*removed*

Would have to agree here my tank is 12mm tempered with 5 holes and I can jump up and down in it without breaking. I can stand on a piece of curved 5mm at work and it will only bust after I bounce up and down a bit.:biggrin:

Tempered bottom is the way to go if you want holes in the bottom. Just drill them first. Remember Its edges are its weakest point, but its 7 times stronger than float glass.
Just my 2 cents.

Well that is a interesting idea to use a PVC base ... I do have a few thoughts that come to mind though ...

a closed loop is not a " necessity " especially coming up from the bottom like that ... so if a closed loop is something you want and the tank is 30" or less ( front to back ) then utilizing the sides or the back would be just as effective IMO ( I had a 330G for 6 years [96 X 24 X 33 ] with 2 closed loops on the back using eductors and it was very effective ) ... so the cost of a hybrid material build like that will likely be higher than a all glass tank ... is it worth it ?

The other thought is that closed loops themselves require pumps that draw alot of amps and until you have actually had the pleasure of paying those hydro bills on a regular basis you may want to consider another energy efficient source for circulation ( ie. the new powerheads that stick on the glass [ cant remember the name :biggrin: ] that use low amps but generate huge flow ) ... the advantage here is that they can be moved later on as your coral start to grow so that optimal circulation is achieved no matter how mature the tank ) ... when compareing the cost of a closed loop now versus the powerheads ( last time I looked they were a few bucks :wink: ) you need to include the extra cost of the tank if you go PVC + the pumps + extra hydro cost per month + ocean motion + plumbing etc etc

the latter comments are part of my thought process for my next tank build which will definately be this year ( 450G ) ... I may plumb the tank for a closed loop or 2 from the start ( in case later on more energy efficient pumps come along ) but likely will utilize the powerheads instead

which brings me to the tank builder

Bow Valley are not trustworthy ... you can do a search here or on RC and you will get LOTS of hits on the subject ... if it looks like a rat, smells like a rat ... then likely it IS a RAT ( you can do a search under my name here for my experience with Bow Valley as well )

IF you decide to go all glass ( my recommendation ... acrylic scratches too easy and not sure if you can get that PVC combo here in Calgary for a practical price ) then the tank builder I would recommend locally would be Golds ... Albert and Dennis are very good to deal with ( opinions aside ) and they deliver what they promise for the price they promised - they built a tank for a friend of mine and it turned out exactly as specified :wink:

Hey!
 

Hi Steve,
Thanks so much for you post! I have been thinking about this quite a bit the last little while and yes, I am caving to the thought of having to use glass for the bottom. I really like the idea of PVC but am just not sure of the implications at this point to go ahead with it…not thinking with my heart here, just my brain. I have had to put the tank build on hold for the moment, :cry: hopefully only a month or two but Denise at Golds has assured me that he will be able to help me and since they have always been the most knowledgeable and helpful, I think I will give them my business for this as well. I am hoping to post up my design in a month or so to get some feedback!

Cheers,
Theresa