Adding Euro Brace?

[SteveMM62Reef]

I have 65 Gallon Rimless Aquarium, that I need to move from my Shop to Aquarium Room. I have the help and equipment to move it just with it drained down. But, I’m thinking about tearing it down and installing Euro Bracing to the Front and Sides. This is to give me a better place to set the glass top, and to prevent splashing over the side while cleaning. Any advice on how to add the Euro Brace would be appreciated.

 

[Idech]

I don’t know how to add it but I just had a custom made tank built that way.

Mine is 12 mm glass, 3 inches wide (110 gallons DT)

I asked them to put some on the bottom as well, for added strength (it wasn’t necessary though as the security factor was high enough already).

 

[56longroof]

https://www.aquariumframeswholesale.com/framesThis looks like a convenient way to add bracing.

 

[shakacuz]

I don’t know how to add it but I just had a custom made tank built that way.

Mine is 12 mm glass, 3 inches wide (110 gallons DT)

I asked them to put some on the bottom as well, for added strength (it wasn’t necessary though as the security factor was high enough already).

i plan on doing this exactly to a future 60G cube(bracing the bottom inside, and of course the top)

does anyone have an idea of how thick the glass has to be for a 60G cube? should it be thicker, or the same as the glass of the cube?

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

Nice Aquarium, who is the Manufacturer?

 

[Armt350]

@Idech Interesting that your brace goes all the way to the sides. When I had my tank made the manufacturer specifically chose not to.

 

[AustinJT]

I don’t know how to add it but I just had a custom made tank built that way.

Mine is 12 mm glass, 3 inches wide (110 gallons DT)

I asked them to put some on the bottom as well, for added strength (it wasn’t necessary though as the security factor was high enough already).

Does anyone have video on how bottom brace being added?

I try to refill glue this way many time but it came out horribly wrong!!

If anyone can share advice or have any video to send me, I'd be very appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[UncommonSense]

Does anyone have video on how bottom brace being added?

I try to refill glue this way many time but it came out horribly wrong!!

If anyone can share advice or have any video to send me, I'd be very appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

You want to use a very thin strip of glass (ideally <32-38mm wide), silicone adhesive cure rates can reach <1mm per-side, per-day in large slab laminations like the bottom bracing pictured above!

I actually tested this, and managed a total of 62.5mm cured solid silicone out of a 75mm wide glass:glass silicone lamination over an 8 week long curing period, using a ventilation system the entire time to help silicone cure faster…


As to applying the glass bottom brace strips inside a tank:

— I’ve had good luck laying a large bead of silicone along the inside corner being worked on, then setting the thoroughly cleaned glass strip or strips into the silicone like a wedge, letting the glass bracing extrude all the air from the seams…

— Note that this does take some care to avoid pressing the glass bracing strips too tightly against the tank’s glass panes, starving the seams of silicone adhesive!

 

[AustinJT]

You want to use a very thin strip of glass (ideally <32-38mm wide), silicone adhesive cure rates can reach <1mm per-side, per-day in large slab laminations like the bottom bracing pictured above!

I actually tested this, and managed a total of 62.5mm cured solid silicone out of a 75mm wide glass:glass silicone lamination over an 8 week long curing period, using a ventilation system the entire time to help silicone cure faster…


As to applying the glass bottom brace strips inside a tank:

— I’ve had good luck laying a large bead of silicone along the inside corner being worked on, then setting the thoroughly cleaned glass strip or strips into the silicone like a wedge, letting the glass bracing extrude all the air from the seams…

— Note that this does take some care to avoid pressing the glass bracing strips too tightly against the tank’s glass panes, starving the seams of silicone adhesive!

I've seen the strip of glass as large as 120mm = 12cm.

And it was laid out incredibly well. All sides are leveled. Basically pristine work with glue almost 2-3mm thickness evenly throughout the strip.

However... I try various method with Aquarium Silicone, short glass if fine, however, if tank get to 200cm or longer, it's very difficult, by the time I put all glue for 200cm (with my own method), glue is almost hardened. And when I press down the strip glass, glue is barely move and even if it's, there's bubble everywhere.

And it cannot get it leveled...

The only thing I can do to archive is, is using "Flow-able" neutral-cure silicone, while it achieved the looks, it doesn't have the strength of Glass to Glass bond like Aquarium Glue which would make these types of Braces useless since it's meant to strengthen the structure.

 

[UncommonSense]

However... I try various method with Aquarium Silicone, short glass if fine, however, if tank get to 200cm or longer, it's very difficult, by the time I put all glue for 200cm (with my own method), glue is almost hardened. And when I press down the strip glass, glue is barely move and even if it's, there's bubble everywhere.

