3mm Thick Glass

[MattW]

I've been considering a new 40cm x 25cm x 25cm aquarium for either a shrimp tank or a Walstad low-tech aquarium. The 3mm glass thickness is putting me off this tank though. I've only ever owned 5-6mm thickness aquariums before.

If it were to become a shrimp tank I would use a HOB over a sponge filter as this aquarium is in a bedroom (noise reduction). The other thing that I know sounds ridiculous is having a glass aquarium heater inside (holder with suction cups). If performing maintenance my metal aquarium tools could easily hit against either the heater or glass and could cause damage to the glass either directly or a knock-on from the heater. This is because the bedroom in question is an attic room and the tank would be placed in a 4ft tall section while I'm 6ft 4. Am I being too anxious or may this cause a problem? But having a HOB on 3mm is what is mainly concerning me.

Thanks in advance

 

[jaylach]

Personally I'd like thicker glass but this is a small tank and is probably OK. Still I'd probably look for thicker glass or acrylic.

 

[MattW]

Personally I'd like thicker glass but this is a small tank and is probably OK. Still I'd probably look for thicker glass or acrylic.

Ok thanks for the advice. Hopefully, I can find something similar sized but with thicker glass

 

[kiko]

yeah and when the glass bends a bit you got a leak xD
my 45 is 3/8'' and my 10 is 1/4'' which is about just a bit over double thickness of your 25L
I use 3mm glass for internal sumps and the one on my 45gal has a leak along the return partition which allows water back into it (from the pressure of when the partition is low due to evaporation)
I'd say it took around 2/3 years for it to leak but none the less a whole tank at 3mm to me is insane....
That's just companies trying to cheap out on glass
the whole "professional aquarium" is the same as "gaming computer" when you buy a computer...
load of BS ^^

 

[MattW]

yeah and when the glass bends a bit you got a leak xD
my 45 is 3/8'' and my 10 is 1/4'' which is about just a bit over double thickness of your 25L
I use 3mm glass for internal sumps and the one on my 45gal has a leak along the return partition which allows water back into it (from the pressure of when the partition is low due to evaporation)
I'd say it took around 2/3 years for it to leak but none the less a whole tank at 3mm to me is insane....
That's just companies trying to cheap out on glass
the whole "professional aquarium" is the same as "gaming computer" when you buy a computer...
load of BS ^^

I thought 3mm for a "professional aquarium" was a bit misleading. I have done some searching and found this one. The only problem is they don't include the thickness of the glass in the description Ideally I'm trying to find a 20+ Litre aquarium on a budget.

 

[MattW]

Found another one that looks decent just sent an email to the supplier asking for glass thickness measurement. A 5-6mm would be perfect

 

[kiko]

you can use the strap as reference..those white plastic straps are usually 1/2"
if you look at the side of the glass is about half the plastic strap which would make the glass 1/4"...since the silicone is black means the glass is even thinner which means 3/4mm
now if you look at this simple table:

it pretty much tells you the safety factor for different heights/lengths
a 1 means..you bump it you break it...glass will bend overtime and leak...
a 2 means it'll take a bump but be very careful...
a 3 it can take a few knocks on the glass...cat on top of it....
a 4 will take a a few bumps on the hallway from shopping on its way into the house
a 5 = safe...no guessing/thinking about if it will leak unless it was made poorly
anything higher becomes overkill for a home aquarium

 

[MattW]

you can use the strap as reference..those white plastic straps are usually 1/2"
if you look at the side of the glass is about half the plastic strap which would make the glass 1/4"...since the silicone is black means the glass is even thinner which means 3/4mm
now if you look at this simple table:
View attachment 332470
it pretty much tells you the safety factor for different heights/lengths
a 1 means..you bump it you break it...glass will bend overtime and leak...
a 2 means it'll take a bump but be very careful...
a 3 it can take a few knocks on the glass...cat on top of it....
a 4 will take a a few bumps on the hallway from shopping on its way into the house
a 5 = safe...no guessing/thinking about if it will leak unless it was made poorly
anything higher becomes overkill for a home aquarium

Thank you so much for that chart you legend . It seems I might have to increase my budget then.. I had also considered making my own DIY tank. I've seen some others use a glass shelf from IKEA

 

[kiko]

have you tried gumtree?

£50 for the stand/tank and stuff
all I did was search for 'aquarium' under £50
might be worth a look specially if you're on a budget

 

[jaylach]

Building your own is, by far, the least expensive. A LONG time ago I built a few small tanks and it is pretty easy. If you do this just make sure that there are no air bubbles in the silicone. Even if the silicone says it will be fully set in 24 hours let it set at least a few days if not a week. LOL! And ALWAYS do a test fill with water in an area you don't mind getting wet.

 

[kiko]

just one suggestion on the silicone if you do decide to go with diy....either get black...clear/semiclear usually ends up turning whitish...
either get a black silicone or something like dap ultra-clear...since brands change from country to country
just make sure it doesn't have any mould resistant stuff in it...
go on amazon and search for silicone...the ones with 5 stars where people complain about the fumes being very strong in the reviews = good stuff xD

 

[MattW]

have you tried gumtree?
View attachment 332474
£50 for the stand/tank and stuff
all I did was search for 'aquarium' under £50
might be worth a look specially if you're on a budget

I use Gumtree regularly and have found multiple tanks however most were either too big for the space I would be putting it in or they included the fish as well. I only have 2 tanks set up right now a stocked 60L and a fluval flex 34L full of sawbwa fry so taking on more fish would be an issue. I did find a Tetra aqua art aquarium for £3 which looked perfect but upon closer inspection chipped glass and cuts in the silicon put me off it. Perhaps looking every few days on there might be a better idea, especially since it is the run-up to Christmas

 

[MattW]

Building your own is, by far, the least expensive. A LONG time ago I built a few small tanks and it is pretty easy. If you do this just make sure that there are no air bubbles in the silicone. Even if the silicone says it will be fully set in 24 hours let it set at least a few days if not a week. LOL! And ALWAYS do a test fill with water in an area you don't mind getting wet.

Thanks for the advice! There is a glass shop in my local village also. So I could have custom lengths and thicknesses ordered but probably at a higher cost

 

[jaylach]

Ahhh, the mention of Christmas... If you wait until after the holidays you may find some really good deals on used tanks due to people using the holidays as an excuse to upgrade their tank. If you have any local fish groups they would be a good place to check. Newspaper for sale ads are another good place. And don't forget Facebook. Off and on I think about getting a small 5 gallon tank to breed fresh water scuds as fish food. I posted on a Facebook aquarium group I joined and had offers for all kinds of tanks, some for free.

Oh, as to having a shop custom cut glass it can be pretty pricey as you would probably want safety glass. if not tempered. Doesn't hurt to check though.

 

[MattW]

Just been into town and measured up one of the tanks. 3mm thickness but with a plastic rim. I guess the tank is better with a plastic rim as it helps make the tank sturdier? but again 3mm.

As for the Hugo Simplicity 28 Litre Aquarium, I got a response from a supplier that said it was "around 4mm"