180 gallon acrylic tank buldge......help?

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Tokay

Candiru
MFK Member
Apr 22, 2006
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3
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Just setup my triple stack 60,180, and 95.

Just the front of my 180 is bulging out a litte in the middle.
When i put a flat piece of pvc and hold it in the middle. Id say its about a 1/4" gap from the tank and pvc at the very top and bottom.
The tank has been ran in the past a few times without problems.
There arn't any bulkheads on the side just about 8 or 9 on the bottom (I dont know why so many).
Never had a large acrylic over a long period of time.
The back isn't as bad but u can still tell is does a little.

What would you guys suggest?

SEe if it get worse?
Take it down and consider it not good anymore?
Drain till buldge is gone and put a support beam there, in hope it will stop it from forming?
Or i was considering just running it with only...50-70% full or atleast till buldge is gone....

I need to decide what to do and do it today.
Thank you for your time.
 
Can you explain "triple stack" ?? Do you have a pic?

Are you stacking these tanks on top of each other?

I have a few acrylic tanks and they do buldge a bit even my large 360 with 3/4 thick acrylic buldges, that's normal.
 
yeah its a recent thread look for it...
 
what is the thickness id the acrylic? if it's 3/8" thats probably why its bowing that much and u cant do anyhing about it. Even 1/2" tanks bows but not as much.
 
Yeah its 3/8 thick.
Great, thanks for the info.
Im just going to wait to see if it gets worse and hope it doesn't blow.
 
dude, that structure looks like its bowing under the weight too. i can't say i feel like this triple stack is structurally sound. plus, you have a MASSIVE amount of weight in one spot on the floor. i suggest that you try to spread the tanks out about your home. as for the acrylic, after a while acrylic will bow/bend and hold shape. do you think its possible that the tank could've bowed and held its shape from previous use?
 
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