Calculator Methodology & Formulas

We rely on strict mathematical and physical documentation for every tool on the site.

Volume & Weight

Exact geometric volume formulas are used, taking displacement factors into account (we estimate ~10–15% subtraction for hardscape and substrate). Water mass is calculated at exactly 1 kg/L and 8.34 lbs/gal, in addition to bare glass weight models.

Substrate Bed

Volume is integrated across front-to-back slopes using the formula: Vol = Length × Width × (Front + Back) / 2, alongside specific substrate density tables.

Thermal Sizing

We compute ΔT requirements based on ambient vs target temperatures, surface area heat dissipation rules, and dual-unit redundancy failure-mode logic.

Filter Turnover

Biological demand vs. turnover rate coefficients are evaluated by bioload profile.

Glass Thickness

We utilize Warren's formula for hydrostatic deflection and tensile stress limits under safety factors ranging from 3.8 to 4.0.