critical1

Hi there,

I have set up my 65gal bowfront tank. There is about 75lbs of LR. I just bought an AquaC Urchin skimmer and a Korila 3 powerhead. Everything else came from craigslist and Ebay (tank, stand, sump, lights, plumbing, LR,etc). Today I came to the realization that I have a potential major problem. During the move to my house I broke the center brace and did not think much of it. I just thought it was to help support the hood and since I am using lights with mounting brackets on it I filled the tank about 3 weeks ago without any issue. Today it struck me that this could be a big problem with regards to tank failure.

There is a 1/8th gap in the plastic center brace that has stayed the same since day one, otherwise no visable bowing or leaks. I plan to take the tank down in 2 months as I am moving to Alaska. I decided to buy this all now because there are less options up there. Should I try to repair? Bar brace it? Take it down early? Cross my fingers? Thanks for your opinion

critical1

I couldn't sleep eventhough I believe the tank would have been ok. I sort of riged a temporary fix by drilliing two holes, one on each side of center bracket break and used cable ties around the screws (aboce and below the brace) to tighten the gap to almost zero. The weight limit on the cable ties seems to be 75lbs. Should I just keep this as is and watch or are there any suggestions. ( I scored another tank and will not be using this one in AK, Thanks for any feedback.

Trpimp147

you can always take that peice install it again and use jb weld to hold it in place that stuff is strong.

65gallon

I just noticed that the tank i just bought (used 125 gallon) has no braces.

I don't know what to do!!! someone help

Tavel

On glass tanks the braces are just to hold lids and lights. They have no structure beyond that purpose.

On acrylic tanks, the brackets are structural and hold the rim from bowing out from the weight of the water. It's probably not going to break (acrylic doesn't shatter), but it could permanently deform over time.

65gallon

Thanks i was worried that i would find a river this morning when i got up

ER9

if its acrylic you definatelly need to fix it. its structural and can lead to tank failure. basically right now the glue joints are holding that tank together. i will assume the craftsman ship is very good because of how difficult it is to build those tanks. my point being the glue joints are of good quality and can endure some stress but they will not hold up indefinatelly. if the tank is taller than it is wider the problem is even more of an issue.

the good news is its fixable but should be done correctly. unfortunatelly fixing it involves regluing another piece of acrylic that may require the tank be empty because you will need to use solvents and clamps to reglue it. also you want to glue it under as much of a stress free load as possible.

the way i would repair it is to get a strip of acrylic cut that should be at least 3/8" thick preferably 1/2" and approximatelly the same width as the original brace. have it cut so that the new piece overlaps the broken area by at least two inches on both sides of the crack....preferably 3" or more if you can do that. then ideally you would want to use large clamps to force the original brace back to its original position. that was the point when it was originally fabricated and will relieve the most stress off of the gluejoints.
once this is done you need to glue the new brace over the broken one using an acrylic solvent cement. Weld-On company makes decent solvent cements. weld-on #4 would be preferred.

gluing acrylic with solvent is a bit tricky. usually the solvent is applied with a syringe type applicator but pouring small puddles for these type of repairs is equally effective. the tricky part is if you spill any on the aquarium it will burn it and leave a mark on the plexi. so try not to. mask off any areas your concerned about with syrane wrap and blue painters tape.

if i were trying the repair myself i would try and pour small puddles on the old brace then sandwich the new on on top of it making sure the glue flows completelly between the two. once glued you would need to immediatelly clamp the two pieces together for two days minimum for the most effective bond. i would then let the tank sit another two days with the clamps on it to keep any stress off the freshly glued brace. it should be fine after a few days to remove the clamps and after a couple more to fill it with water again.