Brace and resealing question.

[Kainn]

Got a 72" x 24" x 18" tank. It looks to be a older tank and has no center brace. I took the old plastic molding off the top and built a hood for it. My question is does it need some more bracing?

My next question is I am resealing it. The bottom was really good and thick, but the side were bad. Can I just do the sides or will it cause problems rebonding to the old silicone and not seal properly? Thanks.

 

[Kainn]

Glass is 1/2" if that matters.

 

[12 Volt Man]

no.

1/2" glass is fine with no brace.

the tank was not designed with a brace, it doesn't need one.

keep in mind though with all the older braceless tanks, a slight bow to the glass is normal and expected.

they used to make the glass tops for tanks with the same footprint but different heights slightly different measurments to account for the increased bowing on the taller tanks.

my older 90 and 65 (same footprint, different heights) were like this.

 

[12 Volt Man]

as for the sealing, you need to remove as much of the old silicone as you can, without seperating the glass panels. leave the original seal intact (just the part in between the glass - try to remove everything else).

apply new silicone over top of the joints and cure.

 

[Kainn]

as for the sealing, you need to remove as much of the old silicone as you can, without seperating the glass panels. leave the original seal intact (just the part in between the glass - try to remove everything else).

apply new silicone over top of the joints and cure.

So take the bottom silicone off? Because it's fine. Only the sides that didn't look trustworthy. I have the sides off and didn't get in the original seal at all. Just need to clean them really well. My main concern was the integrity were the new side silicone meets the old bottom sillicone if I don't remove it all.

 

[12 Volt Man]

considering that it is an older tank (the last time bracless tanks were mass produced was the mid to late 90's), it probably wouldn't hurt to reseal the bottom as well.

 

[Z Trip]

I have a 100 gallon tank thats 6 feet long and where the two peices of glass meet, the silicon is full of air bubbles.... Rigth now its for snake, but I woulf one day like to put a fish in it. I had water in it and their was no leaks but it does worry me.