the big 400# sounds a lot better

 

[achilles tang]

well read a thread on here and the guy said he has his tank made 3/4 and this is on acrylic thats all i know. lol good look!

 

[btwk12]

i actually emailed a big tank building campany and they reccomended 1/2'' so thats def a lot better on my pocket!

 

[achilles tang]

lol o ok. and you dont think that such a big tank 1/2'' of acrylic wont bow over time?

 

[2quills]

I'm not so sure that any of the custom tank builders would recommend using 1/2" stock on a 32" tall tank. 3/4" would probably be the minimum that you should use on this size tank. half inch might hold but it's more than likely going to bow pretty significantly. And it should be braced well with probably an 8" flange and 2-3 cross braces. Maybe, Acrylics will chime in. Polycast or Plexi-G are the most well renowned brands of acrylic utilized for tank making. And it's usually pretty pricey. But many would argue that your taking a huge risk using anything less. Do you already have a source who you are dealing with for the material?
I don't mean to sound like the party pooper here but building tanks like this can be challenging for most folks without access to commercial equipment. Some of the guys that I've spoken with in the past would typically scoff of at some of these DIY videos and threads floating around the net. In order to pull builds like this off (cleanly) and not end up with a tank that's going to fail on you down the road requires a bit of technique and skill that comes with a little bit of time and practice. I'd recommend trying out something smaller first before jumping into a tank this size. Just something to think about.

 

[acrylic51]

Chiming in here a bit late, but NO....And I mean NO reputable builder would use 1/2" acrylic for a tank of that size.....Your looking easily 1" material for the build.....Height is the major issue, but then you add in the length......Don't care if you use Spartech acrylic, that thing will fold in half easily!!!!! Just my .02

 

[acrylic51]

Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/392958/building-a-400-gal-acrylic-tank#post_3492996
I'm not so sure that any of the custom tank builders would recommend using 1/2" stock on a 32" tall tank. 3/4" would probably be the minimum that you should use on this size tank. half inch might hold but it's more than likely going to bow pretty significantly. And it should be braced well with probably an 8" flange and 2-3 cross braces. Maybe, Acrylics will chime in. Polycast or Plexi-G are the most well renowned brands of acrylic utilized for tank making. And it's usually pretty pricey. But many would argue that your taking a huge risk using anything less. Do you already have a source who you are dealing with for the material?
I don't mean to sound like the party pooper here but building tanks like this can be challenging for most folks without access to commercial equipment. Some of the guys that I've spoken with in the past would typically scoff of at some of these DIY videos and threads floating around the net. In order to pull builds like this off (cleanly) and not end up with a tank that's going to fail on you down the road requires a bit of technique and skill that comes with a little bit of time and practice. I'd recommend trying out something smaller first before jumping into a tank this size. Just something to think about.
I have to agree with Corey....this isn't a tank you build your first time out.....There are tons of challenges that a lot of the videos just don't show.....You can easily go through my trials and tribulations on my build and Corey could more than attest a lot of the length discussions we had, and I had help from probably the best acrylic builder around answer my questions as well with tips and all and still was a major challenge.....
Material isn't cheap and I got a decent discount due to my buddies owning an acrylic shop. Curious as to the techniques your planning for your top bracing of the tank......

 

[btwk12]

what i actually did was get on an online acrylic thickness calculator, and it said 1/2'' but when i recieved the email back from builder they said 1'' or even better 1 1/4'' and im not sure if i want to spend that much stil thinking. but i might see about just goin 28'' tall and using 3/4''. and as far as the bracing i am planning on using a full sheet and cut 3 access panels in the top. the reason that i am wanting to build my own tank is because it will be in my basement and i am planning on building it down there because the size and weight. but my big plan is to make it a peninsula tank with the end closest to wall having an overflow prob 20'' wide to leave just enough room for prob 2 powerheads on each side. and my filtration room just on other side of wall. i have been planning this build for a long time. and i am def a little worried about building it my self. i have been watching videos on line for weeks, and they do make it look so easy. but if i decide against building my own i got a quote from glass cages for a glass tank for i think around 1700 and that was only a 300 gal im def going to do some more research on everything before i just jump into this!

 

[acrylic51]

FYI if your gonna skimp on material don't bother.... Not being harsh but 3/4" material won't cut it. A few dollars saved will lead to unhappiness shortly with bowing regardless of bracing, and if seams aren't spot on an accident in the making. Your correct the videos do make it easy, but working with thick material vs. working thicker material is a different beast in its own. I can do 3/8" with my eyes closed not using pins, but quality seams require the pin method and that in itself takes a lot of practice, as Corey would attest.
Then you factor in you get 1 shot for a clean joint; no do overs, edges prepped, dust free, pins set perfect and shimmed and set time for pulling..... Start small and build up to a big build.... Material costs make me shutter when I pick up a bottle of solvent to 1" material.
I've used GlassCages, and didn't have any issues, but YMMV!!!

 

[2quills]

I guess it comes down to how much you're willing to gamble on it. The only way I think that it really comes out cheaper to build things yourself is that if you already have most everything you need to make it happen.
What were your thoughts as far as were you'll get the materials? Did you have a brand in mind?
I can attest to the thinner stuff being easier to work with. I haven't built anything using larger than 3/8" material, but I can tell you that there is a difference just between 1/4" vs 3/8" in the way that it machines and welds up. Anything above 1/2" and I know I'm gonna have to start upgrading and or buying more tools.
Were you planning on a sump build as well?

 

[tangs rule]

1/2 plex way too thin. I've a very similar sized GLASS tank (96x36x37) and it's 5/8" plate glass sides and 1.25" thick bottom......I'd see 1/2" plex bowing out at a 32" depth

 

[acrylic51]

1/2" would bow at 24" of height.....There are several things that come into play with the build.....1 being the length of the tank.....which rules 1/2" out of the picture and then the height.....Regardless what type of bracing you use, it'll bow.