I bought a 75g on CL today. Unfortunately, the center bar of the top had been cut away. Is it stable like this? Any suggestions for how I am going to get an inexpensive light set-up and hood to stay on there? I can rig something up from Home Depot, but if I need the front-to-back support for the glass, I don't know how to go about it.
75 gallon center support cut away
- Thread starter beckyd
- Start date
Depending on what's left of the center brace, some people have had luck using glass and silicone to silicone the glass in between the front and back. Notice I said luck. This isn't something that I would personally do. The center brace doesn't just give somewhere convenient to place lights, but it gives structural stability to the tank keeping the front and back from bowing out to much.
A more permanent solution would be to replace the entire top trim, which would include a new center brace. This would be a long job, and a pain to do, but IMHO would be the better solution if you want to use it as a fish tank.
I would also just make sure the tank is made for aquarium use. I know some reptile tanks have the same dimensions, but the glass used isn't as thick and won't be able to hold up under the pressure of a tank full of water. These also sometimes don't have the center brace. On my 75g the front and back panels of glass are close to .5" .
A more permanent solution would be to replace the entire top trim, which would include a new center brace. This would be a long job, and a pain to do, but IMHO would be the better solution if you want to use it as a fish tank.
I would also just make sure the tank is made for aquarium use. I know some reptile tanks have the same dimensions, but the glass used isn't as thick and won't be able to hold up under the pressure of a tank full of water. These also sometimes don't have the center brace. On my 75g the front and back panels of glass are close to .5" .
Thank you both for responding. The glass is not quite .5". It is exactly 3/8". It has had Oscars bred in it according to the previous owner. So, he says its fine, but I knew it was more than 'convenient'.
I have attached 2 photos. (correctly, I hope)
Any idea where I could get ahold of a new top trim section? I don't mind doing it if I can figure out how and where to get it. How would I get the current one off??
How about if I bought an acrylic sheet and cut away the centers of each half with a dremel, leaving a bar in the middle. If I attached it to the remaining trim with aquarium sealant, could I trust it?
I have attached 2 photos. (correctly, I hope)
Any idea where I could get ahold of a new top trim section? I don't mind doing it if I can figure out how and where to get it. How would I get the current one off??
How about if I bought an acrylic sheet and cut away the centers of each half with a dremel, leaving a bar in the middle. If I attached it to the remaining trim with aquarium sealant, could I trust it?
Attachments
I have 1 90g with a glass center brace and another 90g with no center brace, the one without i attempted to add a plexiglass brace to but i found silicone doesnt stick to plexi glass for long..lol. So now i am exploring option to add one but it is filled with fish so I havent came up with a good plan yet.
Is plexiglass the same as acrylic? I wonder why it wouldn't hold.Hmm. At any rate, I found my solution, I think. Glasscages.com sells the trim for people ambitious enough to build their own tanks. They have several size options, including mine(yeah!). I will order it and keep my fingers crossed that its a perfect fit. The measurements look good. Wish me luck and check them for your tank size. You could get lucky
Lack of Center Brace
Good afternoon
My original 75 gallon was purchased before they even came with a center brace. In moving, my glass cover (one piece) was shattered...darned moving companies. I went to any website that sells glass covers and got the thickness, then, I measured my tank frame and had glass custom cut, two pieces, as in, one 48" narrower than the second 48" long back sections, just like you would ese ein a normal hinged glass cover. I then went to either Drs Foster and Smith or That Pet Place and got the hinge strip and back strip, and the little plastic handles and effectively recreated a single glass cover. Measurements of the inside edge of the tank frame are absolutely critical as well as a good glass cutting place. I think the total cost of everything was like $50.00.
When I originally started asking questions about the cover to fish stores and others, they told me I had to buy a new tank if I didn't have the center brace or go with no cover..guess I showed them *SUNSMILE*
Good afternoon
My original 75 gallon was purchased before they even came with a center brace. In moving, my glass cover (one piece) was shattered...darned moving companies. I went to any website that sells glass covers and got the thickness, then, I measured my tank frame and had glass custom cut, two pieces, as in, one 48" narrower than the second 48" long back sections, just like you would ese ein a normal hinged glass cover. I then went to either Drs Foster and Smith or That Pet Place and got the hinge strip and back strip, and the little plastic handles and effectively recreated a single glass cover. Measurements of the inside edge of the tank frame are absolutely critical as well as a good glass cutting place. I think the total cost of everything was like $50.00.
When I originally started asking questions about the cover to fish stores and others, they told me I had to buy a new tank if I didn't have the center brace or go with no cover..guess I showed them *SUNSMILE*