So, im going medium

I hate to be a damp squib, but I would seriously suggest you consult a professional tank builder for advice. In my opinion your glass is too thin, and your individual stands needs to be welded together with square tubing

 

I'm building a 125 litre tank and it's gonna be 6mm for safety as instructed by a professional. I agree with jwh here 8mm is a little risky to be doing without consultation

 

Look if the 8mm does not hold and one avoids a snap .... then this could make for an awesome terrarium or better yet a palladium ....

 

Not helping guys

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Hehe. I will thanks

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Maybe some previous posts will ... but I can not find many 8mm tanks it would seem - well not people that are willing to talk about them at scale.
https://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/threads/help-needed-please.25073/
https://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/threads/help-needed-building-a-fish-tank.1792/#post-25384
https://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/threads/my-very-own-custom-tank-build.20252/
https://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/threads/new-1-4m-tank-to-be-ordered-soon.12799/

@neltf knew an 8mm owner ...
https://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/threads/2m-fish-tank.25689/
maybe he can give you more insight why that tank got sold.

@Blade https://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/threads/new-tank-build-again-welcome-number-10.28345/page-2 this might be an 8mm that is still running.

BTW when you get over the glass thing ... you might want to start reading https://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/threads/filtration-rates-flow-and-other-questions.6105/ ... probably still one of the best must reads for a DIY'er.

Later Ferdie

 

Howzit , good to see you building a big tank , but through the posts , 10mm is the minimum size glass on a 2.4m tank with ALL the extra bracing needed and you must use a know builder , 8mm is just wrong , sorry bud - The one or two that I have seen was build by people that used good builders but the owners own risk , and those tanks don't last long before they are in the classified section before they are ticking time boms , I understand where your coming from , you want a big tank , you doing a budget tank and 8mm is all you can afford - I know , been there , done that...
rather start with something smaller and work your way up like I did , it takes time...
I am building a 2440x800x730 tank 10mm tripple base with euro bracing and extra horizontal & vertical bracing...
it's the minimum yes , but I sourced one of the best builders this country could offer.
Good luck , Pm me if you in Gauteng I have a 2nd hand octopus reef overflow box in my garage that is just collecting dust

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Good insight .. thanks ..

so we back to a palladium ... now the trick is going be about making 2.4m filled with maybe 20cm of water look like a natural river bank or something like that.

@Pierré Schoonraad I think has the most palladiums running at the moment. I stand to be corrected.

Later Ferdie

 

Only 2 but 1 is ending it's short life this afternoon as the algae is terrible in the window.

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Thanks for all the inputs. I'm willing to gamble on this. I read all your opinions and designs. Of course a 2.4m tank 800mm high will require thicker glass. Pressure and force on the tank is related to height. The design calculators gives me better calulation than the @neltf design with 10mm glass. My base is 18.6mm thick wich is overkill according to 3 different design calcs and tables. The bottom will hold. I read the different 8mm build links. Very inspirational.
There is some which is taller than my tank.

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Look I am all for experimentation ... just make sure that cards are not stacked against you.

Maybe check the fine print on your paperwork before filling - https://www.tropicalaquarium.co.za/threads/aquarium-risks-and-insurance.6305/

And do not forget the pics... While talking about filling that tank, it really needs to stand empty a while for all that silicone to cure before you start adding water.

Later Ferdie

 

@B@kkies... I am sure you must be sick and tired of all the comments.... Its with good intentions that they have been made by some very experienced members with years of dealing with big tanks....
You know the old saying.. i wish i was 25 and know what i know today... something like that.

All having been said.. at the end of the day.. we all still wish you ALL THE BEST with your build and look forward to its development and update
However.. you know.. with a woman not always everything has been said.. thats why sometimes we get told we are real pains but months down the line.. we often proven right
So.. i do have one or two things which are not meant as criticism but only that you keep them in mind

Just remember that all those fancy calculators, at the lower levels of safety, only take into consideration the straight forward weight /pressure of the water without taking into consideration the different factors that actually take place in a running tank and the happenings of everyday life

Big fish that have a fight or spook and bash against that 8mm side glass

Scrubbing algae off the glass causes water displacement which is not the same as water standing still that the calculators work on

You accidentally let a rock slip or gets toppled over and hits the glass or a heavy piece of driftwood that by some chance topples over
Someone accidentally knocks the tank or even you for some silly reason knock the tank with something while you busy with it
These are the things that experience makes the guys give you different advice from what your calculators do and these silly things that we say.. will never happen to me... are the ones you going to have to keep in mind and be careful with.
It can happen to tanks with thicker glass too but the odds are better on our side

Now.. hopefully all being said. take care and as i said, best of luck with your build
Looking forward to see it progress

 

Thanks all. I will show some pics in the week. We were away for the weekens

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8mm is ok for the height, and this is what most glass thickness calculators are predicated on. Over the span of the glass (lengths) you will get bowing where the long panes bow outwards under the pressure of the water, and if you stand at the end of a filled tank you'll see it. (I can see it on my 3.6m tank with 20mm laminated glass) This is what bracing is meant to prevent/ control. You'll need multiple braces along the glass panes and across the top from front to back, also important you need vertical braces in every corner to keep the front and side panes connected.
Silicone has a tensile strength of 3-4 mpa, that is not much, so it's vital that the silicone job is perfectly done. Thanks tend to fail on the side panels.
Watch the bowing and check you joints, if you see these starting to pull apart, empty the tank pronto.
Good luck

 

Thanks jwh. Now this was a helpful post. The top is heavily braced. I will post pics tonight if i get to complete it. Please comment on what you see.

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Well i finished the corner beads last night. The 2 long top and 1 of 4 transverse braces are fitted. I should finish tonight. I still need to clean up in and around the tank. Im pondering to add additional braces on the bottom of the tank

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I will most likely only fill the tank over the weekend to give the silicone a good chance to cure. My current tank has a black background and i like the blacked out look. What is your opinions on using tiles on the bottom of a tank.

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Bud if you have got spare glass for bracing, i would suggest you add more bracing just to be on the safe side rather be safe then sorry

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Are you also going to put a nice wide brace in the middle top section of the tank

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2 x110mm brace in the middel. I have not decided where in the middle to add them

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