I build tanks for a living the plastic bracing is unnecessary and purely for aesthetics it has little if any structural value. Look at the tank and you’ll see that the plastic isn’t a snug fit to the glass and that there’s a gap both front and back with only a silicone to plastic bond holding it together. Glass thickness has nothing to do with it, uneven cuts and dissimilar dimensions are the reason for the plastic trim. With a rimless tank each pane has to be perfect, with panes that aren’t perfect trim is used to cover up the imperfections.
Re-plastic welding. All DIY KINGS CALLED.
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This whole statement is flawed. If the glass was too thin for the rated pressure no amount of trim structural or otherwise would help and the tank would fail. Bond strength from the glass to the silicone is what holds tanks together and height is what determines pressure not length. Surface area to bond is determined by glass thickness and nothing else, the only way to increase bonding area is to increase glass thickness.
Yes plastic is cheaper then sending each side of glass threw a edger and being perfect on plumb level square but why do you claim that a center brace is pure aesthetics? There’s nothing aesthetically pleasing about it.
I’ve built smaller tanks no trim at all but I’ve also seen 6ft frameless acrylic tanks bow out half a foot in the center. Imo thickness plays role in that but a decent center brace could have gone a long way. just my two cents dude. I’m not trying to rattle your professional opinion.
Fin
Professional Procrastinator
+1 ^^ I have seen tanks with the plastic center braces have those braces crack, or even break after a period of time and exposure to light and salt. If they weren't under any stress, they wouldn't break when they become brittle. The next time you see an empty tank with one of those plastic rims with the center brace on it, push in and pull out at the middle of the tank. I'd be willing to bet the glass moves a little in both directions with not a lot of effort. I have a Petco 45 here right now and that is what it does.
This is just a pic that I found after a quick search, showing what I am talking about. Not my tank, but I have seen this very thing happen.
This is just a pic that I found after a quick search, showing what I am talking about. Not my tank, but I have seen this very thing happen.
Just got off the phone with tech support from aqueon and he confirmed pretty much everything I said lol.
He said the brace is structural
He said before 1992 they didn’t need braces because the glass was like an 1/8in thicker.
also said if your going to remove a brace post 1992 that you could add a euro brace.
started to sound like the guy was reading off my comments
+1 (414) 421-9670 Don’t remember his name but if anyone wants to confirm this is the callback#
He said the brace is structural
He said before 1992 they didn’t need braces because the glass was like an 1/8in thicker.
also said if your going to remove a brace post 1992 that you could add a euro brace.
started to sound like the guy was reading off my comments
+1 (414) 421-9670 Don’t remember his name but if anyone wants to confirm this is the callback#
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Glass is actually not a solid or a liquid it’s in between. If you remove the trim from tanks that come with it you will see that the edges don’t line up ie; the side panels may be shorter or taller than the front and back panels by up to an eighth of an inch maybe more the plastic is there to cover this up as it’s primary purpose. It may not be aesthetically pleasing now but it’s a major improvement to the chrome trimmed tanks with slate bottoms before.
Dude the thread is about the structural integrity of a center brace on a 75g.
sstanley223
Active Member
55 gal with the top support removed and glass bracedHey. Soooooo I drilled a shade high even tho I checked it. So I cut the back and cleaned it and now it seals and no issue also the teeth slide out as it is. So how would u guys re attach the top support 2 the side. I plan on heating up some rod like I did 2 find it’s depth b4 sinking a wheel into it. So I can melt both edges 2gather. Will it make the plastic brittle like I’m thinking? So I’ll inforce it ima cut it just 2 where it webs out then the other pic shows how I’d reinforce and re mold it 2gather. And prolly use a epoxy over it 2 ensure all the holes are bonded. Thx!!!!!!
Looks clean dude!55 gal with the top support removed and glass braced
Actually, the glass on most large scale manufactured tanks is on the thinner side and the trim does provide structural support. They have been this way for quite some time, which is why the major manufacturers strongly recommend against removing the top trim, especially on center braced tanks. See the Aqueon rep's comments above.
Meta tanks are awesome. I've been trying to get one at the freshwater aquarium auctions for the past few years, but they always get bid up higher than I am willing to pay. Wouldn't be using it for a salt tank, but they are pretty nice for planted.
don_chuwish
Smells something fishy
All I know is that the replacement center brace I made for a 120g snapped under pressure after less than a year. The glass bowed out at least 1/4” without it. Definitely structural.
George Lopez
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My to brace was broken on my 90 so I bought a replacement on glasscages.com cost me about $60 shipped and all. But you can always go with glass braces just make sure you sand the edges so not to cut yourself when working on the tank.
For the newer aqueous tanks yes I agree the plastic is structural. That said I think I would expect most Aqueon tanks to fail because of the glass thickness braced or not. What isn’t mentioned here is that while many manufacturers are using thinner glass is that it’s also tempered glass which while thinner is also stronger than the plate glass used by aqueon. As for the plastic trim cracking I’ve seen just as many older tanks with cracks all along the top and bottom trim with no outward stresses like the center brace supposedly fails from. Age and environment usually has much more to do with plastic trim cracking than outward stress. Also look at how almost all center braces crack, they virtually all fail exactly the same way in the thickest part of the structure where the most strength is vs the thin strap that runs across which should fail first. In my mind that screams design flaw. And back to the first post the ops tank thickness is clearly visible in the pictures it is not one of the newer Aqueon tanks. Some tanks do need bracing but not all.
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Aqueon definitely builds some cheap tanks but thinner material doesn’t always equate to weaker. Many manufacturers switched to tempered glass from plate for a variety of reasons strength, weight and safety not to mention shipping costs as tempered can be half the weight and thickness of similar strength plate glass.
I miss my old Meta tanks none were huge compared to what I have now but they’re what got me started 30 years ago. I got rid of my last one in the late nineties.
Most tanks arent tempered except for the bottom pane. The center brace on the trim wouldnt crack on the "thin strap" because the pressure is at the ends where it connects to the rest of the trim.
George Lopez
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All I know is that mine cracked on the thick but there was no gap until I did a water test and then it split. Then I drilled two holes to try and stop the crack and it pulled even further telling me that there was at least some work it was doing so I replaced it. Just my experience no math behind it.
Obviously the ops tank isn’t tempered but while cleaning the shop I’ve found a used plastic trim in perfect shape that you can have @Lord Chris if you’re interested. You can pick up if you’re close to Denver if not cover the shipping and it’s yours.
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