Ah! I’ve had good luck here using an electrically driven caulking gun to empty the cartridge of silicone quickly along a large span!

Recently, I applied 241cm (~8ft) of aquarium silicone all in one pass to install 32mm wide glass bottom bracing using this method, consuming a full 300ml cartridge of Momentive RTV108 silicone!

(Note the very ugly, but very functional perimeter inlet fume hood resting on the tank’s rim, sucking air through the plumbing holes to cure the large silicone lamination there)

 

[AustinJT]

Ah! I’ve had good luck here using an electrically driven caulking gun to empty the cartridge of silicone quickly along a large span!

Recently, I applied 241cm (~8ft) of aquarium silicone all in one pass to install 32mm wide glass bottom bracing using this method, consuming a full 300ml cartridge of Momentive RTV108 silicone!

(Note the very ugly, but very functional perimeter inlet fume hood resting on the tank’s rim, sucking air through the plumbing holes to cure the large silicone lamination there)

That's kind of my point...

I can do that as well... but it's not smooth or beautiful. It's acceptable...

Yes... I do have pneumatic caulking, they work better than Electric Actually. And far stronger, can force silicone into deep crack.

If I place at 1.2mm to 1.5mm below the strip to create distance. I can press strip glass down and even out the surface smoothly, however, the issue is with "Spacers"... after removed & though I can force silicone through the space to fill the gap, it still create a hair-thin line, sometime micro bubble. Even that annoyed me!!

Since I've seen 100% quality work, its bugs me when I cannot get it done the same. I believe if I could just see how someone does it, I can get it done.

I still can wiggle my ways around it but I believe it's just more complicated than the original work.

1. It's to lay the strip first, using wood clamp to properly seal it to bottom glass. However, this method would beat the purpose of Structure Strengthen because what it ended up doing, is just creating a thicker layer of ice. Contrast to when you lay the strip glass with "One-Time Glue" that attach itself to both Bottom & Side of the tank.

2. Using Neutral Cure Silicone, it leaves more time to work on it and it's a bit flowy than standard aquarium silicone, but that also reduced its strength which beat the purpose of installing the brace supports.

3. Using flow-able is basically the same thing.

4. Re-mixing the silicone by pour it out into to a Mixing Cup and mix it with Silicone Thinner that allow it take more time to cure and soften than usual... the issue is... I'm quite certain this method is compromising structure & strength of Silicone itself.

5. Coating the strip first, with 1mm of silicone. Place glue in multiple rows and use a spatula or scraper to spread the glue across the strip of glass. This way, when you press it down, even if there are some texture or bubble issue, you won't see it since the first 0.5 to 1mm of silicone covers it. It's like adding a sticker to cover the ugliness inside!!

So far, Option #5 is what I frequently use!! I coat the strip, then place mutilple rows of glue or beads and just press it down and still the front gap like I do normal.. Now the inside is not perfect, filled with air, but it's functional & surface is look cleaned.

But then again, I did see a perfect work once. And I also was the one who tear the tank down, so I know the glue filling was 100% perfect, no gap, no air... And they somehow able to lay glue as thick as 3-4mm evenly across all 4 stripe. Each Strip of glass is 12cm. And all 4 sides were leveled to equivalent of "Self-level Epoxy Resin Casting".

The quality was insane and it kills to not be able to replicated it. And I ask many profession glass works, no one able to do it.

 

[UncommonSense]

If I place at 1.2mm to 1.5mm below the strip to create distance. I can press strip glass down and even out the surface smoothly, however, the issue is with "Spacers"... after removed & though I can force silicone through the space to fill the gap, it still create a hair-thin line, sometime micro bubble. Even that annoyed me!!

What about using small strips of soda lime glass for your spacers? 1-1.2mm thick pieces, glued to the reinforcement glass, before the reinforcement glass is set into the freshly placed RTV silicone adhesive?

 

[AustinJT]

What about using small strips of soda lime glass for your spacers? 1-1.2mm thick pieces, glued to the reinforcement glass, before the reinforcement glass is set into the freshly placed RTV silicone adhesive?

It is do able.... however, I don't know exact what Soda Lime Glass is???

However, before I got the official glass spacers, I use these tiny silicone pad, where they use to place under object or figurine to make a "Non-slip" pad.

It come in square & round shape but many size & heights.

I used the 8mm round one with height 1.2mm and just place it at the bottom of the glass and I press my strip glass, it act spacer to prevent glue thinning out when I applied pressure. It work almost perfectly with except of "Spot" on those spacer which you can see.