I need an opinion of this tank ASAP

I have a 55 gallon tank and the middle brace snapped. I didn’t know the significance of this until I filled up the tank. Is the drilling holes and zip tie method a reliable fix? I’m just looking for someone who has done something similar, and maybe it worked or didn’t.

Had to say this but... I think the whole tank needs to be replaced because of that... No need to risk the whole tank brsting out water with fish and then damaging your home.

How long ago did you buy it? There may be a warranty on it

I think your fix is fine. I'm a worry wart and I wouldn't worry about that . I think the center brace is just for the glass tops and light fixture anyway.

Back in the fold said:

I think your fix is fine. I'm a worry wart and I wouldn't worry about that . I think the center brace is just for the glass tops and light fixture anyway.

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Their called "braces" for a reason. Those black plastic bars at the top and bottom of the tank help support the glass. I would try to either have someone repair it or just replace it

I would be more inclined to use something solid to span the gap and some SS bolts since you are drilling holes anyways. Tie wraps are pretty strong and will do in a pinch

Oh oops, I reviewed the pictures. Its the center brace. Although I still have heard that they put those on larger tanks to help the glass support. Its not as important as the barring going around the tank but it does help the main barring.

Rocky998 said:

Their called "braces" for a reason. Those black plastic bars at the top and bottom of the tank help support the glass. I would try to either have someone repair it or just replace it

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Okay, I saw you figured that out. It's not a brace so much as it's a support for the top. Believe it or not but I have seen tanks that were glued up with nothing but the glass. Nothing else. That plastic isn't the strongest stuff either. It's styrene, the same stuff models are molded out of. If that chincy plastic is all that's separating any of us from catastrophe I want to go back to the days of stainless steel frames .

Back in the fold said:

Okay, I saw you figured that out. It's not a brace so much as it's a support for the top. Believe it or not but I have seen tanks that were glued up with nothing but the glass. Nothing else. That plastic isn't the strongest stuff either. It's styrene, the same stuff models are molded out of. If that chincy plastic is all that's separating any of us from catastrophe I want to go back to the days of stainless steel frames .

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Yes, those are built diffrrently though and usually more expensive.

Rocky998 said:

Yes, those are built diffrrently though and usually more expensive.

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They don't make them anymore, sadly , but they were really thin metal with spot welds holding them together. The frame gives the manufacturer a kind of a jig to square things up and gives you a defined edge to attach filters , heaters and light fixtures. The old stainless steel frames were so much more elegant than the cheap plastic of today. Another casualty of capitalism.

Back in the fold said:

They don't make them anymore, sadly , but they were really thin metal with spot welds holding them together. The frame gives the manufacturer a kind of a jig to square things up and gives you a defined edge to attach filters , heaters and light fixtures. The old stainless steel frames were so much more elegant than the cheap plastic of today. Another casualty of capitalism.

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sad

Cross members are used to stop the front and back panels of glass from bowing outwards and possibly breaking. They are there for a reason and whether they are plastic or glass, they should be in good shape. The fact there is a gap between the 2 halves suggests the tank has bowed and the front and back panels of glass are under pressure.

I would reduce the water level by 6 inches and see if the gap in the support straps disappears or gets noticeably less. The tank should be able to run with a little less water in.

Then see if you can remove the black plastic strips. If you can, then post some pictures without the black piece on the top.

If the tank has glass support strips then you can silicon a new cross member onto the support strips and that will do the job.

The cross members should be the same thickness glass as the tank. And they should be about 3-4 inches wide and fit in the gap (between the front & back panes of glass) with about 1mm of space on either end.

Before gluing the cross members into place, reduce the water level right down so there is no pressure on the glass. Use an aquarium silicon to glue the cross member in place. Let it dry for a week and then fill it up.

So, this is what we ended up doing. Do you think this is a reasonable fix? It seems to stay together and the glass is not bowing.

Much smaller gap, so much better

Did you use galvanised steel, stainless steel or something else?
I always have concerns about galvanised metal and animals, birds or fish.