Center glass brace - remove or not ???

[northshore]

I have a 225gl reef which has been up for a while with the usual center glass brace.

I have been thinking about getting a stainless steel bracket made out of angle iron to put inplace of the glass brace(two angle brackets the same width as the brace tack welded with two cross brackets). I could put this in place first and then cut the silicon out so I can remove the glass brace.

Would appreciate any comments about whether this is a good or bad idea. Anyone tried anything similar?

thanks

[Lars E]

I'm racking my brain but I can't figure out why the heck you'd even want to try it!

Lars.

[Cookoopod]

Sounds great. If your like me and lazy to wipe down the glass brace, then this will surely give you more light! Stainless steel is important though. Where will you get this?

[Nathan]

I have a 75g All Glass Aquarium with a black plastic brace.

I with that is was made out of glass so that I could get rid of that stinkin' shadow!

-Nathan

[northshore]

The reason I want to do this is to increase the light to the corals and allow for easier access to the center of the tank.

Over time the center glass gets salt build up because of the water movement/returns and blocks a good bit of the 250watt halide light centered on the tank. Plus my tank is 30" deep which makes working in it a real pain. Without the middle brace it would be much better.

[salty toes]

i have this same question regarding my 125!
it has 2 braces and i'm wondering if these things can be cut so more ligth reaches the inhabitants, i really hate those 2 shadows.

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There’s nothing more horrifying than stupidity in action

[Heinrich]

Stainless steel is not sufficient. You would want to use either Titanium or SSS-Marine Grade stainless steel. No other staainless steel will be able to tolerate the exposure to salt, without really toxic chemicals getting into your tank. Titanium is really the best, but a ***** to weld. If you use steele make sure to paint it with some food grade epoxy.
Also another problem is the difference in the expansion of the two materials: metal and glass. So lets see the metal expands under the metal halide, and
Crack goes the tank, or it cools down and Crack goes the tank.
Oh did I mention that if it expands further than the tank and holds it from the outside your tank will bow out and can you guess.
Crack goes the tank.
Especially with 30' high you have to be totally insane to take out the centerbrace or do any adjustments, especially if the tank is full.
The only thing safe is using much thicker glass or several layers of glass in a slimmer strip and having a connecting strip for additional width in the back. Thgis would reguire you to drain the tank completely. Also the silicone on the glass by pulling gives elaticity that you don't get with other materials. You could get an engeneer to calculate a ratio of materials you could use to counter the different expansion of the materails or redesign the tank. Almost all of this is really expensive and requires the emptying of the tank.
I hope I saved you from a sudden awakening when your tank splits in the middle and you have glass flying like shrapnel all over the place and a wave of of water and livestock rushing through your livingroom. This won't crack it will split and at 30" height and 6 feet you better be two rooms away...
Don't endanger yourself, anyone else and your animals and property.
If you don't believe me talk to the folks at Oceanic.
93! Heinrich

[Psyduck]

Logic would dictate that if the brace was not necessary, they would not have added it.

[northshore]

Thanks for the input. I have talked with three tank manufacturers and all said it would work but that removing the center glass after the brace was in place would be a real pain. Potential cracking, bowing, etc. were all concerns.

Suffice it to say I will leave well enough alone even with the drawbacks.

[bigben]

Well, I may just take a nice healthy student loan and get my dream tank.... With that in mind:

What about ordering an Oceanic RR 120 or 180 with NO center brace. Apparently, Oceanic will do this. How is the loss of strength compensated for? Should I even consider this? How bout going with the two evenly-spaced braces like Vinny was thinking about? Thanks,

Ben

PS--Will two outlets in an apartment be enough to power everything for a 120 or 180 with external pump and MH's?

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"Bake 'em away, toys."

--Police Chief Wigham

[Ninong]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by bigben:

What about ordering an Oceanic RR 120 or 180 with NO center brace. Apparently, Oceanic will do this. How is the loss of strength compensated for? Should I even consider this? How bout going with the two evenly-spaced braces like Vinny was thinking about?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Yeah, this question came up when Vinny posted that Oceanic would not build it without the center brace and I told him they would. It was just a matter of his local distributor not wanting to special order it that way.

They can make a "trimless" tank without center brace. It ends up looking a little like an acrylic tank in that they use perimeter glass bracing all around the tank. One little drawback is that they have to use thicker glass and because of the labor involved, the cost is about triple the standard tank.

They can definitely make the tank with two glass braces instead of the one wide center brace. That way you can use 3 MH lights without having any light over a brace. They cost more to make this way...you would have to ask them how much more. They make them this way all the time.

Ninong

P.S. - Obviously, this is only something to think about if you are getting a 180g....the 120g center brace is not a problem because you would only be using two MH lights.


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Irrational Exuberance!

[This message has been edited by Ninong (edited 08-01-2000).]

[CleveYank]

Unless you want to blow out a side of one of the seams in your tank.....leave it alone.

The comment of it wouldn't be there if it wasn't required is right on the money.

Either that or get an engineering degree and figure out the thickness of glass that would be required so that the brace would not be needed. If this is not the level of expertise that you feel you want to become familiar with......then don't second guess someone else's apparent engineering knowledge.....that's the job for upper management, politicians and salesman LOL.

No really leave it alone or if it is that much of a problem then get another tank that has thicker glass that will have little to no bracing.

Taking out the center brace would put a different slant on bowed front tank.