broken center brace

[minky123]

I have a 55g that I bought used and the center brave just broke this.morning. What should I do, I'm just about to finish cycling. Should I drain the tank and what would be a good way to fix the broken brace. Helppp!!!!

 

[mfdrookie516]

You can buy replacement top and bottom pieces from glass cages... though it seems that some tanks are made to different sizes. You might want to measure and confirm that it would fit. You definitely need something to keep the tank from bowing, even if you just redneck up a brace for the middle.

 

[minky123]

Hahaha, I was thinking that I could get a piece of steel and bend it at both ends so it could fit over the top with a little room to spare.

 

[mfdrookie516]

You'd want it to fit pretty snug to prevent any bowing, and you'd need a pretty stout piece to hold, but that would certainly work.

 

[minky123]

Alright, do you think home depot or lowes could bend it for me?

 

[mfdrookie516]

No, I doubt they'd be able to bend anything thick enough to do that. If you can't bend it yourself, you'll spend more money having a welding/fabrication shop do it than you would on a new top trim piece. Maybe others have some other cheap ideas that wouldn't require as much work to do.

 

[minky123]

Alright thank you, have a good new years

 

[Agua]

I just had this happen to my 45 gallon quarantine tank. I got a 3 foot piece of 1/8"x1" steel from the hardware store. I cut it to the length I needed using a hacksaw and then bent it on each end using a bench vise. I used a clamp to get the tank to the proper, unbowed state and then put the steel on. Removed clamp and it holds just fine. The only problem I have is that the steel likes to rust. Not a big deal on my tank as it is in a utility room.

 

[minky123]

Oh sweet well I'm glad that this will work, thanks for the help

 

[bengoshi2000]

Here's a thread from Reef Central where a guy deliberately cut his center brace out and replaced it with acrylic (scroll down a bit to get to the pics):

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1346261

HTH!