broken brace 55gallon

[carcrazy]

I had a custom made used 60g sump with no center brace. It was okay until I accidentally over filled the main tank and the sump got almost full. I say almost because the back panel burst, luckily I was in the room and shut off the main tank overflow and then started grabbing buckets and the shop vac. What a mess!

I replaced the back panel and added two 5" cross braces on top. I tested it full for leaks and have had no problems in over a year. I would just added a couple of new cross braces across the top and you should have no problem with bowing.

Note that the back panel did not have baffles across it. The sump was originally for a salt water tank and had live rock in the first half with no baffles (it was divided length wise by a glass divider) and had baffles in the second half for media. I use it for fw with lots of pot scrubbers and the occasional bag of carbon. If it had baffles across the full width, I doubt that it would have cracked. But top braces are cheap security!

 

[oakes]

I sold a 55g with a broken center brace a few months back. I don't suppose that was you who purchased it? Oak trim with a nice wooden stand?

haha nope not me, got mine in town..

 

[oakes]

I hate to be the one who is going to go against all these ones saying that it wouldn't work but I can't understand how you can say that the baffles in the tank WON'T act like braces in the tank?? the pressure is taken off by a piece of glass almost the highth of the tank siliconed. Its no differnt then having the tank half the size. You will be fine using this tank as a sump even with the brace cut out. The place I work at will cut the brace out of a 125 and build a sump out of it using the baffles like an internal brace. Its really no differnt then having euro bracing. Good luck with the build and keep us posted on your progress!

Def. will now, as I just picked up a 130gallon that this will be the sump for..So now I have more motivation than ever!!