Cut out the Center Brace on My Tank - Maybe a Mistake- Any Thoughts?

reeftanker84

reeftanker84

Member
yea but it also has braces holding it together,the whole point of the conversation
i have a 30 that has no top brace for about a year and it has not bowed yet
 
wattsupdoc

wattsupdoc

Active Member
I agree nat, if the tank is dry, I would cut the old brace out completly and replace it with a 6"in wide glass brace siliconed in. 3/8 in thick. It'll never budge.
And wont cause a shadow.
 
beckto

beckto

Member
Depends on what you are trying to get to hold. Silicone will not hold plastic, such as acrylic. But silicone holds glass fine. Although if it is used in this application, I would not just rely on the silicone. There is a lot of linear force there. Try cutting small holes in the old brace, then match them up with new holes on the new brace. Then use PLASTIC bolts with nuts to hold them together. Then silicone.
 
beckto

beckto

Member
Wahoo, what are the dimensions of this tank. If its not like the standard 55g, then this could be less of an issue. I would still fix it, but I wouldn't lose any sleep, if this tank isn't as long as a standard 55gal.
 
wahoowa

wahoowa

Member
Originally Posted by beckto
http:///forum/post/3010218
Wahoo, what are the dimensions of this tank. If its not like the standard 55g, then this could be less of an issue. I would still fix it, but I wouldn't lose any sleep, if this tank isn't as long as a standard 55gal.
This is actually a 56 column (I believe that is what they are called) - It has more of a cube shape. Off the top of my head, I believe it is 30"X18"X24". The thing that I liked about the acrylic and plastic bolts and nuts idea was that I'm going to be putting a rock wall in. So, if I ever have to take that out for any reason, I'd have to do minimal scraping (as I'd probably use something supplementary to adhere the acrylic to the plastic) and only have to unscrew it to get the back out. If I did glass, I'd have to work hard to get that out, then redo it all over again once I was finished.
 
beckto

beckto

Member
Its the length that makes bowing the issue. If its only 30" long then, any support you give it would be sufficient IMO. The nuts and bolts idea would probably be fine without any liquid adhesion. Try to get as many bolts as within reason to hold it, then fill it up and test it. Silicone wont help if any part that you are trying to hold is plastic. Then the problem of what glue you would have to use may be toxic if scraped into the water.
 
wattsupdoc

wattsupdoc

Active Member
Another case of misinformed newbie logic I'm afraid....The silicone and glass brace will be much stronger than anything else you can provide. If you have to remove the rock back, you are talking about having to tear down completely anyway to do so. As there will be LR and sand and corals and stuff to be disturbed. Sulfur may be a problem during tear down if livestock is not moved. Why is it going to be so difficult to cut the silicone beads with a razor knife, remove the glass, then replace it?
 
wahoowa

wahoowa

Member
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/3010269
1/4" acrylic sheet and nylon screws and nuts.
Looks like I'm probably going to go with this. I actually even thought about doing acrylic above the plastic and below, kind of like a sandwich effect for added strength. Don't know if that would help out any more....
 
wahoowa

wahoowa

Member
The work will be minimal. Get two pieces of acrylic cut for $2.75 a piece, buy some nylon screws and nuts, and drill some holes. I guarantee that this will be stronger than it was before. Plus, this isn't your average p.o.s. 55, this is a 56 column and I doubt I'd be able to find a new one for under $250.
 
natclanwy

natclanwy

Active Member
I have built several sumps and I can attest to the strength of the bond between glass and silicone. I wouldn't lose a second of sleep worrying about a glass brace, some of the other methods would make me worry a little but since the tank is so narrow the acrylic may be just fine.
I have seen rimless tanks with 12ft spans and 4ft deep with nothing but glass braces spaced at 3ft intervals some of which have been setup for 20+ years. If they work in that type of situation the 4ft span of a 55g is a walk in the park.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
That's good to know...I'll keep all this in mind when (or if) I try to fix my 55g FW tank that the brace broke....for now I just replaced it...it started bowing almost immediately
 
wahoowa

wahoowa

Member
Yeah, thats what I'm hoping. This is actually only 30" long and 18" wide, so I think it should be ok. I'll let you guys know how it goes this weekend. I'm going to measure before I put water in and after. Should I expect ANY bow? What I mean is, does a regular tank bow even a little bit?
 
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