To set custom tank L / W / H for gallons, do you add substrate volume to gallons?

[LHotelUmbraQua]

I’m curious how people set the dimensions of a custom tank to get to their desired gallons.

If I knew I wanted a minimum of, say, 5 gallons, or 1,155 cubic in. a perfect cube of 10.5" L and W and H, and intended to add 2" of substrate and leave 1.5" of space from water level to brim, I would make the interior height 14".

As the dimensions would be for the interior (where I keep my water), I’d add glass thickness to determine total dimensions.

So 0.25" in glass would make the exterior height 14.25", and exterior L and W 11.5". (Just examples.)

How do others go about it?

Thank.

 

[Aiken Drum]

Tank volume is the amount of water it will hold when empty of anything else. The amount of water it will actually hold will depend on how much substrate you add, volume of any decorations etc. A 5g tank might only have 4g of water in it when these are taken account. Maybe even less if you have a lot of substrate and fill it with rocks.

 

[LHotelUmbraQua]

Tank volume is the amount of water it will hold when empty of anything else. The amount of water it will actually hold will depend on how much substrate you add, volume of any decorations etc. A 5g tank might only have 4g of water in it when these are taken account. Maybe even less if you have a lot of substrate and fill it with rocks.

Yes, I have been thinking about that as I plan a custom tank order.

I like math, and Excel, so I'm creating some EZ-fill worksheets to share. An explanatory thread is coming for the attached picture of one of the EZ-sheets.