The cross brace on the 125 broke today. It had been weakened/fractured when we received it, but although hubby tried to reinforce it, it didn't hold.

We are attempting to replace it over the next few days. Kind of sucks cuz I'm on the nitrite stage of cycling it, but hopefully putting the media into the 55's bottom will keep it going, and I won't get too far behind. But that's not important right now.

The glass is just under 1/2" thick, so the cross brace support is definately needed. I'm researching our options. I've found the following so far, although not really sure I understand it. If someone can explain this better to me, or give more helpful advice, I'd truly appreciate it! (although the following example is on a much smaller tank, the frame is exactly what I have on my bigger one)


Hi there, really need advice. We are moving, and my husband decided to clean out the tank by himself. Somehow he broke the center brace on the top across the middle (front to back). Is there a proper way to repair this? I am assuming it is quite important when it comes to holding the support of all the water....I think the tank is about approx 40-45 gal.

In tanks that large they use to have a plastic trim that included a plastic brace across the center. This usually became brittle over time as well as the heat from the lights contributed to its shortened life. I would recommend you get a tube of silicon and a piece of glass. The silicon should be for fish tanks only. Other types have fungicides that may harm fish. Silicon the glass in the center of the tank where the brace is just under the trim. Give a few days to set up before filling it up. Make sure that all the glass is clean before applying the silicon or it may not stick. I would recommend that you fill up the tank outside first and measure the area in the center and make sure it is the same as on the ends. This way you can see if the new brace is holding. The glass should be six to eight inches wide and as long as the tank is from front to back.

I am assuming they are talking about doing something along the lines of eurobracing, but only in the center, similar to these full bracing examples:





I guess I am still not sure what I would be sealing it to. The existing plastic frame edge?

Here is my tank:



I really need some help here.

We want to start on this by Monday. Anyone have any experience with this? TIA.

Diligence pays! I found a link (thank you Kokos!!):

http://www.kokosgoldfish.com/BuildAnAquarium.html

Wishing myself luck here. I hope it works!

Good luck! I didn't reply to this because I haven't experience with DIY bracing. Hope you can work something out though.

Update:

We removed the broken brace (I'll post pics later), hubby did a fantastic job on it!!! We had a piece of glass cut and had the edges smoothed, but when we brought it home to check the size, a corner chipped off. So now they are remaking it for free. Picking it up on Monday and hopefully installing.

We are using just under 1/2 inch thick and 8" wide. It's heavy, so should work fine....as long as we make sure it cures well. Going to give it a full 14 days, per my LFS owner.

Lola,
You used a piece of glass or plexiglass? Was this tank used, if so how old was it?

Glass. We checked with www.glasscages.com and they said it should be fine. I was worried about the weight. I have some pics, but haven't gotten them off the camera yet.

I have no idea how old the used tank was. Old enough that when it was built, under 1/2 inch glass was used, and the old, thin plastic for the braces that wear easily.

Pictures



Brace Removed:



Glass Siliconed in Place:

It's messy, but I'll be cleaning it up a bit.



It's holding in place right now with the support of boxes and books:

Is that your little boy's Spiderman comic book?

Or is it your hubbys?

JOH my friend...if it wasn't for your fan club, nobody would be paying any attention to little ole' me. At least someone cares,

It's my son's. He just asked me this morning if he could have it back, and I was a meanie and said NO.

Looks like you and your hubby have done a great job getting the brace repaired. I sure hope it holds for you so you can hurry and get it set up. I know this whole business setting up your new tank has been a major hassel for ya!
How is it going with your RO system? Are you still using it?

Every day. I'm sure the water company hates me right now.

Nah, They probably love you, Love billing you that is
I don't know about your area, but we still have water restrictions around here, and if you go over your quota they have surcharges. Grrrrr.

Pic looks like a good job

Testing the integrity now. We put the tank back on the stand, and filled it with water. I'll watch it for the next 24 hours, and see what happens. to me!

It worked! Sweet!

Close Up One Side:



Close Up Both Sides:




With Water:

We actually had to tear everything down after a few weeks with water, as it wasn't sealed enough around the edges. This time, I was really generous with the silicone, and made sure to seal all surfaces:







We'll be trying again in a few weeks, and I am 99.9% certain this will hold this time.