Habitat - Indoor :: Broken tank on CraigsList - Fixable?

[mat012]

There is a 110 gallon tank on craigslist for next to nothing. They say though that the crossbrace is broken and that it cannot be filled to the top. Out of curiosity, can anyone thing of a way to fix this? It must be 1/4 glass for that size tank, so I am wondering if a glass cross brace couldnt be glued to the sides of the glass. Would this work?

[crackerlady2007]

If it is the same as my tank, it is just screwed on to the top of each side. If its broken, I think its just the plastic and could be replaced easily.

[Chrisbarnett]

I wonder if you could just order a whole new rim? from somewhere like glasscages?

[Squishy]

With the tank empty, I think you can get some glass or acrylic strips and silicone them to the top edge of the center of your aquarium. Two layers of 3/8" glass or plexi should do - that's how my 135 gallon tank is reinforced below the plastic trim on top.

[mat012]

Its gone - someone bought it this morning. I wonder if they will fix it - hope so! it was a steal.

[Chrisbarnett]

Dang!

They could have even bought it to use as a reptile tank rather than an aquarium.

[Squishy]

On the subject of cross-bracing - is it normal for those tanks built without any to just slightly bow out?

[mat012]

No - not unless they are a bow front tank built to that shape. Is the tank acrylic or glass? Either way it is responding to the pressure of the water and is not stable. I would take out at least of third if not half of the water until you can get a new tank.

Is it the 135 gallon tank referenced in your signature? If so that is a major issue - tanks that size must have thick walls, bracing and be well supported or they will break (water, substrate, animals everywhere - not pretty!) Tell us more about the tank - before I empathetically panic!

[Squishy]

No, it's a 75-gallon tank with 3/8" glass. I did a water change on that today and I notced that the glass is just slightly bowed even without water pressure, so I don't really know what to think of it. It's definitely not a bowfront tank, unless the tank builders reeeally got lazy in shaping the bow.

My 135-gallon has pretty substantial cross-bracing, also with 3/8" glass.

[mat012]

Can you post pics? Maybe it is a flaw in the glass and not a structural issue. Hmmm Hopefully someone else will have some input as well.

[Squishy]

It wouldn't show up in a picture - it's just a very slight deflection, like 2 mm or so. Unless you are there in person and kneel at just the right spot, you wouldn't notice it. It was a fairly cheap tank ($80 used) and in a room with a tile floor, so I'm not too concerned about it. How would I check to see what glass thickness would normally be used in a 75-gallon rimless? If it's 3/8" glass then I should be fine. It doesn't look like the old trim was broken and replaced with non-supportive trim.

[mat012]

I have a 70 gallon and the glass is 3/8" - so the thickness is probably right. Could just be a glass flaw. Tile is good - If its been like this for a while I'd probably not worry too. I have my tank in the kitchen. Fortunately for clean up the floor is linoleum. Unfortunately, the floor is linoleum (not a big fan o the look).

[Squishy]

Thanks for letting me know. I guess it's probably a glass flaw. The seller tells me that it's been use like that for the past eight years.