AQUARIUM SPECIFICATIONS

Aquarium Tanks

Aquarium Tank Fabrication

Aquarium Tank Styles

Aquarium Quality

Material Physical Properties

Specifications

Specifications

All materials supplied by ADVANCED ACRYLIC DISPLAY & SUPPLY, INC., are of the highest quality available. However the need for uniform, consistent measures to determine the degree of that quality are apparent. The goal of these specifications is to add clarity to those areas which are subjective, ambiguous, and/or not defined elsewhere.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

  • All acrylic aquariums produced by ADVANCED ACRYLIC DISPLAY & SUPPLY, INC., are fabricated from panels of commercial grade polymethyl methacrylate, hereafter referred to as acrylic. These panels may be produced by either the cell cast or slurry cast/autoclave methods.

  • All acrylic aquarium tanks are engineered and fabricated by ADVANCED ACRYLIC DISPLAY & SUPPLY, INC., to withstand the designed water loads without failure of the aquarium to perform it’s function.

  • All acrylic panels utilized for the fabrication of these aquarium tanks by ADVANCED ACRYLIC DISPLAY & SUPPLY, INC., shall meet, or exceed, all of the minimum physical values detailed in the appropriate ANSI/ASTM specification.

DESIGN CRITERIA:

  • Acrylic panels utilized for fabrication of aquarium tanks by ADVANCED ACRYLIC DISPLAY & SUPPLY, INC., shall be engineered to ensure a minimum safety factor of 12, based on the following:

  • Minimum tensile strength of 9,600 psi.

  • Maximum allowable long term stress of 1,000 psi.

Aquarium tank bond joints, top, bottom, and corners, shall have a minimum safety factor of 12 based on the following:

  • Minimum tensile strength of 6,400 psi in the bond joint itself.

  • Maximum allowable long term stress of 700 psi.

Aquarium tank wall panels shall have a maximum initial deflection based on the following:

  • Standard Grade Tank  -  1/200 of  the tanks longest span.

  • Exhibit Grade Tank  -  1/300 of  the  tanks  longest  span.

  • Museum Grade Tank  -  1/400 of  the  tanks longest span.

OPTICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Aquarium tank walls shall be virtually free of inclusions, haze, or distortions which significantly diminish the viewing quality of the aquarium.

  • Haze may be some form of contamination trapped within the panel, or polymer particulate resulting from incomplete polymerization. Either condition, if visible from a distance of more than 48” from, and perpendicular to the panel face is unacceptable and is cause for rejection of the aquarium tank.

  • Distortions are surface irregularities in the form of bumps, dimples, ridges, or waviness. A performance inspection utilizing a grid board and lights will be conducted to determine tank acceptability. The procedure for this inspection is detailed in ADVANCED ACRYLIC DISPLAY & SUPPLY, INC., “Optical performance inspection” procedures.

  • Inclusions may be a piece of dirt, a stone, a grain of sand, a bubble or any foreign material trapped within the panel itself. The maximum number of inclusions allowed is limited to one inclusion for each square foot of viewing area, with no more than three inclusions in any two adjacent one square foot areas.

Tank wall inclusion criteria:

  • Standard Grade Tanks.

  1. The total number of inclusions allowable is limited to the tank surface area in square inches divided by 500.

  2. Inclusions whose diameter, or length, is less than .188” and do not exceed .375” in two dimensions are not considered.

  3. Inclusions whose diameter, or length, is greater than .188” and that exceed .375” in two dimensions shall be considered.

  4. Inclusions that penetrate the panel surface, or any whose diameter is greater than .375” and that exceed .75” in two dimensions are considered unacceptable and are cause for rejection of the aquarium tank.

  5. Oversized inclusions may be removed and the panel repaired providing that all material physical property requirements, and optical performance requirements are met after completion of the repair(s).

  • Exhibit Grade Tanks.

  1. The total number of inclusions allowable is limited to the tank surface area in square inches divided by 1500.

  2. Inclusions whose diameter, or length, is less than .125” and do not exceed .250” in two dimensions are not considered.

  3. Inclusions whose diameter, or length, is greater than .250” and that exceed .250” in two dimensions shall be considered.

  4. Inclusions that penetrate the panel surface, or any whose diameter is greater than .250” and that exceed .500” in two dimensions are considered unacceptable and are cause for rejection of the aquarium tank.

  5. Oversized inclusions may be removed and the panel repaired providing that all material physical property requirements, and optical performance requirements are met after completion of the repair(s).

  • Museum Grade Tanks.

  1. The total number of inclusions allowable is limited to the tank surface area in square inches divided by 4500.

  2. Inclusions whose diameter, or length, is less than .063” and do not exceed .125” in two dimensions are not considered.

  3. Inclusions whose diameter, or length, is greater than .063” and that exceed .125” in two dimensions shall be considered.

  4. Inclusions that penetrate the panel surface, or any whose diameter is greater than .125” and that exceed .250” in two dimensions are considered unacceptable and are cause for rejection of the aquarium tank.

  5. Panel repairs are not allowed.

DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Aquarium tanks shall meet these  dimensional  tolerances  when  measured at an ambient temperature of between 700 and 750 (f).

  1. Aquarium tank wall thickness as measure in any location, shall be within +/- 10% of the calculated minimum wall thickness.

