making a shallow tank

[Mcluett]

So after surfing around RC pretty much everyday I have fallen in love with shallow lagoon style tanks, I however am not a big fan of the price tag of getting a tank custom made so I got to thinking. I have a 55g tank that measures 48"L x 12"W x 20"H, give or take. The glass is about 7mm thick, which I think is 1/4". What I am wondering is could I make a tank with the following dimensions with glass that thick. Here there are 48"L x 20"W x 12"H. So basically turning the tank on its side. Do you think this glass will be suitable for these dimensions?

Thanks for any help

[boboxx]

I think for the amount of work it will require to take the rim and sillicone off, just get new glass from the glass shop...

if you a want to go rimless, I would go with at lease with 9mm glass.

[Mcluett]

I have never tried to tank apart admittedly is really that big a pain? Where have people got glass from here in dartmouth just so I can get a quote and try to weigh my options?

[afss]

i don't know about thin glass but i cut apart a 300 with half inch walls and a half assed attemt at a brace and it was a lot of work. I used strands of wire from a piece of aircraft cable. Used a piece of wood on each side to wrap the wire around and then forced it through.

I think the 7 mm would be fine.. after all it is spaning the same dimension now in length and 8 inches taller.

[Mcluett]

I thought the thickness would be ok for that size, I was just worried the depth might change something or that I was overlooking something that was blattantly obvious.

[afss]

I can't see why it would. As far as i can understand it would be the width/span and the heigth that would be the factors contributing to the force on the glass... i don't think the depth front to back affects much aside from having to consider its length for the side panels. I am sure there are some nuances to it but i would think holding back a column of water 4 feet wide and 1 foot high and 1 foot in depth (front to back) would put very similar forces on the front pane as if there was 100 or a thousand feet (front to back)

[boboxx]

the problem is that youb wont have a plastic rim on it anymore.....

[afss]

true, but he would also be 8 inches shallower..... you could always put a narrow euro brace on it if you wanted to be sure.

[Mcluett]

I was thinking about a euro brace with the glass I would have left over but I would prefer it with out so I may have to call around and see how much the glass would be.