Huge tank with no bracing???

[JraGold]

I have a 6' tank dimensions are 6'Lx2'Wx3'T yes 3' tall! It has NO bracing on it whatsoever. Glass is only 5/8" thick too. I certainly want to add bracing to it just not sure what adds the best structural support. I can do 2 cross braces 1 every 2' or should I do euro bracing? Or a combo of both?

Just looking for ppls input or what you have on yours that's comparable. Thanks

 

[bob mccoy]

look at glasscages.com for top and bottom braces or trim

 

[TheCommunityCichlid]

I have a 5' tank and used 2x4 to make my braces ad they hold up great. I have one center braces and two out side braces

 

[JraGold]

Here's a pic of it. It has never had any bracing on it at all.

Thanks will check that out bob

 

[chances14]

you can also check out Over The Edge- Wholesale Aquarium Tank Frames, Aquarium Trim, Aquarium Rims, Aquarium Lighting, and Iron Stands

not sure if you will find a frame for that big of a tank though. most likely you will have to do euro bracing of some sort

 

[DavidAl]

You can make your own brace with a sheet of acrylic and silicone. Google is your friend...

David

 

[Matt68005]

You don't want too many cross braces....it will be a pain to work in the tank. I would do a 4" wide brace at either end and maybe a 3" wide brace in the middle. would look cool and work well too.

 

[JraGold]

You can make your own brace with a sheet of acrylic and silicone. Google is your friend...

David

I can use acrylic on a glass tank? Would it be enough support?

 

[JraGold]

you can also check out Over The Edge- Wholesale Aquarium Tank Frames, Aquarium Trim, Aquarium Rims, Aquarium Lighting, and Iron Stands

not sure if you will find a frame for that big of a tank though. most likely you will have to do euro bracing of some sort

Yes I certainly need some sort of bracing for sure! Just get some peace of mind. As far as trim I'm contemplating leaving it rimless.

 

[JraGold]

You don't want too many cross braces....it will be a pain to work in the tank. I would do a 4" wide brace at either end and maybe a 3" wide brace in the middle. would look cool and work well too.

Wouldn't putting the 4" in the center make more sense? I do see where you're coming from regarding space to work for sure..

 

[JraGold]

So far I've stripped the old silicone out and resealed the tank and added 2 4" braces to it as well. Put 1 every 2 feet. Hope it'll be enough... Haha! Gonna wait the 7 days to let the silicone fully cure before I fill it up.

 

[JraGold]

You can make your own brace with a sheet of acrylic and silicone. Google is your friend...

David

Hey. I looked into this more and I cannot seem to find an appropriate bonding material to bond the acrylic to the existing glass. Any ideas? Other websites say aquarium silicone does not stick to acrylic very well.

 

[DavidAl]

Hey jragold,

I emailed the owner of a local fish store where I last saw this setup. He's usually pretty good about replying in short order. I've asked for specifics, so hopefully we'll know something soon. This guy is a life-long hobbyist and shop owner, always going above and beyond to help his customers. As soon as I know something I'll post.

David

 

[JraGold]

Hey jragold,

I emailed the owner of a local fish store where I last saw this setup. He's usually pretty good about replying in short order. I've asked for specifics, so hopefully we'll know something soon. This guy is a life-long hobbyist and shop owner, always going above and beyond to help his customers. As soon as I know something I'll post.

David

Ok great! Thankyou for your help.

 

[DavidAl]

Jragold, you are right. For some reason I thought what I saw was acrylic. I've posted his response to my inquiry. I'm not sure what the forum rules are on posting email addresses and phone numbers, but if you'd like to email him or call him, PM me and I'll provide you with his information.

See below...
David

Email:
Not sure which tank you were looking at, but to put in a center brace on a glass tank you'd have to use glass, not acrylic. Regular aquarium silicone sealant will bond glass to glass, but it won't hold acrylic very well at all. You can use silicone to temporarily bond acrylic dividers or baffles in a glass sump, but it has no great strength. To bond acrylic to acrylic you'd use Weldon #16 thickened glue or Weldon #3 solvent glue. You can only use #3 on very smooth perfectly straight surfaces. For a center brace on a glass tank you get a piece of glass cut almost exactly the inside width of the tank measured at the ends, and after you clean the glass with alcohol you run a bead of silicone on the inside just under the tank molding. Then you insert the crossbar and lever it up into position and prop it up in place (I usually use a couple of pieces of pvc pipe to prop it) then put a long clamp on the top to tighten up the tank on the bar. Leave the clamp on for 24 hours. If you do it right the crossbar will hold as long as the rest of the tank seals.
Rich @ Boardroom Aquatics
----- Original Message -----
Hello Rich,

I'm a regular in your store and on my last visit I noticed you used a piece of acrylic sheet the width of the tank as a center brace. I'm a member on an aquatic fish Internet forum and someone is planning on doing the same thing, but he does not know what kind of silicone to use. Would you be kind enough to let me know what you used so I can relay that to him? Specifics would be great!

Thank you in advanced, kind sir.

David

 

[JraGold]

Ok thank you very much for that! Guess im heading to the glass store tomorrow! Haha.

The new silicone seal has set for almost a week! Hoping to fill it up this coming weekend! Wish me luck!

 

[JraGold]

Ok so I've phoned around and nobody carries anything close to the thickness of glass my tank is made from.

What I'm thinking is, instead of fitting thick glass strips inside the aquarium could I not use thinner glass and adhere it to the top of both the front and back pcs of glass?? Would that not pretty much be the same thing?

 

[JraGold]

Had no idea adding braces was going to be this difficult! Lol

 

[DavidAl]

What I'm thinking is, instead of fitting thick glass strips inside the aquarium could I not use thinner glass and adhere it to the top of both the front and back pcs of glass?? Would that not pretty much be the same thing?

I'm having a hard time picturing this. Can you elaborate? Also, have you tried contacting glasscages.com?

David

 

[JraGold]

Typically braces go from the front to the back but they get Siliconed inside the tank. So the ends of the braces meet the face and back panes of glass. What I'm wondering is can I get away with using thinner glass but siliconing the braces to the top (edge) of the face and the top (edge) of the back? Does that make sense?