72x30x18 DIY build thread

Nate Chalk · Apr 1, 2024

Stang67 said:
I wouldn't pick too deep.

I AM PERFECT!

Nate Chalk · Apr 1, 2024

saltnewbie101 said:
Maybe this was somewhere else in the post, I'm curious. Is this a rimless glass tank? 72"LX30"WX18"T?

Where did you add bracing? Was alot of bracing needed? How is the tank doing today? Any leaks since the build?

Sorry for the questions, I'm thinking of doing something similar and you seem to be the perfect person who's brain to pick about this.

Thank you for stopping in!

No leaks.

It's glass rimless 1/2 inch glass, siliconed together.

saltnewbie101 · Apr 1, 2024

Nate Chalk said:
Thank you for stopping in!

No leaks.

It's glass rimless 1/2 inch glass, siliconed together.

Did you brace it anywhere?

Nate Chalk · Apr 1, 2024

saltnewbie101 said:
Did you brace it anywhere?

What do you mean by brace?

tbrown · Apr 1, 2024

Nate Chalk said:
What do you mean by brace?

Did you run bracing across the middle or the edges.

Nate Chalk · Apr 1, 2024

tbrown said:
Did you run bracing across the middle or the edges.

Negative ghost rider. No bracing it's 5 pieces of 1/2 inch glass.

There's an online calculator somewhere I used. It calculated a safety rating based on water depth and glass thickness using regular silicone.

Most tank manufacturers go to a certain value... Don't remember. But I tripled that because of my first time user error in running a clean beaded seam.

Nate Chalk · Apr 1, 2024

Refer to this post for final look

Post in thread '72x30x18 DIY build thread' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/72x30x18-diy-build-thread.772638/post-8206160

saltnewbie101 · Apr 1, 2024

It's an awesome tank. We're building a 200G acrylic right now and intend on building a 150' or 175' to replace our 120'reef tank as soon as I finish this 200G.

Trying to get any advice I can on glass.

There's alot of elbow grease that goes into an acrylic tank an looking at glass it seams so much faster and cleaner. No sanding to get seamless edges, so glue mess.. acrylic is alot of elbow grease, I think I'm going to get tendinitis if I keep this up..lol!!

Nate Chalk · Apr 2, 2024

saltnewbie101 said:
It's an awesome tank. We're building a 200G acrylic right now and intend on building a 150' or 175' to replace our 120'reef tank as soon as I finish this 200G.

Trying to get any advice I can on glass.

There's alot of elbow grease that goes into an acrylic tank an looking at glass it seams so much faster and cleaner. No sanding to get seamless edges, so glue mess.. acrylic is alot of elbow grease, I think I'm going to get tendinitis if I keep this up..lol!!

Awesome! I built my sump out of acrylic. And went almost braceless but it was bowing. So I had to add braces afterwards.

The glass is much stronger in that aspect.

What questions do you have advice wise on glass? Happy to help.

saltnewbie101 · Apr 2, 2024

Nate Chalk said:
Awesome! I built my sump out of acrylic. And went almost braceless but it was bowing. So I had to add braces afterwards.

The glass is much stronger in that aspect.

What questions do you have advice wise on glass? Happy to help.

Dude first off thank you for being willing to help!!

Second, none yet but in about a week or two I will have questions. And when that time comes I'm coming to you!! I gotta get the glass first and find that glass worksheet you referred to in one of your posts.

Nate Chalk · Apr 2, 2024

saltnewbie101 said:
Dude first off thank you for being willing to help!!

Second, none yet but in about a week or two I will have questions. And when that time comes I'm coming to you!! I gotta get the glass first and find that glass worksheet you referred to in one of your posts.

Aquarium safety factor calculator or something. Found it . Someone much smarter than I made a Google sheet for it.