Mayday, centerbrace broke.

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WestTex

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jun 15, 2008
135
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New Braunfels, Texas
Hello folks,

So my seven year 55 gallon is in trouble. I removed the top this morning to start cleaning the tank and saw that the plastic center brace was broken and the front pane of glass was bowed out by 1/2 inch. The tank is 48 inches long 18" wide and 22" deep. I'm removing the water now to relieve the pressure and bow is getting better.

I have 20 neons, a 5 inch african feather fin catfish, about 15 ghost shrimp, a rubber lipped pleco, and a crayfish in there. I am at a loss.

Can i fix this tank by taking silicone and gluing maybe a 1/4 inch thick piece of glass, maybe 6 inches wide, cut to the correct dimensions. Will that hold? How long will it take to cure it?

My fish are another issue..i guess I could try and keep them alive in a cooler or something until its running again...

If it can be fixed guys i could use some help. If it cannot I guess its time to upgrade.

Thanks in advance

WesTex
 
you can diy almost anything for that brace, the original was just plastic so the material doesn't need to be that great. I actually ran a 55g for years without the brace without issue, this is due to most 55g's being tempered that it can hold without it.

so if you've got access to metal a small peice of steel bent over at the ends works, if you've got a plastic ruler you can empty the tank, spuer glue the ruler over the existing brace and let it dry and that works.

pretty much a million ways to fix this, just depends on what you've got on hand.
 
yogurt_21;4475057; said:
you can diy almost anything for that brace, the original was just plastic so the material doesn't need to be that great. I actually ran a 55g for years without the brace without issue, this is due to most 55g's being tempered that it can hold without it.

so if you've got access to metal a small peice of steel bent over at the ends works, if you've got a plastic ruler you can empty the tank, spuer glue the ruler over the existing brace and let it dry and that works.

pretty much a million ways to fix this, just depends on what you've got on hand.
Click to expand...

Do you think that Gorilla glue would hold? its a clean break so I wonder if that would work? Just glue the old plastic piece to where the break occurred.
 
Sure its a 55g? Those dimensions are closer to a 80 gallon.

As far as the center brace goes, if it is plastic, I would use super glue in place of gorilla glue just because it would cure much faster and IMO/IME it is just as strong. There are plenty of things you could also pick up at a hardware store to use as a temp fix.
 
i was busy and just guessed on the dimensions( its 48 x 12 x 20). Long and short plan. I'm going to glue the brace and let it cure for a couple of days then refill it and see if it holds. the fish are fine in a 50 quart ice chest with the heater and filter going and plenty of cover to make them feel secure.

Buddie has a nice 125 gallon with all the gear to get it running sitting in his garage and is going to hold it until I have the moola to pick it up.

Thanks for your help guys.
 
Even if you glued it and it holds I wouldn't fill the tank up all the way. I have heard way too many horro stories to trust used tanks, expecially any with ANY reason to doubt them. Just five or ten gallons can do hundreds or even thousands of dollars in damage and it simply isn't worth the risk.

I would simply buy a new tank, 55 or an upgrade is up to you.
 
that is the school of thought I have been going with..it would suck to come home to find all that water and dead fish in my living room. It may take a month or so to come up with the money to get and set up the new tank though and I hate to give my fish up. Don't know how they would do in a ice chest for that long.

In addition I would be going a new direction with a tank that size. I have always wanted to go brackish with archers and that is what I will do when I get that 125.
 
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