375 GALLON CUSTOM TANK

[LydiaGreen]

Alright, the more I read, the more I worry.

My husband found a local glass company to make my aquarium (outer measurements, 6x3x3). They'll have to assemble it in my basement since it would never make it through the basement door and down the stairs in one piece. Anyway, they are going to use 1/2" glass and I have been assured that they know what they are doing but, reading some of the other threads on here, I wonder. My husband wants to have a friend weld a metal frame for the top and the bottom to support the glass with the weight of all of that water. Would metal frames on the top and bottom and three metal braces (attached to the framing) across the top work for this kind of weight? I'd rather really overdo the enforcing and have a lot of room for error than underdo it and regret it later.

 

[mrgolfball]

I made my own out of 1/2 inch glass, 4'x2'x2' and no braceing, it has held water for over a month with no problems so far. and before I got the tank it was 6' long with no braces. braces are a good idea though.

 

[BillyZ]

some bracing around the top and bottom edges and across the top "never hurt" but with that large of a tank and the amount of water weight I would be sure your hubby's friend doesn't put a "lip" under the bottom of the tank. allow the floor of the tank to sit flat on something smooth, preferably a thin sheet of foam insulation or even heavy felt. This will absorb any minor bumps in the surface it sits on and allow the bottom glass of the tank to distrbute all that weight evenly, avliding any preassure points.