large tank stress and sealing issue help...

[smstrick20]

I have had my 180 for about 7 years now and it has been empty and in storage for the last 2 years in a climate controlled environment. The problem is as I was taking the tank down I notice one of my glass top braces had come undone and appeared to have pulled away from the back of the tank slightly from where it began. Obviously once the water was removed it seems to have settled back to its original spot.

My question is... should I be concerned about the structural integrity of the glass having been strained that way, or is it safe to just reseal the brace and go from there?

 

[Agu]

Glass can bow without compromising it's structural integrity. My 10 gallon tanks bow almost 1/8" on a twenty inch span.

However if the brace isn't repaired you're risking catastrophic failure.

 

[smstrick20]

thanks, my plan is to repair and reseal all the top braces