Cutting center brace off of tank top, help me decide!
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I wouldnt cut it out.
I think that the center plastic is there only to support lids w/lights but your tank is pretty good sized and I dont think I would want the pressure from the water trying to push the front and back glass outward.
I would also be concerned with the look of the finished product.
With that being said I would think that structrally you'd be ok.
I think that the center plastic is there only to support lids w/lights but your tank is pretty good sized and I dont think I would want the pressure from the water trying to push the front and back glass outward.
I would also be concerned with the look of the finished product.
With that being said I would think that structrally you'd be ok.
Rawn, my 72 bowfront also doesn't have a center brace. Our tanks we designed to withstand the pressure without it. Dakota's tank, however, needs that center brace very much!
Dakota, if you are dead-set on doing this, I would rather see you remove the center brace (from the empty</em> tank, of course), then rebrace the tank with a larger piece of acrylic or lexan <u>at the plastic rim from where the original brace was removed.</u> Use the best adhesive you can find for the job. The only problem I see with this might be the acrylic under the MH's.
I have serious doubts as to whether or not the silicone will hold up.
Dakota, if you are dead-set on doing this, I would rather see you remove the center brace (from the empty</em> tank, of course), then rebrace the tank with a larger piece of acrylic or lexan <u>at the plastic rim from where the original brace was removed.</u> Use the best adhesive you can find for the job. The only problem I see with this might be the acrylic under the MH's.
I have serious doubts as to whether or not the silicone will hold up.
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if you decide to just get the center brace of i would add two braces on the sides to help keep the support that way you can use the one 250 ...but y not try 2 175 youll get more light and you can keep the tank in one peace....and i wouls try acrilic and weld on before i cut anything
I've been pouring over WWM, and even posed them the question, as usual though I think Bob Fenner will just call me as much as call me an idiot and disregard my questions......
Many tanks apparently come with a glass brace. My big question is that I'm not certain 1/4" glass is thick enough for this application. All said and done, I plan on the braces taking up almost 1/3 of the top, so I think it should work.
Many tanks apparently come with a glass brace. My big question is that I'm not certain 1/4" glass is thick enough for this application. All said and done, I plan on the braces taking up almost 1/3 of the top, so I think it should work.
How thick is the brace? Wouldn't the turbulence on the water surface refract the light into different directions and eliminate any bracing shadows? My water isn't exactly calm on the surface.
Does this make sense? :huh:
I wouldn't remove the brace. I would give the structural integrity the higher priority.
Jonathan
Does this make sense? :huh:
I wouldn't remove the brace. I would give the structural integrity the higher priority.
Jonathan
too late, I just finished the job. I took every precaution I could think of, hopefully it will be ok.
Now next week when I'm frantically looking for a new tank because this one lays in ruble on the floor, please know that I'd consider any "I told you so"s to be flaming, and really doesn't help the cause!
I'm already having second thoughts, but live and learn I guess......
Now next week when I'm frantically looking for a new tank because this one lays in ruble on the floor, please know that I'd consider any "I told you so"s to be flaming, and really doesn't help the cause!
I'm already having second thoughts, but live and learn I guess......
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I hope you didn't go the acrylic brace route. Acrylic will not bond with glass with weld-on or silicone as was suggested.
I think you'll be fine structurally with glass braces.
I think you'll be fine structurally with glass braces.
No Jin, I used 1/4" glass, actually an old glass tank lid that came with the tank 15 years ago. I cut it with the RotoZip.
An addendum.......
After cutting out the center brace, I bowed it back and forth just twice before it broke in two pieces. I'd think it's tensil strenght would maybe be higher than glass, but from the horizontal flex, it had no strenght at all. I'm thinking it will be fine......
An addendum.......
After cutting out the center brace, I bowed it back and forth just twice before it broke in two pieces. I'd think it's tensil strenght would maybe be higher than glass, but from the horizontal flex, it had no strenght at all. I'm thinking it will be fine......
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Tank is ruined......ruined I tell you.
Since I like you I'll give you 25 bucks for it and use it for plants.
What would be a good time for me to pick this ruined tank up?
Since I like you I'll give you 25 bucks for it and use it for plants.
What would be a good time for me to pick this ruined tank up?
LOL, I guess this is one of those things that you advise against doing, but if the idiot decides to do it anyway, you want to see it!
Hopefully, I'll have enough time to do a tank test outside before filling it up inside.
Oh, and Bob Fenner did get back to me today. Here is the Exchange;
Subject: Center brace on a 36" long 65g
Hello WWM Crew,
Thank you in advance for answering my question. I've poured over the site
and can't find the exact answer.
Many people seem to want to remove the center plastic brace from their
tank, but I just want to replace it with glass.
<Can be done>
The tank is a 65 gallons, it's dimensions are 36"X18"x25". It is made of
5/16" glass, with a bottom made of 1/2" glass.
Because of shadow over my tank, I'd like to take out the aged and worn
plastic center brace and replace it with two sheets of 1/4" glass that are 5
1/2"wide each. These pieces of glass would be siliconed in place on either side
of where the old plastic brace had been located.
Would this be sufficient bracing? The tank is completely empty.
Thank you,
Dakota
<Should work... though I encourage you to look into "euro-bracing" types instead. Bob Fenner>
Sorry Bob, I had a beer in one hand and a RotoZip in the other when the idea caught me. There wasn't any EuroBracing laying around the house, nor time to consider the consequences...........
Hopefully, I'll have enough time to do a tank test outside before filling it up inside.
Oh, and Bob Fenner did get back to me today. Here is the Exchange;
Subject: Center brace on a 36" long 65g
Hello WWM Crew,
Thank you in advance for answering my question. I've poured over the site
and can't find the exact answer.
Many people seem to want to remove the center plastic brace from their
tank, but I just want to replace it with glass.
<Can be done>
The tank is a 65 gallons, it's dimensions are 36"X18"x25". It is made of
5/16" glass, with a bottom made of 1/2" glass.
Because of shadow over my tank, I'd like to take out the aged and worn
plastic center brace and replace it with two sheets of 1/4" glass that are 5
1/2"wide each. These pieces of glass would be siliconed in place on either side
of where the old plastic brace had been located.
Would this be sufficient bracing? The tank is completely empty.
Thank you,
Dakota
<Should work... though I encourage you to look into "euro-bracing" types instead. Bob Fenner>
Sorry Bob, I had a beer in one hand and a RotoZip in the other when the idea caught me. There wasn't any EuroBracing laying around the house, nor time to consider the consequences...........
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No no 25 bucks for a terrarium that size is fair.
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Either, Bob was busy at MACNA and did not have time to call you an idiot or it was someone else like Michelle or Jeff and they are a bit nicer then Bob is. Regardless, we all will call you an idiot if it makes you feel better. 
J/K
For what it is worth, I think it will hold too. Just look over the next few weeks and see if the glass is bowing anywhere. In my experience, tanks just do not explode, they will bow first till the seals can not hold any more. (it is really weird to see glass bending, you think to yourself "That should not be happening") Just look at it from all directions and make sure you are still in line.
J/KFor what it is worth, I think it will hold too. Just look over the next few weeks and see if the glass is bowing anywhere. In my experience, tanks just do not explode, they will bow first till the seals can not hold any more. (it is really weird to see glass bending, you think to yourself "That should not be happening") Just look at it from all directions and make sure you are still in line.
seems like you could place a level (or anything straight/plumb) against the front of the tank and leave it there for awhile. Then at a quick glance, you could see if there's a bow if a gap appears on either side of the tank between the level and the glass.
