MAJOR problem.. please help

[jerseysubadiver]

ok.. long story short.

the plastic center brace on my 125 gallon tank broke. theres about a 1/8 of an inch gap where it cracked, and i'm worried about the tank seems breaking and spilling 125+ gallons of water on the floor. i emptied about 60 gallons from it to take the pressure off.

is there any reliable way to fix this other then getting a new tank?

 

[jgln]

I would rig something up before I tore the whole tank down, may not look as nice but if the reef is nice that is what I would do. I did that to a 40g using wood but there must be something better you can use. I am thinking something like a carpenter's clamp if they make them that big even if just temporary.

 

[jgln]

You know, you could use wood too, like oak, and build a "clamp" matching the width of the ends and when you go to place it have someone ready with the "clamp" while you SLOWLY pull the sides together. Place the "clamp" on the end and gradually slide toward the center, you could build 2 also. Good luck!

 

[Mike31154]

Yes, use a large clamp for now until you're ready for a more permanent solution. Take care when applying clamping pressure though. Now, depending on where your brace broke, you may be able to use what remains of the brace to effect a fairly decent looking repair. I've seen a number of similar situations related here where a piece of acrylic was used to bridge the space between the broken brace. Some have cut most of the brace off, leaving a few inches at each side to attach the acrylic or other material. Nylon screws/bolts are available to make a solid attachment. This all depends on whether you have sufficient brace material left at each side of the tank. Good luck.

 

[dhammers06]

why don't you clamp it back to its original position and glue a strip of acrylic to it with pvc cement. I think you could order a new top rim for the tank down the line.

 

[spamreefnew]

i agree with the above,,but i would use a few small nuts and bolts(6/32 ss) along with the glue. if you paint it black it would almost look factory

 

[MichaelLitoris]

can you post a picture?

 

[HighlandReef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15412090#post15412090 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spamreefnew
i agree with the above,,but i would use a few small nuts and bolts(6/32 ss) along with the glue. if you paint it black it would almost look factory

+1, just make sure to use the plastic bolts

 

[Berkeleyaquaman]

What caused the break?
Unfortunately I say take the tank down and redo with a new tank. Check the manufacturer's warrantee

 

[ginger7286]

I agree, new tank. Fixing this against the pressure will be too hard. If the gap if left it puts pressure on the other braces. If you clamp it and that pressure is uneven you could crack the glass have a bigger problem.