How thick should aquarium glass be?
Aquarium glass thickness depends mostly on water height, then panel span, bracing, and the safety factor you want. The calculator rounds up to common sheet sizes so the estimate is practical for material planning.
Aquarium Glass Thickness Calculator
An aquarium glass thickness calculator estimates the glass or acrylic panel size for a tank from water height, panel span, bracing style, material choice, and planning safety factor. Use it for early DIY planning before confirming the build.
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Tank Dimensions
Use the water height, not the outside tank height.
Build Assumptions
Bracing and safety factor change how much bowing margin the estimate uses.
3.8 is a common conservative planning target. Higher values round up sooner.
Result
10 mm front panel
About 74.8 gallons at 0.72 psi bottom pressure.
Front and back panels
10 mm
0.394 in sheet
Raw estimate: 10 mm, rounded up.
Side panels
10 mm
0.394 in sheet
Raw estimate: 9.5 mm, rounded up.
Bottom panel
10 mm
0.394 in sheet
Raw estimate: 10 mm, rounded up.
Planning notes
- This is a planning estimate, not an engineering certification. Confirm large, rimless, drilled, or custom tanks with a qualified builder.
Printable reef keeping worksheets
Keep a clean backup log for test day.
The Printable Reef Logbook gives you water testing, dosing, maintenance, and livestock worksheets you can print or save as a PDF.
Aquarium Glass Thickness FAQ
Should I enter tank height or water height?
Use the expected water height. A tank that is 24 inches tall but normally filled to 22 inches should use 22 inches, because water pressure comes from the height of the water column.
Why does rimless glass come out thicker?
Rimless tanks do not have a top frame resisting panel bowing. The calculator applies extra margin so rimless estimates round up sooner than rimmed or eurobraced tanks.
Can I use the same thickness for acrylic?
No. Acrylic panels flex more than glass and are sold in different sheet sizes. Select acrylic in the calculator so the estimate rounds to common acrylic sheet thicknesses.