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custom tank build (1 Viewer)

salmonizer

salmonizer

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Mar 13, 2011
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Prior Lake
hey guys, right now in the works of building a 40 breeder but just thought to ask my gf's father if he could build me a custom tank. i had forgotten that his company were the ones who designed the tanks in rainforest cafe' in the mall of america so bingo bango why not ask him. it would be a 48"x24"x16" an 80 gallon shallow reef. i have to buy a light skimmer sump ( maybe not if i used the 40 breeder for that ) so if the price is right might as well get my dream tank. but anyway my question is simple, he is asking what thickness i want my tank to be, he suggusted .375" being that its acrylic is that the right thickness ( safest? ) i dont want to have it to thick and be super heavy but i dont want to "toe the line" on the minimal thickness either. thoughts... inputs... thanks :banana:
 
can you build a tank out of polycarbonate? i think its an oil base product? but i think acrylic is too? my girlfriends father can weld polycarbonate rather than glueing acrylic. any inputs?
 
Thats the thickness suggested by the tank calculator. As long as its braced, it'll be fine. If not braced, it will bow. But since its your dream tank, try bypassing the bracing by doubling that thickness.

I built a 36x8x8 rimless and it bows pretty bad with .22.
 
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i have done some reading on other forums and others are saying polycarbonate is reef safe and otheres are not. som esay that this will warp with saltwater and heat, does anyone know of a good factual resource that could confirm a yes or no?
 
if you go rimless 3/8" glass is fine, acrylic...I would do 1/2" minimum w/bracing and even then it may still bow in the future.
 
So, he cannot glue acrylic? I am wondering what your preference is to have a welded bond vs. a glued bond?

Go thicker either way. A "dream" tank would not have any bracing IMHO, and you also won't want bowing. Therefore, double thickness should help. It would still be lighter than a glass tank I'd bet.

Even still, I echo DG, I would strongly consider going with a non-custom glass tank (but I am heavily skewed against acrylic, I don't like how easy it scratches and it's tendancy to bow).
 
no he can glue it no problem just a glued tank is not as strong as a welded tank. so if i can use a differnt type of plastic so that i can weld it id be much happier and i agree with the non brace as well. as far as the acrylic scratching i hate that fact as well but the plus side to me asking about the polycarbonate is that it does not scratch as easy.

curlyq said:
So, he cannot glue acrylic? I am wondering what your preference is to have a welded bond vs. a glued bond?

Go thicker either way. A "dream" tank would not have any bracing IMHO, and you also won't want bowing. Therefore, double thickness should help. It would still be lighter than a glass tank I'd bet.

Even still, I echo DG, I would strongly consider going with a non-custom glass tank (but I am heavily skewed against acrylic, I don't like how easy it scratches and it's tendancy to bow).
Click to expand...
 
Here are some data I found comparing/contrasting acrylic and polycarbonate:

Key characteristics, Acrylic compared to Polycarbonate:

•More likely to chip, less impact resistance then Polycarbonate. (still 10-24 times more resistant than float glass)
•Less likely to scratch.
•Does NOT yellow after time.
•Better clarity. Acrylic can be restored to optical clarity by polishing.

Key characteristics, Polycarbonate compared to Acrylic:

•Impact/chip resistance is much higher with Polycarbonate. (about 30 times more resistant than glass)
•More likely to scratch.
•Substantially more expensive. (roughly 2 to 3 times)
•Used for more industry applications
•Bulletproof when thick enough.
•More bendable under normal temperatures (0-20°C)
•Yellows over time due to ultraviolet rays
•Easier to work with (cut, less likely to break)
•Poorer clarity, diffuses light, can lighten (could be positive).
http://www.hydrosight.com/technology/polycarbonate_vs_acrylic.php

This tells me that if you are lookinf for scratch resistance, you are better off going with polycarbonate than acrylic. Polycarbonate is also more bendable, meaning it will bow more for an acrylic. It will also yellow over time with UV light.

