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Just how necessary is the plastic center brace on a 65g?


Paul

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One small miscalculation when Karen and I finally put the tank together. We hung a Current Sundial pendant above the thing, not thinking about point sources and shadows. The result was predictable.

The tank has not been 'scaped yet, and there is a bit of a sandstorm still brewing in this picture, but you can see that I need to do something about the issue. I am starting to dream about what 90 seconds with my dremel tool could do. (Have to polish off the rough edges after all... :)

Okay, I am about half joking, but that silly *** brace in the middle of the tank doesn't seem to be taking any load at all right now. If it were to disaapear, then me and my shadow can part ways. But I do not want a living room full of water either...

Advice?

I suppose I could just sell the sundial (its less than a week old - tank was just setup on Wednesday pm. ) Then buy two clip-ons or hang two small pendants. Or buy a 36" fixture. It would help if I didn't make Scrooge McDuck look like a spendthrift. :)

-Paul

post-855-1240712202_thumb.jpg

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very,

trust me I had a 55g with a cracked plastic center brace....once sand liverock and water were added the crack in the centerbrace stretched to a gap big enough to place our hand in...

you are better off with 2 lights

or better yet..buy a piece of glass and remove the plastic brace silicone in the glass brace...tada

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Aw phooey- well, if it's so, it's so. Can't change what is.

I like the idea of replacing the cheapo black plastic with a pane of glass, but not sure how could I do the replacement without draining the tank.

-Paul

or better yet..buy a piece of glass and remove the plastic brace silicone in the glass brace...tada
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Aw phooey- well, if it's so, it's so. Can't change what is.

I like the idea of replacing the cheapo black plastic with a pane of glass, but not sure how could I do the replacement without draining the tank.

-Paul

simple:

step #1 remove 1/8th of the water

Step #2 dry and prep area where new glass center brace will be siliconed

Step #3 silicone new brace in (and i suggest use of a bar clamp)***

Step #4 after 1 day cut out old brace (use a box knife/hacksawblade/or carefully use a dremel)

Step #5 leave barclamp o for 7 day of cureing

Step #6 add water

OR

euro brace it :)

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Euro brace? I'll have to go google that. I like the idea of two glass braces and just chop heck out of the center one.

Q: Would an acrylic bar do and could it be bolted to the existing plastic with a couple nylon or plastic nuts and bolts?

-Paul

OR

euro brace it :)

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Euro brace? I'll have to go google that. I like the idea of two glass braces and just chop heck out of the center one.

Q: Would an acrylic bar do and could it be bolted to the existing plastic with a couple nylon or plastic nuts and bolts?

-Paul

yes....but it would look like **** :D

just call anchor ventana in round rock and get a qty2 4" wide by whatever LENGTH (internal length)your tank is and silicone one along the back and one along the front tada! euro braced and get at LEAST 1/4" thick glass and it doesn't need to be tempered

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If you are going to try and replace the brace it is advised to drain the tank. I believe a certain somebody, who shall remain nameless, attempted to repair a large tank this exact way without draining his first. The slight curvature and stresses were then glued into place. The tank was not in a relaxed state when the repair was made and in very short time he was at my friend's home buying a new tank.

In the end I wouldn't do it. Might consider buying another tank and selling this one.

Hey Cap? How's that new tank?

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If you are going to try and replace the brace it is advised to drain the tank. I believe a certain somebody, who shall remain nameless, attempted to repair a large tank this exact way without draining his first. The slight curvature and stresses were then glued into place. The tank was not in a relaxed state when the repair was made and in very short time he was at my friend's home buying a new tank.

In the end I wouldn't do it. Might consider buying another tank and selling this one.

Hey Cap? How's that new tank?

har har har :D my tank cracked because the original center brace broke when the tank was full and was then fixed ...THAT initial stress (of it being full of water and having no center brace) did it in...

but yes obviously draining it is the better (best) choice...but this also isn't a 6' tank we are talking about here

and the new tank is doing fine mike.

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I was actually just trying to calculate the stress that brace is actually taking. I don't trust my math, or else the plastic bracing around the tank has to be something really special, because the torsion appears to be almost non-existent when static. Water movement, however, can put a ginormous stress on it, albeit for only a few seconds at a time. (*sigh*) I guess the people building the tanks really do know what they are talking about.

So yes, I agree that draining the tank would be a good idea before doing any mods on it.

An example of poor planning on my part - this just keeps getting more and more complex.

I like the idea of just putting couple lights over the tank, though the lighting cost would increase both in routine electric costs and in bulb replacement costs. On the other hand, replacing the tank would be an option, but with what? 36LX18WX25H is a hard set of dimensions to replicate. :D

-Paul

If you are going to try and replace the brace it is advised to drain the tank. I believe a certain somebody, who shall remain nameless, attempted to repair a large tank this exact way without draining his first. The slight curvature and stresses were then glued into place. The tank was not in a relaxed state when the repair was made and in very short time he was at my friend's home buying a new tank.

In the end I wouldn't do it. Might consider buying another tank and selling this one.

Hey Cap? How's that new tank?

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I was actually just trying to calculate the stress that brace is actually taking. I don't trust my math, or else the plastic bracing around the tank has to be something really special, because the torsion appears to be almost non-existent when static. Water movement, however, can put a ginormous stress on it, albeit for only a few seconds at a time. (*sigh*) I guess the people building the tanks really do know what they are talking about.

So yes, I agree that draining the tank would be a good idea before doing any mods on it.

An example of poor planning on my part - this just keeps getting more and more complex.

I like the idea of just putting couple lights over the tank, though the lighting cost would increase both in routine electric costs and in bulb replacement costs. On the other hand, replacing the tank would be an option, but with what? 36LX18WX25H is a hard set of dimensions to replicate. :)

-Paul

In the many things that I have built, not only with this hobby but others as well, you always get a better result when you do more than what you feel you should. I figured that there was plenty of surface area to hold the fan on my tank :D We all now how that turned out. So if you are going to mod the center brace you will get much better results doing it as meticulous as possible. Draining the tank and properly prepping the area is a lot less work then cleaning up the water and trying to find temp housing for your livestock. :doh: and buying a second light would be a lot cheaper than having to get a new tank set up again. It is your adventure so do as you will, but feel free to let us know if you need any help.

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so do you need a center brace do to weak glass? my 70 from deepsea does not have a center brace but the thing is built like a tank

uh no...my 135g was far from weak in the glass department, it is all based on engineering and design, rimless tanks have no centerbrace

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You dont need to drain the tank, just get you a bar clamp and use it in place of the brace temporarily if you are planning to repair it. If the tank glass is thick enough, at least 7/16" and its a 36" wide tank, you dont need the center brace... Ive been running mine like this for six years.

Edited by JimD
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Typical AGA tank with the MegaFlow overflow built in. I'm not sure how thick the glass is, though I am thinking 5/16".

The DSA tanks look really nice, but are really expensive, and I expect they would not work on this stand either.

-Paul

You dont need to drain the tank, just get you a bar clamp and use it in place of the brace temporarily if you are planning to repair it. If the tank glass is thick enough, at least 7/16" and its a 36" wide tank, you dont need the center brace... Ive been running mine like this for six years.
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well, this is a good thread! I have a 90G oceanic "ultimate reef ready" and it has a large center brace (about 1 foot wide). I've always wanted to remove it, but have never really found a solid answer that says I can remove it. My uneducated opinion is that it was for the two removable panes of glass that came with the tank. oceanic never responded to my questions about removing it, so I gave up

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