kirb20 Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 My support brace appears to be splitting and breaking apart. Any ideas why this is happening or what I should do about it?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 First thing I would check is if the stand is level. If you have wood or fiberboard, over time it can warp from moisture. Can you slide a piece of paper under the bottom of the tank in any spots? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirb20 Posted June 10, 2022 Author Share Posted June 10, 2022 Entirely level. I built it myself out of solid 2x4s. It’s a beast. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 The split looks like it's on the top. Is that correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirb20 Posted June 10, 2022 Author Share Posted June 10, 2022 Yes, top middle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 @lefty o or @StevesFishTanks - any idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirb20 Posted June 10, 2022 Author Share Posted June 10, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 just spitballing, but plastic ages, and weakens. so with that in mind it looks like that center brace has been used to lean on when cleaning the tank, and has stressed the plastic. i would look into replacing the top plastic on the tank, or the entire tank. on longer/wider tanks that braces helps to support the glass so that it doesnt bow out and break. glass failure is a very bad idea. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 (edited) On 6/10/2022 at 8:08 AM, kirb20 said: Check level on each corner of the tank itself and front to back (not just left to right). Ultimately, ideally you want that bubble in the middle of the level. If you lift up one end of the level, you can see how much angle you need to get the tank itself "more level". I would think you have an issue where front to back there might be a twist and during different points of the tank being used it gets leaned on or something set there? Honestly, I'd call the manufacturer and share details with them. The brace shouldn't tear apart like that and they might do something to help you. If they don't, no big deal. On 6/10/2022 at 9:29 AM, Pepere said: I have no idea if it would be necessary or advisable, but I personally would be getting a replacement tank and swapping it out. For the meantime, lower the water level as well. 50% or lower is best. Edited June 10, 2022 by nabokovfan87 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrWestCoast Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 Drain the tank at least 50-75% if possible and brace it with 1/2 thick cut-to-size strip of glass. The strip width will depend on the size of the aquarium. That style of bracing is notorious for failing. Plastic is degraded overtime from UV, or possibly from an aquarium light causing temperature fluctuation in the plastic itself. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirb20 Posted June 10, 2022 Author Share Posted June 10, 2022 Update - I went back to the aquarium store where I bought the tank a year ago and showed them the issue and they gave me a new tank as a replacement. Looks like my weekend will now be spent swapping tanks, which isn't my favorite thing, but better than a flood!! Thanks for all the advice. I checked my corner to corner level and it is fine too so not sure if this was maybe a defective tank? If I wanted to upgrade the brace on this one to glass, how do I do that? Just attach it to either side with clear silicone? 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirb20 Posted June 10, 2022 Author Share Posted June 10, 2022 No, I wasn't planning on using that tank again, but rather thinking of proactively putting a stronger brace on the new tank, just in case something like this happens again.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick-In-Of-TheSea Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 You can evacuate the gang to a plastic tote in the meantime 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevesFishTanks Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 On 6/10/2022 at 3:48 PM, kirb20 said: No, I wasn't planning on using that tank again, but rather thinking of proactively putting a stronger brace on the new tank, just in case something like this happens again.... You can do that, with the tank empty cut a piece of glass to fit tightly between the side panes. Use lots of silicone and squish it into place under the plastic center brace. I would use electric tape to fasten it to the center brace until the silicone fully cures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 On 6/10/2022 at 11:50 AM, kirb20 said: I checked my corner to corner level and it is fine too so not sure if this was maybe a defective tank? Good to know. Essentially, every time you fill the tank that is where the stress is at. The brace is there to take the load. Think of it like a piece of putty or something and it's stretched ever so slightly / loaded in the front to back direction. Any small imperfection in the brace itself, over time, will appear. Some tanks have stronger braces than others. They do sell metal ones, but I don't know how much I'd rely on it. If you were going to reinforce a tank, you'd very likely want to remove the top trim (difficult, but possible) and then add your stronger brace. Custom Aquariums might have some videos or resources for this, they do a lot of work and provide information for glass tanks. I would also point you towards OFR and some of their tanks have been heavily repaired as a result of the size of their tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 On 6/10/2022 at 1:50 PM, kirb20 said: Update - I went back to the aquarium store where I bought the tank a year ago and showed them the issue and they gave me a new tank as a replacement. Looks like my weekend will now be spent swapping tanks, which isn't my favorite thing, but better than a flood!! Thanks for all the advice. I checked my corner to corner level and it is fine too so not sure if this was maybe a defective tank? If I wanted to upgrade the brace on this one to glass, how do I do that? Just attach it to either side with clear silicone? very cool the store stood behind the product they sell. that is a store you want around. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirb20 Posted June 12, 2022 Author Share Posted June 12, 2022 Transfer complete and now I can sleep again 😂 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted June 12, 2022 Share Posted June 12, 2022 Nicely done. Looks good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now