ideas on bracing

[hunterpandme]

Hi all,
I was wondering if anyone knew about replacing the glass brace across the top of a tank...
I bought a 600gal and while i was trying to get stuff out, I cracked one of the two braces that goes across.
It also has the bracing that goes around the top on the inside,which is ok.

Will be selling a 240g reef in the near future.

thanx...

 

[bgdiving]

If the existing brace is not useable cut it free at the sillicone, remove all of the silicone, have another piece of glass cut to fit and silicone it in place. I used C clamps over blocks of wood to hold the brace in place. and then I used a couple of large pipe clamps to pull the bow out of the tank and hold it in place while the silicone cured, again I used wood ,styrofoam and/or cardboard to protect the glass from the metal clamps. An extra set of hands is handy when the blocks and clamps start to slip. My center brace is still holding about 6 years later on my 7ft 170. Good luck and have fun.

 

[bgdiving]

another thought, if the brace is just cracked but not broken and seperated. You could patch it by laminating a thin sheet of glass to the top and another sheet of glass to the bottom of the existing brace, it would probabllly be a lot easier than replacing the exissting brace. It would block a little more light doing it this way.

 

[hunterpandme]

Thanx for the ideas!!!