Based completely on the data presented above, I absolutely would not go with polycarbonate for an aquarium. Based on cost, polycarbonate is more expensive than acrylic, so factor that in. Furthermore, with a tank of this size, the glue/weld joint bond strength is absolutely not the limiting factor. On a giant tank as he has done before, I could understand the logic, but this tank is quite small in comparison. A much more limiting factor IMO is the amount of bowing the tank would see, and how that bow may affect the structural integrity of the glue/weld joint.

So, IF you are dead-set on a custom tank, go with acrylic. It's performance will exceed polycarbonate (all other things equal). I still suggest getting a glass tank.
 
Another website listing performance characteristics: (not the most scientific, but the data looks clean)
http://highlinepc.blogspot.com/2009/12/acrylic-sheet-and-polycarbonate-sheet.html
"5.Scratch and Abrasion Resistance

Acrylic is more resistance to scratches and damage by abrasion than Polycarbonate. This is one of the well-known weaknesses of Polycarbonate. To overcome this problem there are a number of solutions including applying an abrasion or scratch resistant coating. The previous blog post on scratch and abrasion resistance discusses this subject in more detail. Adding a coating to Polycarbonate will also increase the cost of the material.
Acrylic has significant advantages over Polycarbonate in terms of weathering and scratch resistance. It is possible to improve both the weathering and scratch resistance of Polycarbonate by a number of methods, but these do add cost."
 
On RC in the DIY section, there is a thread on acrylics... good thread, post your question there... a guy with screen name acrylics is most likely to respond
 
good info :biggthumpup: not dead set on anything i know i sound like i am all over the place in my tank build decision and i am sorry. people are coming at me with different ideas and different options so since i would be buying everything from scratch unless i find a good set up then i am not leaving any possibilities out. i guess ill just keep everything to myself untill i make a definate decision i dont want to tick people off. thanks for all the info. ray and i have been in contact about the 60 gal glass just wish it was an 80 gallon though :(


curlyq said:
Here are some data I found comparing/contrasting acrylic and polycarbonate:

Key characteristics, Acrylic compared to Polycarbonate:

•More likely to chip, less impact resistance then Polycarbonate. (still 10-24 times more resistant than float glass)
•Less likely to scratch.
•Does NOT yellow after time.
•Better clarity. Acrylic can be restored to optical clarity by polishing.

Key characteristics, Polycarbonate compared to Acrylic:

•Impact/chip resistance is much higher with Polycarbonate. (about 30 times more resistant than glass)
•More likely to scratch.
•Substantially more expensive. (roughly 2 to 3 times)
•Used for more industry applications
•Bulletproof when thick enough.
•More bendable under normal temperatures (0-20°C)
•Yellows over time due to ultraviolet rays
•Easier to work with (cut, less likely to break)
•Poorer clarity, diffuses light, can lighten (could be positive).
http://www.hydrosight.com/technology/polycarbonate_vs_acrylic.php

This tells me that if you are lookinf for scratch resistance, you are better off going with polycarbonate than acrylic. Polycarbonate is also more bendable, meaning it will bow more for an acrylic. It will also yellow over time with UV light.

Based completely on the data presented above, I absolutely would not go with polycarbonate for an aquarium. Based on cost, polycarbonate is more expensive than acrylic, so factor that in. Furthermore, with a tank of this size, the glue/weld joint bond strength is absolutely not the limiting factor. On a giant tank as he has done before, I could understand the logic, but this tank is quite small in comparison. A much more limiting factor IMO is the amount of bowing the tank would see, and how that bow may affect the structural integrity of the glue/weld joint.

So, IF you are dead-set on a custom tank, go with acrylic. It's performance will exceed polycarbonate (all other things equal). I still suggest getting a glass tank.
Click to expand...
 
ArstenA said:
I tried gluing a poly carb tank and the joints were worthless. Maybe that its why he welds them?
Click to expand...

not really sure. he works for seeley plastics so im guessing he or someone there knows how to do the fab work but not any definate info on weather or not its marine safe
 
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