Started a Tank, Have questions
- Thread starter Jrodge
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The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
kingman8610
Aquarium Advice Freak
I'm very New to the Aquarium Realm, but I just wanna say.. Thats a very pretty set-up you have 
thincat
Aquarium Advice Addict
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Yes, that center brace prevents the tank form bowing out and possiblely failing. Try to repair it.
You may have to lower the water level to reduce the pressure on the tank as you pull the brace togerher and bolt the two sections together.
You may have to lower the water level to reduce the pressure on the tank as you pull the brace togerher and bolt the two sections together.
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thincat
Aquarium Advice Addict
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You could remove half the water then screw the two pieces together with an approreate piece of plastic with stainless steel screws or plastic screws and bolts.
PS: the more water you remove the better!
PS: the more water you remove the better!
Smitty
Aquarium Advice Addict
I agree. With today's tanks you want that middle brace in order to make sure the glass doesn't bow out so much that it stresses and breaks (big mess).
You can try to repair as mentioned above or just replace the molding. I'm sure someone here knows where you can buy it.
You can try to repair as mentioned above or just replace the molding. I'm sure someone here knows where you can buy it.
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
You can also order the top frame and replace it completely. The tank probably wont fail with the center brace broken on a 55 but you shouldn't take the chance.
You are going to have to take about half the water out of the tank and repair the brace. I had something similar happen to a 55 of mine.
Here is the solution I came up with.
I used a pipe clamp to gently pull the center back together. Be VERY VERY careful doing this. the PVC was cut a bit short, one elbow was glued into the length and then I put glue on the other end and in the other elbow, when I go the center back where it belonged I tightened the clamp down a little more and put the other elbow on. After an hour of letting the glue set I removed the clamp and everything was good to go. This held for over a year before I took the tank down.
My vote though is to replace the plastic trim completely
You are going to have to take about half the water out of the tank and repair the brace. I had something similar happen to a 55 of mine.
Here is the solution I came up with.
I used a pipe clamp to gently pull the center back together. Be VERY VERY careful doing this. the PVC was cut a bit short, one elbow was glued into the length and then I put glue on the other end and in the other elbow, when I go the center back where it belonged I tightened the clamp down a little more and put the other elbow on. After an hour of letting the glue set I removed the clamp and everything was good to go. This held for over a year before I took the tank down.
My vote though is to replace the plastic trim completely
OK, the aquarium has been up for a week now and we tooka sample of the water to our LFS. The results ar:
PH - 8.0
Ammonia - .5ppm
Nitrite - 4.0ppm
Nitrate - 180ppm
Salinity - 1.023
Are these results normal? At the LFS they said I pboably have too much argonite for this size tank. We put 40 lbs. in this tank. Are they right?
PH - 8.0
Ammonia - .5ppm
Nitrite - 4.0ppm
Nitrate - 180ppm
Salinity - 1.023
Are these results normal? At the LFS they said I pboably have too much argonite for this size tank. We put 40 lbs. in this tank. Are they right?
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
No you are fine. I put 200lbs in my 120. It's all about what you want in your tank.
tmcgee
Aquarium Advice Activist
Ok, did I miss something? Did you fix the center brace?
Fastfossil
Aquarium Advice Freak
If I may ask the gap seen in the plastic is that the amount the glass has opened up or is it a piece that is missing as it look nearly like an inch that it has opened up?
Fastfossil
Aquarium Advice Freak
Man that is a big problem better fix it or you might need to put on some swim shorts snorkel and goggles its not a small tank.
Ziggy953
Aquarium Advice Addict
Nicely done!
thincat
Aquarium Advice Addict
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Great job. Tell us how you did it so that others can gain from it.
Fastfossil
Aquarium Advice Freak
Good one last thing you want is to dream about swimming with your fish and then finding out its really true when you wake up. lol
I went to Home Depot and the only real plastic material they had was the siding for the edges of walls. I got a 4 foot piece and cut 2 sections to the size of the tank. Got stainless steel screws, doubled up the plastic to make aupside down u shape to fit over the plastic of the tank. Used 3 screws on each side and you have what you see in the picture. Water sat overnight in the tank and there was no movement. Seems to be holding strong!
Floyd R Turbo
Aquarium Advice Addict
Just so you know, the NitrAte reading can be ignored until you have no NitrIte. Most NitrAte test kits convert NitrAte to NitrIte, then test NitrIte. So if you have any NitrIte, the NitrAte test is irrelevant.
Also, are you going to add more LR? You don't have much in there. Good for hiding spots and filtration.
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