Removing center brace on 46 bowfront

[returnofsid]

Hi all,
I've got a question about my 46 bowfront. I'm considering removing or replacing the center brace for lighting purposes. I'll be putting a MH fixture on the tank with a single DE bulb. Of course, the MH Bulb will be directly above this brace. Any suggestions for replacing with some other material? Any suggestions about the loss of integrity if I totally removed this brace?

 

[vinny2261]

don't believe I would.... You might be able to make a pattern from card board and take it to a glass shop to see if they could cut the curve. But I would not run the tank without a brace..
Vince

 

[returnofsid]

So my other options would be to replace the center brace with 2 clear acrylic braces on either side of center.

 

[boosted306]

It will be fine. Several years ago I had a bow front aquarium. When filled with water there was no tension on the center plastic brace. I think that it is there for the sole purpose of keeping the glass cover from bowing beneath the waterline. If you wanted to replace it with something I would do it with ABS plastic. Similar to what is used in retrofitting car stereo head units. VERY USEFUL STUFF!

 

[boosted306]

Think of it like this, I have seen rimless bow tanks with nothing supporting the center. Yours is no different.

 

[MC Lighting]

I have watched 2 bowfront tanks crack eventually explode with the brace removed.... they were put there for a reason and as stated above I would at least consider eurobracing it with glass at top or something...

 

[returnofsid]

I agree that the brace isn't there for the purpose of holding up a glass top. I think Eurobracing would get pretty complicated...but could use Clear Acrylic to either replace the black center brace or create 2 braces to either side of center.

 

[vinny2261]

Maybe find a craftsman and make a stainless new rim...

 

[boosted306]

I agree that it seems pointless for there to be a brace centering the tank and it having no other use than what I stated. I personally just have to wonder why there was no tension on it filled compared to empty.

 

[Bosco83]

I have a 46 gallon bow and I wouldn't remove it. If it's empty there is slack in the brace but when filled it's pretty tight.

Brian

 

[returnofsid]

Boosted, I'm saying that the purpose of the brace isn't to support a glass top. I do believe it's there to support the pressure of a tank full of water. I don't know that there's NO tension on it when full. I've never measured it for tension, though when full, it's tight. Also, rimless tanks are not just like my tank without a rim. They are either Euro-braced or built of thicker glass or acrylic.

 

[boosted306]

I know it wasn't put there specifically for the glass top. After rereading my previous post, yeah I'm a jackass. In a bow front the center of the bow in the front glass is going to hold a lot of pressure, the plastic brace is to prevent flex of the front glass from the sides. Wasn't thinking while writing.

I understand why you want to ditch it and replace it with something clear because it is getting or will be getting in the way of your lighting. If the tank is empty trim it off with a dremmel tool. Retro fit it with something that is clear. Should be fairly simple.

Once again, wasn't thinking on above posts. Should've wrote my thoughts out a bit differently.


EDIT: What brand is your tank?

 

[delemi]

I vote grind the sides of the brace down a lil bit to maximize area and tell your colonies not to live in the light-less area

Much easier than glueing & doweling in clear acrylic - :lol:

 

[returnofsid]

Those are both good ideas. I think I can do it without emptying it though, as long as I think it all out first. Especially if I put 2 other braces on either side, before removing the center brace.

 

[coopdogyo]

I would empty the tank. I bought a tank where the owner had removed the the brace so I have a removable metal one made and one day I removed it when there was to much water in the tank and it cracked. this was with a 55 gallon though don't know how a bowfront would react.

 

[vinny2261]

Glass is cheaper than acrylic, I think if you could get a shop to cut the glass to match the bow then you could silicon it in below the brace and after it dried for at least 24 hours you could carefully cut the bace away. This could be done without emptying out the tank completely...
Vince

 

[returnofsid]

Vince, so you're suggesting a euro brace all the way around the tank? Hmmm, that would require a pretty exact fit and I don't think the silicone alone would be very effective. Silicone isn't a glue, it's only a sealer. I'd need to glue and then silicone.

Or are you talking about a single piece of glass, cut to match the front curve and then glued and siliconed to the sides? I don't know if that would give me the strength I need, since I'd want it actually connected to the back pane.

Not sure a Euro brace around the entire perimeter would be cheaper than a single piece of clear acrylic from front to back though.

 

[roscoe]

Vince, so you're suggesting a euro brace all the way around the tank? Hmmm, that would require a pretty exact fit and I don't think the silicone alone would be very effective. Silicone isn't a glue, it's only a sealer. I'd need to glue and then silicone.

Or are you talking about a single piece of glass, cut to match the front curve and then glued and siliconed to the sides? I don't know if that would give me the strength I need, since I'd want it actually connected to the back pane.

Not sure a Euro brace around the entire perimeter would be cheaper than a single piece of clear acrylic from front to back though.

Isn't glass tanks put together using a special type of silicone?

 

[SeattlesDarko]

I have a 37gallon and the center brace is broken and I contacted manufacture to ask them about it. They said do not try to run it it without, it will hold water fine but they eventually will break. Especially if you have like kids (we have 2) just them jumping off there beds in the other room (they are not suppose to do that but they do). You can see the water move and that is a lot of pressure for glass!

 

[returnofsid]

I believe that the glass probably wouldn't break, but a lot of stress would be put on the glass, as well as the silicone seals. Failure of those seals would be my biggest concern.
Although, I do admit, the breakage of glass would also suck!!!

Roscoe, I could be wrong, but I believe the glass pieces are glued together and then silicone is used to seal the seams. I don't believe the silicone is the actual bonding agent. Could be wrong.