Setting up new tank

ChuaNamTiong · February 2, 2012

Could a 2ft x 1ft x 1.5ft tank with 6mm thickness able to setup a marine tank?

Friends say saltwater is too heavy and 6mm tank may give way anytime.

Need expertise help. Thanks.

tanit · February 2, 2012

You may refer to below web for calculate of thickness require

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/planasystem/ig/Guide-Charts--Tables--Diagrams/Glass-Thickness-Calculator.htm

or

http://www.theaquatools.com/building-your-aquarium

I personally also use 6mm glass but my tank hight only 12.5 (30x15x12.5(h)). This give me safty factor of 6. I need more factor due to it rimless tank.

sherman · February 3, 2012

Should not be a problem if you have top and bottom braces

ChuaNamTiong · February 3, 2012

You may refer to below web for calculate of thickness require

http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/planasystem/ig/Guide-Charts--Tables--Diagrams/Glass-Thickness-Calculator.htm

or

http://www.theaquatools.com/building-your-aquarium

I personally also use 6mm glass but my tank hight only 12.5 (30x15x12.5(h)). This give me safty factor of 6. I need more factor due to it rimless tank.

Thanks for the useful link. Safety factor is around 3 for my 6mm tank.

ChuaNamTiong · February 3, 2012

Should not be a problem if you have top and bottom braces

No bracing at top or bottom. Some more my tank is a round tank at the front.

dragonfly_sg · February 8, 2012

Could a 2ft x 1ft x 1.5ft tank with 6mm thickness able to setup a marine tank?

Friends say saltwater is too heavy and 6mm tank may give way anytime.

Need expertise help. Thanks.

Personally I think you should be okay. I have used 2 pcs of standard 2' tank for marine in the pass for 2 years, and I believes those are 6mm glass too. The only thing I would be more concern about is the age of the tank and the usage or more accurately "non-usuage" due to the scilicone seal degrading.

A non-marine design tank usually does not have joint that are reinforce for the additional load, this is usually the weakest link. It'll usually hold initially but as the sealant weaken (harden) the joint are first to go. Unfortunately, I know ...... I have had a 6 years old 4' freshwater tank (keeping marine) fail on me at the joint.

So I would advise, that if your tank has been in constant use, and if it's below 1 or 2 years you should be fine. And once you cross your 4th year you should start looking for replacement. I wouldn't use anything over 5 years old.

ChuaNamTiong · February 8, 2012

Personally I think you should be okay. I have used 2 pcs of standard 2' tank for marine in the pass for 2 years, and I believes those are 6mm glass too. The only thing I would be more concern about is the age of the tank and the usage or more accurately "non-usuage" due to the scilicone seal degrading.

A non-marine design tank usually does not have joint that are reinforce for the additional load, this is usually the weakest link. It'll usually hold initially but as the sealant weaken (harden) the joint are first to go. Unfortunately, I know ...... I have had a 6 years old 4' freshwater tank (keeping marine) fail on me at the joint.

So I would advise, that if your tank has been in constant use, and if it's below 1 or 2 years you should be fine. And once you cross your 4th year you should start looking for replacement. I wouldn't use anything over 5 years old.

Thanks for your advice, bro.

My tank still within first yr usage.

lazydevil · February 27, 2012

was thinking if lighting is needed during the cycling process or does it help to speed up the cycling process?

are there any benefits in doing that?

mrball · February 28, 2012

Personally I think you should be okay. I have used 2 pcs of standard 2' tank for marine in the pass for 2 years, and I believes those are 6mm glass too. The only thing I would be more concern about is the age of the tank and the usage or more accurately "non-usuage" due to the scilicone seal degrading.

A non-marine design tank usually does not have joint that are reinforce for the additional load, this is usually the weakest link. It'll usually hold initially but as the sealant weaken (harden) the joint are first to go. Unfortunately, I know ...... I have had a 6 years old 4' freshwater tank (keeping marine) fail on me at the joint.

So I would advise, that if your tank has been in constant use, and if it's below 1 or 2 years you should be fine. And once you cross your 4th year you should start looking for replacement. I wouldn't use anything over 5 years old.

When it fail it just start leaking or will the whole thing self-destruct like that?

How did you handle it?

dragonfly_sg · February 29, 2012

was thinking if lighting is needed during the cycling process or does it help to speed up the cycling process?
are there any benefits in doing that?

Personally I don't think lighting will effect your cycling process. I currently running a 4 by 2 by 2.5 and it's without lights for the past 6 months. Even in the cycling process I didn't have lights.

But after the cycling process which lasted over a month, I fix a light for a chamber of my sump to act as a refugium. I had a diatom outbreak in the sump chamber with lights, I always thought the diatom outbreak is part of the cycling process! So I was a bit surprise that the outbreak was really thick. Seem like the addition of the light trigger it but the outbreak went off once I started adding plants in my refugium. I am not sure if the normal diatom outbreak process when setting up a new tank is something that have to go through no matter what, if thats the case then having the light early probably will help you get it over with sooner.

Not sure about this maybe some with more experience can comment.

Anyway, this is the first time I setup a tank without light, so this is my experience.

dragonfly_sg · February 29, 2012

When it fail it just start leaking or will the whole thing self-destruct like that?

How did you handle it?

In my case, the seal came part slightly while my whole family was overseas and water manage to seep out all over my living room which is parkay wooden floor.

Of course the wife blew her top when we return and I spent the next two to three days mopping and removing water from between the wooden stripes.

I have heard of cases where the whole sheet or side of the tank came off totally, and that would be really messy with water, glass and sand everywhere. So I do consider myself lucky.

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