Need Suggestion for a tank without a center brace..

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Syn6644

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Nov 12, 2005
Messages
89
Location
Fort Worth TX
My 40g doesn't have a center brace running from the front to the back..

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[__l__] Shown in red..

So I put some angle iron in the middle cut to the length of the inside so that it can hold my glass canopy up..otherwise the 2 glass pieces would fall right through. That was ever so tacky!

So, when I moved the tank I just decided to put some plastic cut the same way to hold it up, and of course it kind of bows inward and the glass canopy doesn't sit quite right.

I was wondering if I could just have a piece of glass cut to the same length and have that from front to back. It would keep the other glass level and wouldn't bow. It shouldn't break under pressure, right? Just a piece of like 4"x 17" x 1/8" glass with the other two pieces of glass canopy resting on that and the sides? Let me know what you guys think I should do.. TIA
 
You can silicone in a glass brace, thats actually quite common.

You're one of the first people I know to add a brace to a tank ;) Usualy its removing it
 
why do you want a center brace in a tank that did not have one (if it needed one it would have been put in)
some older tanks have hevier trim to avoid the center brace (some old 125 gallon tanks have thick outer trim and no center brace) they were designed this way and function perfectly well without one.
if it had one.. then removing it becomes a challenge of correctly reinforcing the bracing the tank has to compensate.. its a pain and can be desatorius if not done correctly.. but it is far from impossible..
btw.. if you do put one in just to accomidate the canopy you have.. if you want it to truly be supportive use the same glass thickness that the tank is made of.. and see if you cant get a glass cutter that can file down/grind the edge's of the glass, wouldnt want you to have a cutting hazzard in your tank.. and silicone should work fine..
HTH
 
Okay, thanks so much. Yea I noticed when I did a search that people were wanting to remove theirs! I wish it came with one when I bought it, It would've saved me a lot of people saying, "Wow that's beautiful! Wait, what are those on the top that stick out?" :oops:

Thanks greenmaji, I was going to get the 1/8" but I'll go ahead with the quarter inch thick glass. :D
 
My center brace actually cracked so I just went out and upgraded to a larger size tank but I found out later that you can order the plastic moldings from the manufacturer for about $12 for a 55 gallon. The tank I had was ALL-GLASS

I know yours didnt come with a center brace but thought maybe this would help you or anyone else reading this thread.
 
Thanks for the help Branew...Had I read that before I went to the glass place an hour ago to have them cut the glass for me.... :lol: Great idea though for my upgrade if it happens to not have a center brace either.
 
Branew said:
My center brace actually cracked so I just went out and upgraded to a larger size tank but I found out later that you can order the plastic moldings from the manufacturer for about $12 for a 55 gallon. The tank I had was ALL-GLASS

I’ve had my 55 ALL-GLASS for 10 years now without any problems, did it crack because of a MH heating it or because something was dropped on it?

Thanks for the info though, I had no idea that was an item that could be ordered. Still, I think if this tank ever leaks or cracks I’ll just upgrade :D
 
tecwzrd said:
Branew said:
My center brace actually cracked so I just went out and upgraded to a larger size tank but I found out later that you can order the plastic moldings from the manufacturer for about $12 for a 55 gallon. The tank I had was ALL-GLASS

I’ve had my 55 ALL-GLASS for 10 years now without any problems, did it crack because of a MH heating it or because something was dropped on it?

Thanks for the info though, I had no idea that was an item that could be ordered. Still, I think if this tank ever leaks or cracks I’ll just upgrade :D
Mine was 14 years old....NO MH light....it was a freshwater tank for its first 10 years. The only thing I could think of is that over the last few years salt softened it to a point that it began to rip apart.

I still have my 55 with the cracked center brace. Once I finish my basement I may fix it and set it up as Fresh water or something.
 
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