Is it safe?

[nim75sg]

Need some advice from experienced Marine Aquarists whether it is safe to setup a 4'x1.5'x1.5' tank 6mm sides with 10mm base?

Reason being salt water is heavy and I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night with water all over the floor.

Just want to have some comfort zone.

[KaLiB]

I think 8mm side and 10mm base would be the minimum i would go but still i find the side glass a little thin. 10mm all round would definitely be safer, much safer IMO.

I don't think 6mm side is very safe.

[sUpErDeLtA]

u dun wan ur room to be a underwater world overnight.. get a thicker tank

[nim75sg]

Thanks for the advice ....

[devilfire]

IMO, it shd NOT b a problem. of cos if u 1 2 b on the safe side go 4 a thicker side.
if u using such a tk, juz b very careful when shifting live rocks. a hit at the right place will even break a 8 mm glass, which is wat happened 2 my fren.
if u r worry abt the weight, u shd watch out 4 the edges instead as pressure is the greatest there.

[nim75sg]

Tks for the tips .... Can't go for a thicker glass as my OC forbids me to get another tank as I just took delivery of a 6ft two weeks ago. So no choice but to use existing 4ft tank to please her and the kids.

As for the edges, will reinforce the four corner edges with another layer of silicone to be on the safe side. :)

[shoakoua]

well, I still feel safer with thicker glass. I am using 10mm.

But what worries me is whether the silicone is strong enough to hold the sides of the tank.

I seemed to observe those thinner spead of silicone are "eaten" up by the saltwater. How ah? Will it "eat" up all my silicone at the sides eventually and my tank gives way?

*a worried sotong*

[KaLiB]

What you mean by eating through?

nim75sg: If you really want to use the tank, here's a suggestion, have less water in the maintank, that way there will be less load on the tank.

[shoakoua]

mm...i mean the silicone layer seemed to get thinner...not sure whether saltwater will actually cause silicone layer to be "dissovled"???

[sALmoN@home]

sillicone is supposed to be chemicall inert. even to the corrosiveness of saltwater, thats precisely the reason it is used to stick the pieces of glass together to make your tank. i doubt saltwater would dissolve it away. are you imagining things.? or maybe there's something wrong with your sillicone.

[shoakoua]

cool thanks for the assurance...hope i m juz imagining things...hehehe

[nim75sg]

Thanks everyone for all these valuable comments and felt alot more at ease that it is doable with my present tank requirements.

Will use the wacker silicone sealant (www.wacker.com) for all the edges for safety reasons just in case .. touch wood.

Once again, thanks alot to everyone for their comments, suggestions, etc.