I have a 46 gallon bow front tank so naturally, it has a euro brace running right down the middle of it on the top. A black euro brace. Now, my problem is this. I have a MH light in the middle of my 36" light (and 2 actinics on the sides) and I have a big shadow right down the middle of my tank because of the euro brace. I'm afraid to remove the brace because I don't want the tank to break (and I'd like to be able to maybe sell the tank some point in the very distant future) and I'm not willing to get a new light since the one I have is brand new and very nice. I'm thinking of DIYing a reflector above the MH to try to get at least a little light in the dark black shadow. Any ideas?
Quite a Lighting Pickle
- Thread starter Ellylove
- Start date
Help Support Reef Aquarium & Tank Building Forum:
Scooterman
Well-known member
I wouldn't cut the brace either. Ideally putting a mh on either side would help with the shadow but being budget minded. Maybe mount the light on one side & not centered, the heat from the mh isn't good for that brace anyways. your lighting will look bright on one side but will preform better. If your mh is in a pendant then adding a reflector may help some but probably not enough.
JMO
If you post pictures it may help.
JMO
If you post pictures it may help.
Being unwilling to change light fixtures, OR tanks, leaves you very little options. You could hang the light far enough above the tank, so as not to melt the brace. However, doing this will limit the amount of light that actually makes it into the tank. There've been people who have replaced the black center brace with clear acrylic. I don't think this is a very good option either though.
Unfortunately, your light fixture and your tank are not compatible with one another. To be successful, you'll need to change one or the other.
Unfortunately, your light fixture and your tank are not compatible with one another. To be successful, you'll need to change one or the other.
Poo. I think I'll just try the added reflector option. Here's the light just fyi:
http://www.marinedepot.com/lighting_metal_halide_coralife_aqualight_pro-ap.html
And I can't hang it because I have 9' ceilings; that and I hate the look of hung lights.
http://www.marinedepot.com/lighting_metal_halide_coralife_aqualight_pro-ap.html
And I can't hang it because I have 9' ceilings; that and I hate the look of hung lights.
Scooterman
Well-known member
Oh you have an all in one unit!
Can you just ride it out until you get another tank? That is a nice light for a tank without a center brace.
Can you just ride it out until you get another tank? That is a nice light for a tank without a center brace.
I'd be on the look out for a 40 breeder. It'll actually give you a larger footprint than the 46 bowfront, which will mean more room for aquascaping and growing corals. A larger footprint also means more water/oxygen exchange, so healthier.
Your current light fixture would work PERFECT for a 40 breeder!!
Your current light fixture would work PERFECT for a 40 breeder!!
But I'm in love with the bow front. : ( It fits the room perfectly and I adore the way it looks. So, not changing the tank or the light, how can I maybe just fix the shadow? Or is there a coral that likes low light that would look good in the shadow?
I don't think I'd worry as much about the shadow as I would about the MH bulb melting the center brace!!
As for lower light corals, you could put a Lobo in the center, or any number of LPS or soft corals. It'd depend on what type of flow you have in that area as well. A nice Bubble Coral would be great, if you had low flow through there.
Raising the fixture will help out some with the shadow, and with a possible center brace melting issue.... But would require a way to hang the fixture, OR modify the legs to raise it higher.
As for lower light corals, you could put a Lobo in the center, or any number of LPS or soft corals. It'd depend on what type of flow you have in that area as well. A nice Bubble Coral would be great, if you had low flow through there.
Raising the fixture will help out some with the shadow, and with a possible center brace melting issue.... But would require a way to hang the fixture, OR modify the legs to raise it higher.
alki
Well-known member
If you have a glass cover you wont melt the center brace.
I have a 30gal bowfront (glass) and I use 1/2 of the glasscover and it goes right under the light. The reason I did this is water was misting onto the glass light cover (built into the light) and the salt was building up too much too fast. Also with the legs for these lights I couldnt open the cover so I only use half and can slide it back and forth.
I did also cut out the center brace on this tank for a different reason, and no crash yet. I dont recommend though unless you are as cool as me.
I have a 30gal bowfront (glass) and I use 1/2 of the glasscover and it goes right under the light. The reason I did this is water was misting onto the glass light cover (built into the light) and the salt was building up too much too fast. Also with the legs for these lights I couldnt open the cover so I only use half and can slide it back and forth.
I did also cut out the center brace on this tank for a different reason, and no crash yet. I dont recommend though unless you are as cool as me.
