Stocking ideas for 200L tank.

[xxamyxx85]

The glass shelves are bracer bars to stop the glass bowing outwards under the pressure of water. Some tanks use these, others use a strip of metal or plastic running from front to back over the middle of the tank.
I used to have a Juwel Rio 125 which has a plastic bracer bar attached to the top trim at the front and back of the tank. I noticed that a gap was developing between the lid and the trim front and back in the middle of the tank and when I investigated I discovered that the bracer bar and attached trim had pulled away from the glass and the long sides of the tank were bowing outwards.
Not being confident of my DIY skills, I replaced it with a custom built tank which has the glass shelf bracer bars, and these double up as supports for glass sliding covers. You could use them to hold a condensation tray if one will fit under the lid.

So no to removing then? Will the corydoras be okay?

 

[Essjay]

The cories will be fine. I would not remove them on a 200 litre tank unless there was a different type of bracer running from the front wall to the back wall.
I have just discovered that the glass strips are called Euro bracing

 

[xxamyxx85]

The cories will be fine. I would not remove them on a 200 litre tank unless there was a different type of bracer running from the front wall to the back wall.
I have just discovered that the glass strips are called Euro bracing

Ok great, thank you for finding that out. So should I fill the tank up to the euro bracing or only fill to and inch or so below the bracing?

 

[Essjay]

I fill it to just below the bracer. Does the tank have a trim on the outside at the top? Filling it to between the bottom of the bracer and the bottom of a trim means there is no gap showing above the water.

 

[xxamyxx85]

I fill it to just below the bracer. Does the tank have a trim on the outside at the top? Filling it to between the bottom of the bracer and the bottom of a trim means there is no gap showing above the water.

No trim and bracer is literally to the bottom of where the lid ends, I’m kinda gutted I’m going to have the gap. Thank you anyway.

 

[xxamyxx85]

Maybe I could bodge job the lid

 

[Essjay]

Could you find some plastic edging type of thing that you could attach to the rim of the tank? Or even plastic tape (electrician's tape) of whatever colour matches the lid?

 

[LostBear]

Maybe I could bodge job the lid

If a job's worth doing, it's worth bodging - this has always been my motto.

Interesting info re;the bracer bars-I'd always though it was just to put a condensation tray on. But now I know better. Thank heavens you asked about them though, XXamy - you could have had a disaster!

 

[xxamyxx85]

Could you find some plastic edging type of thing that you could attach to the rim of the tank? Or even plastic tape (electrician's tape) of whatever colour matches the lid?

That’s what I was thinking and then thought of the plastic sticky stuff for blacking out windows. I’m going to hit amazon hard in a minute lol.

If a job's worth doing, it's worth bodging - this has always been my motto.

Interesting info re;the bracer bars-I'd always though it was just to put a condensation tray on. But now I know better. Thank heavens you asked about them though, XXamy - you could have had a disaster!

Great minds think alike
sometimes I think I ask too many questions...... it’s times like these when I realise it’s a good thing.

 

[AquaBarb]

Never kept a pleco and always heard that they're a bit messy in planted tanks in terms of ripping stuff up.. is that an overstatement? Cos I'd love some!

Ive got a BN pleco in my 29g. Cool looking fish but his a nightmare some times. Ive scaped it 3 times this year to try and pleco proof it.

Dont do it lol

 

[Essjay]

you could have had a disaster!

With the Rio tanks, the lid is a light bar across the middle with flaps that slot into the light bar and rest in a ledge on the inside of the trim. When I noticed the gap between the flaps and the trim it was 5 mm more in the centre of the front and back than at the edges.

What I did find interesting when I googled bracer bars this afternoon was the number of sites selling replacement bracer bars for Rio tanks