Euro Bracing for my new tank, what is safe

[Bear_]

Hello everyone,

Let me start by saying I am brand new to the reef hobby and slowly working at a tank to eventually set up. Last tank I had was a full fresh water Discus tank until I moved and now recently working my way back into the hobby.

That being said I picked up a 150 Gallon fish tank which is 4 x 2 feet by 30 and 1/2 inches tall. I am pretty sure full of water is around 1800+ pounds and I had recently cleaned it all up and resealed the inside. (Sorry for dragging on the question).

Now while I was taking the tank apart to reseal everything with silicone I definitely much prefer the top plastic bracing being off. The tank is glass, half inch thick and the top was all around plastic bracing with a plastic middle which was all attached as one piece. I will attach pictures. Would it be safe if I had 3 piece of glass cut I was thinking 2 feet by 3-4 inches wide and half inch thick like the tank and silicone one in the middle and one on each side on the top. Would this work or should I really just put the ugly black plastic on top and be done with it.

My last question is, even though I did and ugly job this was my first time, does the silicone look like it will hold up.

 

[Bear_]

Hmm no views on this topic?

 

[jaxredsoxfan]

my guess is you'd be better off with the plastic rim. The glass bracing would just be inside from edge to edge and would be relying purely on the silicone to hold. The plastic goes around the outside and therefore I think would hold stronger.

 

[lapin]

Here is a video that shows what a euro brace is. He has done both top and bottom.


Will the silicone hold up you ask.
I am assuming you took off all the panels and rebuilt the whole tank. The seam strength comes from the bond between the glass panels. Not the smear on the inside of the seams. If you used the correct silicone and did it correctly, it should hold. It still needs to be braced. either the plastic piece or euro style.

 

[mfinn]

I see euro braces that are nothing but single strips of glass going around the top, only held by silicone.
But IMO you would have to do it on all 4 sides.
But being that tank is a 4' 150 gallon tank, it's pretty tall, I probably wouldn't.
Alot of stress at the top, the taller the glass is.

 

[Bear_]

Here is a video that shows what a euro brace is. He has done both top and bottom.


Will the silicone hold up you ask.
I am assuming you took off all the panels and rebuilt the whole tank. The seam strength comes from the bond between the glass panels. Not the smear on the inside of the seams. If you used the correct silicone and did it correctly, it should hold. It still needs to be braced. either the plastic piece or euro style.

I did not take it completely apart, I just peeled off some glass they had covering the sump holes, the silicone all inside and the old glass overflow.

 

[Bear_]

I see euro braces that are nothing but single strips of glass going around the top, only held by silicone.
But IMO you would have to do it on all 4 sides.
But being that tank is a 4' 150 gallon tank, it's pretty tall, I probably wouldn't.
Alot of stress at the top, the taller the glass is.

4 in length and 30.5 inch high if that makes any difference on you're opinion but it is pretty high indeed. So you think it would be a bad idea to try and euro brace this type of tank vs putting the plastic back on? (I posted pictures in the post of it helps with the plastic top).

 

[mfinn]

4 in length and 30.5 inch high if that makes any difference on you're opinion but it is pretty high indeed. So you think it would be a bad idea to try and euro brace this type of tank vs putting the plastic back on? (I posted pictures in the post of it helps with the plastic top).

I would be leary of not using the plastic top because of the height, especially with the center plastic strip that helps keep the front and back tops from bowing.
I would be very afraid of it not being euro braced all the way around.

 

[Bear_]

I would be leary of not using the plastic top because of the height, especially with the center plastic strip that helps keep the front and back tops from bowing.
I would be very afraid of it not being euro braced all the way around.

Darn I was hoping to get away from it as it looks ugly and would show more tank if I got rid of it.

 

[mfinn]

Darn I was hoping to get away from it as it looks ugly and would show more tank if I got rid of it.

You can clean it up. Maybe paint it. Make it look like new.
Maybe paint it to match the stand?

 

[Bear_]

You can clean it up. Maybe paint it. Make it look like new.
Maybe paint it to match the stand?

