Getting back into the hobby

BrokenSpoke

New member
Over the summer I had a total crash of my 9 year old tank and lost everything. Since then the tank has been sitting outside as I just wanted it out of the house.

After bringing it back inside last night I noticed that the center brace has cracked in half and the plastic trim that goes around the top of the tank also has a crack, the crack goes all the way through from top to bottom, in one spot on the back. Any suggestions on how to repair this?

Thanks!
 
I had a tank that had the top brace cracked all the way thru and the bottom frame was broken and never had a problem with it.If it makes you feel more secure super glue the bottom frame and make a acrylic brace for the top...but don't think that you will need it.
 
is worth repairing? what if it started to leak a couple of months from now. clamp and silicone hopefully that works. dr milhouse has a 180g for 250$
 
you can buy those braces/trim pieces and just put on a new one ...ive seen smaller ones at tood's or in sure can find them online
 
you can buy those braces/trim pieces and just put on a new one ...ive seen smaller ones at tood's or in sure can find them online

I hadn't thought of that so thank you for the suggestion. As for the other post, is it worth reparing? Yep. The brace / trim is the only problem with my 75. The crash was related to a heater that stuck on while I was gone for a weekend. Raised the tank temp to about 95 and killed everything.
 
I had a 75g that had the center brace crack in half. I ordered one up for it a while back and it cost me about $25. I wouldn't trust repairing it. You don't want your tank to bow out.
 
you can repair those center braces with acrylic glue too. i used #3 i think it was to repair the brace on my 180g. i cut a couple small strips of acrylic and sandwiched the broken spot with those. worked great.
there is a problem though. if the tank sat outside for a few months or more, there could be more damage to the rest of the frame/s and repairing it may be futile. the uv radiation from the sun will damage plastic. the frames may split unexpectedly in the future.
 
You might want to check with a tank manufacturer but, I thought that the trim around the top of the tank wasn't used for structural support on a tank that small. The center support may be necessary to keep the glass from bowing but I can't be sure. I would probably do what zombiereef suggested and use acrylic glue on the center support. I believe most of the structural support comes from the silicone bonding on the edges of the glass.
I could be wrong, that's why I suggest contacting someone who makes glass tanks.
 
I rebuilt mine. Got some epoxy, a piece of plexiglass and reinforced it all. I did it while it was full of live stock, used a motorcycle tie down and pulled it all back in place, then rebuilt it. I was likely stronger than when it was new and I used it for a couple of years without a problem.

If you just want a new/used tank, I have a buddy who has a 72gal BF and stand he'd likley let go cheap.
 
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