It'd be very likely that the front pane would be tempered if you skimped on thickness. Sure it'll maybe take a hammer to the face of the panel but watch that you or your kids don't tap the edge of that pane. POP!

I guess you don't believe in glass showers either or car and home windows? It takes a lot to cause thick tempered glass to shatter even by chipping the edge, it's not as easy as you might think. You can chip the edge of 10mm tempered glass it won't shatter, plus the chip won't spread to a crack as the crystal structure is realigned into a compression stress instead of tension. Plus if safety is a concern tempered it way safer. If you kid managed to blow out your tank at least a huge sharp piece of glass won't take his head off, with tempered worst case they get wet. Smart design doesn't mean cheap.

Yeah good point I guess shower doors sometimes are tempered. Not all of them of course I've seen them cut <-BVA joke.

I've heard from a glass guy that he's had big (thick) sheets of tempered just pop sitting in his truck overnight. I'm certainly not a glass expert only heard forces on the edges of a tempered panes are a risk.

I'm not that bothered about paying for it as I have done it with the tank I have now. Back then I never heard of it scratching more easily. I just want to make sure that as this is the tank I want to be my last for a long time I make the right choice. Thanks for the info so far. Im thinking I'm going to go for it again. :biggrin:

If the tank you have now is Starphire, and you've probably had others that weren't, what is your opinion?

I like the star fire and that's why I want to do it again. I had never heard of it scratching easier that's why I'm asking the question. I will have to come see your tank again sometime soon. :biggrin:

Hahaha yeah the old showers made into aquariums obviously aren't tempered but the rest are :wink:

Typically if the tempered glass shatters it would have likely cracked or chipped fairly badly if it was standard float. There are variations in quality when it comes to tempered but typically everyone on the city would get from one place so it shouldn't be an issue for us. I suspect something isn't 100% accurate with the glass guy, the amount of tempered glass in the industry far exceeds the amount of non tempered. If you look around shopping malls that's all you'll see and glass railings are typically held by the edge. If there was even a chance of the glass breaking from someone leaning on the railing the glass wouldn't be as popular as it is. Never heard of tempered glass just exploding for no reason, seen a few tank bases blow out which is why I wouldn't recommend tempered for the base however these are usually a result from using store bough mdf stands which sag over time which changes how the glass is supported, seen just as many standard float bases crack for the same reason.