  2. Aquarium tank overall, outside dimensions, shall be within +/- 0.5% of the specified dimension.

  3. Total tank warp and twist, three corners relative to the fourth, when measured unrestrained on a flat supporting surface shall be square and/or perpendicular to, within 0.5% of the specified dimension.

  • Additional requirements for aquarium tanks with panel contours, or profiles other than flat.

  1. Arc and cord lengths of curved or angled tank components, either thermal formed or bonded assemblies, shall be within +/- .500” of the specified nominal dimension.

  2. Aquarium tank wall curvature will be within +/- .250” of the specified arc, in both curve and radius.

  3. Cylindrical acrylic tanks shall be round within 1/125 of the cylinders overall diameter.

  4. Fabricated angles for thermal formed or bonded assemblies shall be within +/-20  of the specified angle.

  5. Bond Joint Requirements.

  • Standard grade bond joint. Structural joint for fabrication of Standard Grade aquarium tanks, and for bonding tank bottoms and top splash guard/returns to the tank body.

  1. Bond joint must be structurally sound, with a minimum safety factor of 12 based on a minimum tensile strength of 6400 psi.

  2. Bond joint must be water tight.

  3. Bond joint will be free of voids on the exterior surface.

  4. Bond joint will be free of any rough, or sharp protrusions, on the interior surface.

  5. Inclusions, bubbles, discoloration, and/or distortion in the bond joint or adjacent areas not visible after installation, or covered by facade, are not considered.

Bond joint inclusion criteria:

The total number of inclusions allowable is limited to the total visible vertical bond joint length, in inches, multiplied by 3.

  • Inclusions whose diameter, or length, is less than .188” and do not exceed .375” in two dimensions are not considered.

  • Inclusions whose diameter, or length, is greater than .188” and that exceed .375” in two dimensions shall be considered.

  • Inclusions diameter is greater than .375” and that exceed .750” in two dimensions are considered unacceptable and are cause for rejection of the aquarium tank.
     

  • Exhibit grade bond joint. Structural bond joint for the vertical seams of Exhibit Grade aquarium tanks.

  1. Bond joint must be structurally sound, with a minimum safety factor of 12 based on a minimum tensile strength of 6400 psi.

  2. Bond joint must be water tight.

  3. Bond joint will be free of voids on the interior and exterior surfaces.

  4. Bond joint interior and exterior surfaces, and adjacent areas will be free of adhesive runs and/or any rough, or sharp protrusions. The joint and adjacent area, will be clear, polished, and free of significant distortions.

  5. Inclusions, bubbles, discoloration, and/or distortion in the bond joint or adjacent areas not visible after installation, or covered by facade, are not considered.

  • Bond joint inclusion criteria:

  1. The total number of inclusions allowable is limited to the total visible vertical bond joint length, in inches, multiplied by 1.

  2. Inclusions whose diameter, or length, is less than .125” and do not exceed .250” in two dimensions are not considered.

  3. Inclusions whose diameter, or length, is greater than .125” and that exceed .250” in two dimensions shall be considered.

  4. Inclusions diameter is greater than .250” and that exceed .500” in two dimensions are considered unacceptable and are cause for rejection of the aquarium tank.

  • Museum grade bond joint.

  1. Bond joint must be structurally sound, with a minimum safety factor of 12 based on a minimum tensile strength of 6400 psi.

  2. Bond joint must be water tight.

  3. Bond joint will be free of voids on the interior and exterior surfaces.

  4. Bond joint interior and exterior surfaces, and adjacent areas will be free of adhesive runs and/or any rough, or sharp protrusions. The joint and adjacent area, will be clear, polished, and free of significant distortions.

  5. Inclusions, bubbles, discoloration, and/or distortion in the bond joint or adjacent areas not visible after installation, or covered by facade, are not considered.

  • Bond joint inclusion criteria:

  1. The total number of inclusions allowable is limited to 3.

  2. Inclusions whose diameter, or length, is less than .063” and do not exceed .125” in two dimensions are not considered.

  3. Inclusions whose diameter, or length, is greater than .063” and that exceed .125” in two dimensions shall be considered.

  4. Inclusions diameter is greater than .125” and that exceed .250” in two dimensions are considered unacceptable and are cause for rejection of the aquarium tank.

TANK ASSEMBLY:

  • Tank assembly methods vary with each of the three different tank grades. Materials for all tanks will meet or exceed the detailed in the design criteria, optical specifications, dimensional requirements, and bond joint requirements, as applicable to each tank grade.

  1. Standard Grade Tanks, will be assembled utilizing butt type joints and standard grade bonds for all bond joints. The tank top/splash guard may be a fabricated assembly.

  2. Exhibit Grade Tanks, will be assembled utilizing butt type joining. Standard grade bond joints will be used for the horizontal bond joints attaching the top and bottom panels to the tank body. Exhibit grade bonds will be used for all vertical (exposed) bond joints. The tank top/splash guard may be a fabricated assembly.

  3. Museum Grade Tanks, will be assembled utilizing butt type joining for attaching the top and bottom panels to the tank body. Standard grade bond joints will be used for the horizontal bond joints attaching the top and bottom to the tank body. All vertical joints will be mitered joints, with each panel cut at 450 to form a 900 corner, or one half the angle for angled faces. Museum grade bonds will be used for all vertical (exposed) bond joints. The tank top/splash guard will be fabricated from a monolithic acrylic sheet.

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