What Is the Perfect Fish Tank Glass Thickness?

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Water is heavy. One gallon (3.9 liters) of water weighs a whopping 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms). It’s, therefore, vital to ensure that the glass you use is strong enough to withstand this weight.
What Is the Best Glass for an Aquarium?
The best glass choice for an aquarium in the market is annealed glass (also known as ‘plate’ glass). Annealed glass is not easily shattered and can be repaired when it is broken, which makes it the perfect choice for a Fish Tank. Laminated glass, toughened glass, and polycarbonate plastic are also good options.
For a robust and durable fish tank, experts advise people to avoid tempered glass. Tempered glass doesn’t hold and is likely to be shattered entirely from a small crack. Therefore it doesn’t guarantee a safe home for your fish.
The quality of glass also depends on the manufacturer. The tensile strength varies from 19.3 to 28.4 megapascals depending on how the glass was produced. Because of this, a safety factor of 3.8 is used to measure the thickness of the glass.
According to Warren Stilwell, the safety factor accounts for the glass variability in the manufacturing process. He further notes that the joining compound used when building an aquarium should be at least 0.5 to 1 mm (0.02 to 0.039 in) thick to cover any irregularities on the glass edges.
Although this factor isn’t an absolute safety guarantee, it reduces the risk of glass failure brought about by damaged or poor-quality glass.

What Does aquarium glass Thickness Mean, and Does It Matter?
Generally, glass is brittle and cannot deform like other metals. It bends to a certain degree and then breaks. aquarium glass thickness refers to the thickness of the glass plate.
When building an aquarium, glass thickness is significant. This thickness determines if the glass will withstand the water pressure depending on the depth of the aquarium. In other words, can it keep the water from breaking and shattering the glass?
To build a successful aquarium, the glass thickness should withstand the water pressure inside the aquarium.
How Do I Measure the Fish Tank Glass Thickness?

If you already know your aquarium’s perimeter measurements (the length, the width, and the height), the next step is to find out the perfect glass thickness based on the safety factor.
Here are some ways and tools that you can use.

Online Calculator
You can find a standard thickness calculator online. All you need to do is input the aquarium measurements plus the safety factor, and it’ll calculate the thickness you need. If your aquarium measurements are exact, the calculator should give you the thickness required for the fish tank.
MIG Laser Gauge
MIG Laser Gauge is a high-efficiency tool used to measure glass thickness via laser. The laser reflects on the glass’s surface, and the radiation allows the thickness to show on the instrument’s gauge.
The instrument is available in hardware shops, and you can use it to measure the thickness of your glass. That makes it the perfect tool for you to check the glass thickness of your already existing aquarium glass.
Vernier Calipers
This is another good instrument you can use to measure the thickness of the glass you plan to use for your fish tank. You first need to set it to get a precise value and measure the aquarium wall thickness. Adjust the vernier calipers and note down the readings. After you get the readings, you’ll then need to adjust for any errors.
If used properly, this is a very efficient instrument. You only need to follow precautions to avoid breaking the glass. When measuring, ensure that you don’t press too hard on the glass and break it accidentally.

Glass Thickness Measurements Apps
There are a ton of downloadable glass measurements apps that you can use. But you only need to choose one with good reviews and use it to estimate your aquarium glass thickness. To use these apps, you need to have the correct perimeter measurements of the tank.
They might not be very accurate, but they are worth a try. Input the correct tank measurements together with the safety factor, and the app should be able to calculate the required thickness.
Calculate Manually
It’s possible to get your calculator to calculate the thickness required manually. You just need to know the fish tank measurements and safety factors, and you can use the formula illustrated in the next section to come up with an estimated thickness.
Unfortunately, this method is prone to errors. Even if you have the exact measurements, it’s not likely going to get the correct thickness.
Fish Tank Glass Thickness Chart
The chart below shows some general calculations or guides that can help you determine how thick aquarium glass should be. The top row shows the tank’s length, and the column on the left shows the tank’s height.
This chart shows some general calculations or guides that can help you determine how thick an aquarium glass should be. The top row shows the tank’s length, and the column on the left shows the tank’s height.
The glass thickness is shown in millimeters (mm), with the number in the parentheses indicating the safety factor. Always aim for a thickness that has a safety factor of 3.8 or greater.
Can You Maintain a Safety Factor With Thin Glass?
The truth is, it’s better safe than sorry. Hence, it’s always safer to use the recommended glass thickness for your aquarium size to avoid future accidents. But if you want to save a buck and go with thinner glass, here’s a tip on how you can increase your thin glass aquarium’s safety factor when using a thinner glass.

The trick is to split your tank and design it like it were two tanks. All you need to do is install a brace that splits the tank into two equal parts. For example, you can turn a 6-foot (1.83-meter) tank into two 3-foot (0.91-meter) tanks by supporting the from and back glass panels.

This ‘brace support’ adds to the glass’s safety and lowers the likelihood of damage and breakage. For example, from the chart above, a 9mm glass gives you a safety factor of 2.82. If you split the tanks and structurally turn them into two 3-foot tanks, the 9mm glass will have a safety factor of 4.01 for each tank. That automatically makes the tank stronger and safer.