Need experienced/fast advice on bowing

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Jon M

Jon M

Polypterus
MFK Member
Dec 18, 2010
1,252
155
96
Port Saint John, FL
I just built a stand for two 40g 26" X 18" tanks. I don't think the stand is what is causing the bowing. I've never measured this tank before.

Side corners of the tank are the same measurements from front to back. Center is bowing 3/16" more than corners. Is this normal or a no go? Again, I've never measured this tank so for all I know it was like this before hand. I know it holds water. It was setup on the floor before the stand...


Should I be worried about the 3/16" yeah or nay?
 
Is it glass or acrylic? Are the measurements the same ar the top as the bottom?
 
Is 26x18" the footprint? how tall are the tanks?
 
God dammit. I typoed 26". It's 36" X 18" standard 40g breeder. 17" tall. Glass. I can't tell if it's bowing at the bottom as far as measurements. It's sitting on a stand. I can't measure such a thing...
 
So long as the rim is solid I wouldn't worry. Seeing as how glass doesn't bend all that well at room temp the bowing is most likely a manufacturing defect. To check if the bowing is consistent from top to bottom you can hop a level vertically on the front glass.
 
I don't have a level but this is 3/16" bow on glass. Is that something that I should be worried about or am I just over worrying? I mean I just measured the bowing in the center on the second 40g that is the same dimensions on the floor and it bows in the center 2/16" and that was boughten new about 6 months ago. Maybe it's always bowed and we just never took the time to measure it?

What I'm really concerned about is whether 3/16" bowing in the center of a glass 40g breeder is normal or if it's something I should be worried about.
 
Personally, I'd drain it to check it. My 190 did this and I drove to the LFS to ask advice but when I came back all the water was on the floor(an hour later). I know mine was 190 gallons but still, better to be safe then sorry.
 
glass will bend just slightly, I noticed it first on my 30 inch long tank, the long side was bowing just a bit to the naked eye, I was a bit worried but then took a long ruler to a 55 gallon tank and even though they didnt look like they were bowing to the naked eye, there were in fact bowing a bit in the spans between the braces. bowing for thinner glass such as mine and your tanks isn't too bad, its the thicker glass that can fail catastrophically due to the compression of the inside and the expansion of the outside face.
 
What is the thickness of the glass on both tanks? Do either of the tanks have the center plastic divider for glass lids?
 
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