"MEAlston" wrote in message
...
Is it feasible to order a large tank online and expect a minimal shipping
charge? I would like to own a 120g but I'm afraid I'd have to order
it...or
would constructing my own be the better way to go?....Tempered glass is
pricey today, isn't it? -ED


No, the shipping expense is considerable. Stores spread their shipping
costs over pallets of aquariums on a truck which is already booked, company
employee driven, and only going to few pet shops on a set run. Having a
truck contracted for a single aquarium is more expensive. You might also
need a crate made (store deliveries are typically multiple tanks
shrink-wrapped on pallets).

There may be some savings in not paying a store mark-up, but unless it's a
system, there is very little mark-up on a glass box.

Making your own 120g is much more expensive. This glass gauge (11, 12mm) is
not typically carried, so special order of such heavy glass can be
expensive. A single 60" x 24" pane of 12mm was quoted as $400 (for a 120g),
and I could buy the entire tank, at retail costs for $398. Then there is
the jigs associated with lowering the panes into place, holding the rest of
the tank, maintaining a silicone gap while curing, etc etc. Think hydraulic
jacks and special jigging. The 1st tank you make is a pain. The next ones
get much easier.

Tanks typically do not require tempered glass, and once tempered, are very
difficult (impossible?) to drill.

If making your own, think about a 400-500g plywood tank. That's where the
cost savings are.
--
www.NetMax.tk