If you have a glass cover you wont melt the center brace.
I did also cut out the center brace on this tank for a different reason, and no crash yet. I dont recommend though unless you are as cool as me.
IMO, a piece of glass is not going to protect a peice of plastic from melting underneath a MH.
Also, the manufacture puts center braces in tanks to prevent the inevetible silicone failure due to water pressure. If you look at the standard 40 breeder compared to the 50 breeder you will see that these two tanks are almost identical. The 50 breeder is two inches taller and has a center brace. Sure you can cut out the center brace. I did on my 65 and replaced it with a custom glass piece. The silicone on my DIY eventually failed due to water pressure and the glass bowed an 1/8 inch. I probably could have left it but it really isnt worth the risk. I replaced the glass with acrylic and turned the tank into a fuge.
The moral of the story is.......Get the right piece of equipment for the job or suffer the consequences
40 gallons of water on the floor and dead livestock isnt something you want to come home to.
Scooterman
Well-known member
You won't melt the brace but you will have the Mh directly above it & it will slowly deteriorate over time & then one day your mopping up the floor!
tat2z_21
tat2z_21
So theoretically speaking if you were to remove the center brace and add a wider piece of 1/4 plastic with some weldon , let cure, then fill with water. Wouldn't that actually make for additional support and being that weldon actually bonds the 2 plastics together wouldn't it actually work better then the manufactured euro brace. Sort of re-enforcing the tank.
tat2z_21
tat2z_21
Of course that wider piece would be plexiglass. To me it seems that this would fix the entire situation. It would be so easy to cut the eurobrace with a dremel.
Would cutting the brace and replacing it with an acrylic one really be as strong? I'd be worried that the joint wouldn't be as strong as the original. I've been told the brace is just there to support the hood, but I'm still afraid to try to remove it.
tcblightning
Active member
I do not have as much experience as most of these peps...HOWEVER...I think we have the same tank! My brace WAS 2 inches...I cut it down on both sides to 1inch, and if I was to do it again I would have cut it to 1/2 in. I dont worry about it because I am happy with it. Just measure a 1/2 in. on both sides draw a line and cut...I cut mine with a router. If you dont have a router...well maybe someone can chime in and tell you how to cut plastic...maybe a razor knife with many, many...many swipes. I have 2- t5 bulbs and 1- 175 mogul MH for 1 year and had no problems with uv(these are about 5 inches from the brace)...if you are really concerned you could paint it white (to reflect light) with uv resistant paint. I dont know if there is a 'aquarium safe' white uv resistant paint...but I know there is white uv resistant boat paint... But for serious...I think painting is a bit much. If you are really worried about uv all you have to do is cover it with something...really anything that doesn't get in the way but absorbs the uv like a 1/8 or even a 1/16 in of plastic...we are talking about uv...not 'radiation'.With that said my brace isn't brittle at all...after a year. Hope this helps.
tcblightning
Active member
One more note... dont cut it out completely! If your even questioning that:fill it up about half-way and press down with a little pressure, see how much it 'gives' and then imagine it being completely full with no brace!
Do you mean you would make the brace 1/2 inch, or only cut 1/2 inch off each side? Your post was REALLY helpful! (It's nice to know I'm not the only one with this problem). Does it seem like the brace does as good a job even though it's only 1 inch wide now?
tcblightning
Active member
Kinda both...I did cut 1/2in (of 2in) off of each side(which=1in) but If I did it again I would make the width of the brace a 1/2in(instead of 1 in)...I would take 3/4 in off each side vice 1/2. Basically, I would make the brace a 1/2in wide. The plastic can hold it, there really isn't too much pressure pressing out on the glass... But really cutting a 1/2in off both sides is enough (assuming your lights are about 5in above it.)
Scooterman
Well-known member
Your gluing two different types of Plastics won't make as good of a weld as two pieces of acrylic. The affects of the heat & light will break down any plastics over time, may be a couple years before you have that failure but i twill happen. You may not see how brittle the plastic becomes over a year or so, one slight tap or knock could crack it. You will over time have so much money into your livestock that taking chances like this can be very expensive, I've seen the outcome of a shattered tank, not nice!
Now that said, you can take all this advise & use it anyway you wish, whatever the outcome at least we gave you our input.
Now that said, you can take all this advise & use it anyway you wish, whatever the outcome at least we gave you our input.
