High Tide Aquatics

New project advice needed

James Oh said:
Oh well I do that lol. The polarized glasses I have are sun glasses is this an issue? Or do they have to be clear glasses i.e. Movie theater type glasses.
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Well, the have to be polarized sunglasses, not just dark glasses, cost more.
I see spots on my side/rear windows with mine.
(Front window is different)
 
James Oh said:
From what I remember watching I can put on the glasses and put my phone with a white background on the other side. If I see white streaks it means its tempered. Is this right?
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I believe it's even easier than that, cell phone lights is polarized, so you should be able to rotate the phone such that it gets super dark, and keeping that same angle between phone and glasses if you put tempered glass between it changes the polarization so it no longer is as dark. Granted this was with old cell phones with LCD screens, I'm not sure if the newer AMOLED screens behave differently. But as Mark said, easy way to check is to use your car windows (not the front windshield though, that's not tempered)
 
sfsuphysics said:
I believe it's even easier than that, cell phone lights is polarized, so you should be able to rotate the phone such that it gets super dark, and keeping that same angle between phone and glasses if you put tempered glass between it changes the polarization so it no longer is as dark. Granted this was with old cell phones with LCD screens, I'm not sure if the newer AMOLED screens behave differently. But as Mark said, easy way to check is to use your car windows (not the front windshield though, that's not tempered)
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AMOLED is polarized also. Maybe not to the same extent though.
Totally different reason. It is used to eliminate internal reflections, not as part of the display itself.
 
rygh said:
AMOLED is polarized also. Maybe not to the same extent though.
Totally different reason. It is used to eliminate internal reflections, not as part of the display itself.
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Right, in photography there are circular polarizing filters to help reduce reflections.
 
sfsuphysics said:
Find yourself a pair of polarized glasses, and google how to test for tempered glass. While they don't specifically say tempered, and normally shouldn't be tempered after talking with the manufacturer it seems that it can be tempered if that was the only glass that was available at the time due to shortages.
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I don’t know if I believe their reason for using tempered glass. First, tempered glass isn’t able to be cut so they would have to buy the tempered glass in the exact size that they’d be using it. Second, the tempering process adds another 25-33% to the price of the glass. At that rate I don’t think it would make economic sense since they sell the tanks at the same price.
 
On the subject of glass! I have most of what I need on order, so it is about time I start "building" the sump. The sump is a 20g L and I planned to divide it into 4 sections. Skimmer, refugium, bubble trap, and return section. I got the dimensions of the glass I want ( 8" x 11.75", 2 7" x 11.75", and 6.5" x 11.75")(.25" thick), so a couple questions:
1. Is a quarter inch thick glass gonna be okay?
2. Do the baffles need to be tempered?
3. Cut my own glass? or purchase from local glass shop? (Has anyone used any local glass shops in SF?)
 
James Oh said:
On the subject of glass! I have most of what I need on order, so it is about time I start "building" the sump. The sump is a 20g L and I planned to divide it into 4 sections. Skimmer, refugium, bubble trap, and return section. I got the dimensions of the glass I want ( 8" x 11.75", 2 7" x 11.75", and 6.5" x 11.75")(.25" thick), so a couple questions:
1. Is a quarter inch thick glass gonna be okay?
2. Do the baffles need to be tempered?
3. Cut my own glass? or purchase from local glass shop? (Has anyone used any local glass shops in SF?)
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1. 1/4" is fine
2. Baffles don't need to be tempered
3. If you don't mind a little elbow grease, just buy another 20L and cut baffles from that since they're only $20. That's what I did with my 40G sump - just bought another 40G and cut from there. Just requires a little bit of work to breakdown a tank to its glass panes. Or go to your local Tap Plastics and grab 1/4" acrylic from the scrap section ($1 per piece). If you don't want to cut yourself, they'll cut it for you at a $1 per cut.
 
RandyC said:
1. 1/4" is fine
2. Baffles don't need to be tempered
3. If you don't mind a little elbow grease, just buy another 20L and cut baffles from that since they're only $20. That's what I did with my 40G sump - just bought another 40G and cut from there. Just requires a little bit of work to breakdown a tank to its glass panes. Or go to your local Tap Plastics and grab 1/4" acrylic from the scrap section ($1 per piece). If you don't want to cut yourself, they'll cut it for you at a $1 per cut.
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Thanks for the reply! I never thought about buying another 20L and just deconstructing it lol that is a pretty great idea.
 
RandyC said:
1. 1/4" is fine
2. Baffles don't need to be tempered
3. If you don't mind a little elbow grease, just buy another 20L and cut baffles from that since they're only $20. That's what I did with my 40G sump - just bought another 40G and cut from there. Just requires a little bit of work to breakdown a tank to its glass panes. Or go to your local Tap Plastics and grab 1/4" acrylic from the scrap section ($1 per piece). If you don't want to cut yourself, they'll cut it for you at a $1 per cut.
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What a great idea. It will be much cheaper that way then to buy the glass from a glass company.
 
Yeah I bet their glass is on sale too, just check your local store and see if there still stuff in stock, my OSH is still half stocked.


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ashburn2k said:
Yeah I bet their glass is on sale too, just check your local store and see if there still stuff in stock, my OSH is still half stocked.
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Yah there seems to be one right by where I work(SFO). Will have to check it out after work.

Dang.. finally got a hold of some one and they said they don't cut glass any more =\ oh well. I've always been the adventure type I shall cut it myself!
 
OSH is owned by Lowes though, so wouldn't surprise me if they simply moved stuff from one warehouse to another.

And just buy a glass cutter, it's a little more difficult for thicker glass, but is actually doable, just wear gloves or live with the red mess you end up making :D
 
Hmm as I was looking at lowes and home depot, 3/32 or 1/8 thickness is the only sheet of glass I could find that they sell. They don't seem to sell 1/4 " unless I some how missed them... Did some research and a lot of people are claiming that the glass eventually bows or is pretty fragile where they have accidently bumped them and they shattered... Has anyone else had this type of issue using the thinner glasses? Do I just shell out the extra $$ for 1/4" from a glass shop? Or should I just buy a premade sump... ? Shelling out 250+ for a premade sump seems kind of hefty though, granted it has everything necessary built in.
 
James Oh said:
Hmm as I was looking at lowes and home depot, 3/32 or 1/8 thickness is the only sheet of glass I could find that they sell. They don't seem to sell 1/4 " unless I some how missed them... Did some research and a lot of people are claiming that the glass eventually bows or is pretty fragile where they have accidently bumped them and they shattered... Has anyone else had this type of issue using the thinner glasses? Do I just shell out the extra $$ for 1/4" from a glass shop? Or should I just buy a premade sump... ? Shelling out 250+ for a premade sump seems kind of hefty though, granted it has everything necessary built in.
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I have to admit that I'm always confused as to why anyone would make their own sump at this point instead of grabbing one of dozens of used ones available in the area at any one time. Between members here selling, trading or giving hem away to the ones often available on CL or one of the Facebook groups it's much easier to find a good used one.
 
Bruce Spiegelman said:
I have to admit that I'm always confused as to why anyone would make their own sump at this point instead of grabbing one of dozens of used ones available in the area at any one time. Between members here selling, trading or giving hem away to the ones often available on CL or one of the Facebook groups it's much easier to find a good used one.
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Yah I think i'll start looking into buying a used one. Seems like they go fast will have to be on the look out. Also I suppose the pros do make sumps way better than I could possibly build one haha.
 
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