Brittle plastic top on used tank conundrum

[McBane]

Just bought a used 150 gallon tank and while I was filling it to start the cycling process and to see if the new stand I built would hold up the top popped apart with a loud crack and scared the living ____ out of me. I have not put any sand or gravel in it yet and it is filled to about 3 inches from the top. The tank seems to be OK and I doubt the plastic was doing anything structurally to keep it together (wishful thinking perhaps?)
My questions are:

• Should I be worried?
• Do I try to replace the plastic top? I think I'll need it for the canopy I was hoping to buy, but that is negotiable.
• Is this normal?
• Is it because all I have in it is some air stones, so I have overfilled it with water?

popped off and two pieces fell out. It is spread about 1/4 inch.

The back right hand side has a least come apart more cleanly ... again about 1/4 inch.

I plan on a planted tropical freshwater tank if I'm not forced by circumstances to clean my carpet with 150 gallons of aerated water.

 

[jsoong]

That plastic center brace IS structural! It prevents the tank from bowing out when full. <That gap means the tank is bowing out, that put stress on the seams, and will eventually cause it to fail & leak!>

You should repair the tank ASAP. Either find a replacement top trim (easiest fix) or fashion a euro-brace out of glass.

Some people would say that if a tank bows out less than 1/4"when full (measure accurately the side & center) it is OK to leave the brace out. But with 150 gals of water potentially on your floor, I don't think that is a risk worth taking.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I would definitely fix it asap. you can order a new top trim/brace for a fraction of the price it would cost to replace the tank and floor when (yes, i said when) it breaks loose and drains all 150g of water on the floor. I doubt its anything you did, unless you caused some major stress on it while moving it if that makes you feel any better

 

[jsoong]

One other thing to check, since it is on a new stand .... make sure the tank is level & there is no gaps at all around all 4 edges. <Ideally check when tank empty.> A big tank like that need to be evenly supported all around the perimeter. Gaps may cause a twisting stress on the tank during filling & might be the reason the brace cracked. <Although the brace is prob. old & brittle ... a new one can usu. handle quite a bit of stress.>

 

[BigJim]

+1 on fixing that brace. I believe glasscages.com sells frames. I'd really hate to see 150g of water all over your floor.

No, you didn't cause it. That frame looks like it spent a lot of time in the sun or under a hot lamp.

 

[McBane]

Thanks for your advice I emptied the water figuring that would be easier to replace than the glass, and cleaning up the ensuing mess if it popped. OK what I've done/ tried so far. The tank is an Aqueon tank and they do not sell merchandise via the net - sadly. Although the maker of the tank Aqueon has two distributors within 5 miles of my home :

1. A mom & pop place
2. A big box mega pet store

One told me they could check on Monday when the rep was back in their office (it was Friday afternoon at the time), the other place just blew me off saying that they had "no way" of ordering just that part.
Since I don't really care for either store, I can feel good about a personal boycott of either one (or both) of their business(es).
Any way looking into building my own. That said the first problem I see is out of what material? Has to be as strong and as non toxic as plastic. I read in several forums that properly cured Krylon Fusion paint is aquarium safe. If that is true, it means that a whole lot of options are available. I was going to make a decorative canopy anyway. So now I just have to add in the structural/ brace aspect too. I'm still pondering it. A lot depends on if I can find a replacement part at a reasonable price in a timely way. BTW Glasscages does not stock this large of size. (18x72) :-|

 

[dskidmore]

You might consider replacing it with a eurobrace. A eurobrace is strips of glass siliconed in place of a plastic frame. Any glass store can help you obtain and cut the pieces. The eurobrace is a bit of a pain for maintenance, but many people like the nice clean look with no bulky plastic frame.

There are a few different styles, check around for what design is best for your tank size.

http://www.fishtankfactory.com/72x30x24_Eurobrace__Starphire_front__1_.jpg

 

[jsoong]

A eurobrace is the best DIY option. Also, you do not have to do a complete frame. If you keep your existing frame, you just have to get the cross brace front to back (see dskidmore's link for pic). You can silicone that piece front to back under the existing cross member (you can silicone the broken cross member to the brace to make it stay put), and you should have a good fix.

If your tank is a standard size, however, you do not have to buy a frame from Aqueon. There are generic frames that may fit, although you might have to search a bit for a 150gal. This is an example of a frame seller:
Glasscages.com - Tank Frames