small starphire tanks

[Boomboy]

your probably going to have to get one custom built, but i dont see the point because the glass is so thin, that it doesnt really make any difference, really matters on thicker glass though.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by Boomboy

your probably going to have to get one custom built, but i dont see the point because the glass is so thin, that it doesnt really make any difference, really matters on thicker glass though.

hmmm... Starphire glass is starphire glass, it increases clarity by the exact same amount no matter what the thickness. So how can it make a bigger difference with thicker glass?

I'm not aware of any suppliers keeping starphire tanks on hand so I would also recommend finding a reputable local builder to build one for you. If you can't find one I would be happy to build it for you but I would recommend trying to find a local builder first.

One note I'll make is that glass suppliers will use a minimum square footage charge so be sure to get the size you want, you'll likely pay the same for anything from 10-30 gallons or possibly bigger. Also polished edges will add a nice touch and showcase the glass nicely.

[Marlin65]

Originally Posted by sphelps

hmmm... Starphire glass is starphire glass, it increases clarity by the exact same amount no matter what the thickness. So how can it make a bigger difference with thicker glass?

The thicker the regular glass is the greener it gets 3mm is a lot clearer than 12mm. In my opinion it is not worth it to get Starphire unless it is 12mm or thicker. Glass that I buy is always priced out to the nearest even inch this allows for cutting. Not sure how other places price glass though. Also polish work adds a fair bit off cost, but yes it looks a lot better.
Also it's a good idea to have your holes drilled before you put it together it will be cheaper as they can do it from both sides that way.

[sphelps]

Originally Posted by Marlin65

Glass that I buy is always priced out to the nearest even inch this allows for cutting.

For starphire as well or just standard glass? The problem with starphire is most places don't stock it so a minimum charge is applied to make it worth while to bring in.

[Marlin65]

Probably depends on where you buy it from but yes the place I buy from Starphire as well. They usually have stock. The places that would buy from them would probably buy it cut to size already as I don't think they would bring in 10' x 20' sheets of it. Just another way for them to mark it up.

[mark]

Originally Posted by sphelps

hmmm... Starphire glass is starphire glass, it increases clarity by the exact same amount no matter what the thickness. So how can it make a bigger difference with thicker glass?

Think Boomboy's point was with smaller tank, since the glass is relatively thin, there wouldn't be much difference between Starfire and regular glass.

[Boomboy]

yes that was my point, because the tank is smaller you wont need thicker glass, and so i dont think its worth the cost of it, for something that doesnt make that big of a difference on smaller tanks.

[sphelps]

I know what you guys are getting at, basically you feel there's an acceptable level of clarity and until you go below that you don't feel it's worth spending extra money, don't get me wrong I get that. However to say it doesn't make as big of a difference is misleading. Staphire glass uses less iron and as a result is clearer by a certain percentage, lets say 25% for example (not sure on the exact amount). So regardless of thickness you're increasing your clarity by 25% and I think any size tank would benefit from that not just large ones. To me it's like saying only large trucks would benefit from better fuel efficiency.

In addition colors seen through Starphire will appear more true to life than colors seen through conventional. I built a few smaller tanks with starphire, I think it make a big difference and well worth the extra money. Also in my experience it's a lot less extra money for smaller tanks, even when you compare percentage wise but that may depend on the supplier.

[FitoPharmer]

lets just say they use starphire glass in reflectors for solar power plants for a reason. i was just wondering if it would be possible to build something like this http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...ighlight=nTOTM out of starfire glass, and could it be done safely with no braces around 15-25 gallons ish?s safely?

[Pan]

Originally Posted by FitoPharmer

lets just say they use starphire glass in reflectors for solar power plants for a reason. i was just wondering if it would be possible to build something like this http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...ighlight=nTOTM out of starfire glass, and could it be done safely with no braces around 15-25 gallons ish?s safely?

Yes, but it would be near double the price. Same price, if not a little more, than acrylic. I priced out tanks the other day. Unless you go say glasscages.com route or something. You just have to increase your thickness a bit, which for starphire is a bigger jump than it would be for regular glass.