It's all black, stand is black bottom brace is black. I just wanted to get away with something else for the top for better lighting and more showing at the top. I wonder if I could get a clear strap for around it to hold it together.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Structurally the "Euro brace" placed on top is nearly useless except to prevent water splashing out of the tank.

Real Euro brace is placed on the inside of the glass - its that simple.

 

[Bear_]

Structurally the "Euro brace" placed on top is nearly useless except for water splashing out of the tank.

Real Euro brace is placed on the inside of the glass - its that simple.

I'm not too sure what you mean. Isn't the bracing their to alivieate some pressure? Also the euro bracing wouldn't matter if it's on top or inside the tank would it, it's just here to hold that extra pressure. Or am I wrong?

 

[BZOFIQ]

Also the euro bracing wouldn't matter if it's on top or inside the tank would it, it's just here to hold that extra pressure. Or am I wrong?

It's there to prevent the glass from bowing out. One placed below the edge on the inside of the tank is very effective. One placed on top - not so much.

Companies like TankMeUsa or Planet Aquarium offer dual brace where there is one on the inside and one skillfully glued on top. Makes for a strong and beautiful brace.

 

[lapin]

The bracing does not have to look like c...p.
Here is a cleaner look. You will need to place it all the way around. Plus 1 in the middle for a 4' tank that is not made with thick enough glass. Since i do not see any type of overflow box, you have 2 holes in the bottom, you will have to figure out a drain and return set up. The plastic might be a better way to go if you are going with over the top returns.
Your tank was made with 1/2" which might be 12mm. This provides very little safety factor. It should be 16mm.

 

[Bear_]

The bracing does not have to look like c...p.
Here is a cleaner look. You will need to place it all the way around. Plus 1 in the middle for a 4' tank that is not made with thick enough glass. Since i do not see any type of overflow box, you have 2 holes in the bottom, you will have to figure out a drain and return set up. The plastic might be a better way to go if you are going with over the top returns.
Your tank was made with 1/2" which might be 12mm. This provides very little safety factor. It should be 16mm.

So you think I could get some glass cut for all around the top and one down the middle and just silicone them on vs using the plastic top?

 

[David Abbott]

It's there to prevent the glass from bowing out. One placed below the edge on the inside of the tank is very effective. One placed on top - not so much.

Companies like TankMeUsa or Planet Aquarium offer dual brace where there is one on the inside and one skillfully glued on top. Makes for a strong and beautiful brace.

So on a 60"L x 24"W and 24" H, you are saying to place the euro 60" long piece on the top and glue 23" pieces (front to back) under that, and one on each end and one 6"x23" in the center???

 

[David Abbott]

The bracing does not have to look like c...p.
Here is a cleaner look. You will need to place it all the way around. Plus 1 in the middle for a 4' tank that is not made with thick enough glass. Since i do not see any type of overflow box, you have 2 holes in the bottom, you will have to figure out a drain and return set up. The plastic might be a better way to go if you are going with over the top returns.
Your tank was made with 1/2" which might be 12mm. This provides very little safety factor. It should be 16mm.

Just watched your vid. You are 100% correct about the injection method. I have been building my 150G for the 2nd time. I waited to long to wipe the silicone into the corners and it was a total disaster. I saw another vid that was showing the injection method, using 1/8" plastic tie wraps (very small pieces) at the bottom for spacers all the way around thats what i'm set up now. Live and learn

 

[BZOFIQ]

So on a 60"L x 24"W and 24" H, you are saying to place the euro 60" long piece on the top and glue 23" pieces (front to back) under that, and one on each end and one 6"x23" in the center???

Let me attach some pictures from the blueprint I recently submitted when ordering my new tank.

The front to back brace you see in the middle of the tank (top view) goes on top of the front and back euro-brace.

Here is that tank in the wild.

Notice the euro-brace and cross brace.

 

[BZOFIQ]

BTW. If You're not doing a cross brace the euro-brace can be higher in the tank - but still INSIDE the tank.