broken center brace!

[jake65]

Well...while cleaning the glass today I must have pressed a lil to hard and popped my center brace( it was previously cracked a couple years ago but glued togetherand was working fine). Scared the poop out of me, I sat there holding it for 5mins wondering if it was going to let go if I did Fortunatly it didnt. So anyway lucky for me that I work in the carpentry shop out here at the base and was able to get some clamps to fix it. I cut a strip of metal to use as the new brace which I will just drill and bolt on. Here are some pics in progress.

 

[jake65]

and a couple more...

 

[mmkeeper]

I would look to get a piece of acrylic for the brace, rather than risk the metal.

 

[jake65]

...and the last couple of the metal in place...

 

[jake65]

I might just do that...will 1/4" plexi work?

 

[Brenden]

1/4 should be fine. If you had thicker I would use it. Check with IAP Brian. He was giving it away.

 

[Brenden]

1/4 should be fine. If you had thicker I would use it. Check with IAP Brian. He was giving it away. I think I have some 1/2 scape if you can not find anything.

 

[Krish]

Bummer Jake!! Looks like you are getting it sorted out though. Good luck!

 

[jake65]

Ok switched out the metal brace for some 1/4" acrylic but still used the stainless screws to attach

 

[Krish]

Looks good Jake! That should hold up

 

[mmkeeper]

Jake, if you had a longer piece you could remove most of the old brace and connect the acrylic near the ends and remove the shadow area in the center or the tank.

 

[kendog261]

That sounds like a good repair stainless screws should be fine, but I have seen some cheap stainless rust so keep a eye on it.

 

[jake65]

Thanx guys, I'm pleased with it, it will work fine until I can work on getting a new tank

 

[DaBrowns]

Check Tri-Cities Giant Nickel

Hey Jake - if you're looking for a new tank anyway...there is a 135g in the Tri-Cities with canopy...no stand...for $100 obo.

Here is the ad: 135 GAL fish tank, with custom built teak wood canopy, no stand, $100 obo. 509-460-0238. TriCities.

Just saw that ad and thought I'd pass it along.

 

[scytale]

This is a glass tank right?
w/ no center brace, not sure what all the fuss is about...

I bought a used 80 gallon reef tank where the center brace had been removed by the previous owner...never had a problem with it.

(To make matters even worse--the guy had this 80 gallon tank sitting on an 55 gallon stand--so there were 6 inches of tank sticking out un-supported behind the stand!)
He had the tank that way for 3 years--again, never had a problem with it.

Glass tanks are stronger than people give them credit for IME.
(FWIW: I bought a bigger stand when I moved the tank because I didn't like the look of an 18" tank on a 12" stand--but I've never tried to replace that center brace....)

 

[jake65]

w/ no center brace, not sure what all the fuss is about...

Well if you could have felt the front pane bow against your chest when the brace broke loose like I did you might see things a bit different.:shock: I could look from the side and see the front bowed out about 3/16". I just felt that if I didn't do something to fix it that it would blow out into my living room while I was sleeping or worse yet when I wasn't home

I was skeered

 

[spongebob lover]

spandex boy spandex boy where have you gone spandex :lol:.
dood i really like what you did ....even though i don't have that problem ....yet ...i think i'm gonna do something like that for my tank .

 

[scytale]

Well if you could have felt the front pane bow against your chest

Whoa, Yeah...
that would have given me a lump in my throat, or felt like a slap in the face or something!:shock: I'd be skeered too!

(BTW: I don't think I said it before) It is a good looking "re-mod" even without the acrylic!

 

[tcduongxx]

Well...while cleaning the glass today I must have pressed a lil to hard and popped my center brace( it was previously cracked a couple years ago but glued togetherand was working fine). Scared the poop out of me, I sat there holding it for 5mins wondering if it was going to let go if I did Fortunatly it didnt. So anyway lucky for me that I work in the carpentry shop out here at the base and was able to get some clamps to fix it. I cut a strip of metal to use as the new brace which I will just drill and bolt on. Here are some pics in progress.

I have an Oceanic 150g tank and the glass brace broke the glass brace was held together by silicone. I did not replace the brace and the tank is doing just fine. Oceanic does over build their tank. I would be scrare if it is not Oceanic.

I also have a 215 gal from Oceanic that does not have a center brace and the glass is almost the same thichness as the 150 gal