Oh No !!!

[greatgman001]

oh no
after work today i had a BIG mishap
in draining the tank of the freshwater in preparation for new salt water
i was adding the southdown sand (3 bags so far) and i put my hand on the center brace to steady my self for a moment
and CRACK!!!!!!!!
the center brace cracked clean through in the center of the brace!!!!

can ne1 give me advice on how to fix this?>

i was going to get some plexi cut to fit over the brace and to the front and back then bend them to make a support for ther brace then glue together with epoxy

PLZ HELP WITH ADVICE PLZ

 

[rickyfins]

How big of a tank? If you are serious about fixing it, go to lowes or HD and get some plastic screws and plexi. I would cut a piece the size of the old brace, drill and tap the holes in each end and the tanks plastic where the brace used to be and screw in the plastic screws. I would recommend doing so before the tank is filled, or drain the tank and fix it and then refill it or it just is worthless.

On another note, I have a 55gal tank with a broken brace that I haven't fixed and is filled. You can actually see the panes bow in the center without the brace and the old brace is about 1/4" away from the other side of the tank.

thanks,

Rick

 

[greatgman001]

well i went to lowes and got a small 8" x 10" peice of LEXAN
and some 1 minute epoxy adhesive
icut a peice for the top and bottom
the top peice is cured well but the bottom is not even after the night (i can slightly move the peice)

 

[greatgman001]

well i took the bottom peice off didnt seem to w ant to stick (bond)
will fill it up w/ water to see if it bows

 

[rickyfins]

plastic screws are crutial if you want it to work really well. They sell them in the little drawers in the fastener isle.

thanks,

Rick

 

[greatgman001]

well the top peice didnt want to stick too much
so i drilled the brace and lexan and put the nylon screws,washers, and nuts on top and bottom
very tight fitting and looks likew there will be no problem

 

[rickyfins]

Glad it worked out for ya, those plastic screws work miracles don't they! You shouldn't have any problems now, happy Reefing!

thanks,

Rick

 

[greatgman001]

there is a ever so slight bow
but i think it is no more than a normal amount

 

[raynist]

I don't think it should bow at all

 

[UNDERTHESEA(PA)]

The best course of action would be to order a replacement top brace. Getting the old one off can be a little tricky, but putting on the new one is easy. Just make sure you scrape off all the silicone. We have ordered them for customers before, and I helped a friend redo his 90 when the same thing happened to him. By the way the glass does bow, but it shouldn't bow enough for you to notice it. That may put excess stress on the side joints of the tank. Just wanted to throw this out, hope it helps.