To Euro-brace or Not

[BigWes]

Hello everyone,

I’ve been keeping freshwater tanks for about a year now (38 gallon peninsula community tank, 10 gallon Mexican Dwarf Crayfish tank, 10 gallon Neocaridina tank) and wanted to come to the salty side.

In the next couple days I’m picking up a Reefer 750XXL v2 that needs a side panel structurally resealed (starting to bubble a few inches from the top).

I plan on going through, taking every panel off, and resealing every joint with RTV103 just for my minds sake. First time taking on a reseal so I’m nervous to do it, however, I’m pretty handy and patient so it should go fine.

I know these tanks are prone to failed seals, would euro-bracing the inner top and bottom of the tank be worth the effort? Maybe one or the other?Modifications to the cabinet?

Any advice/input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Welcome to your new home for saltwater reef aquarium resources and fun! Welcome to the family! :D

 

[NyteRyder1]

 

[kingranch2003]

 

[mfinn]

Welcome to Reef2Reef.

@UncommonSense might be able to shed some light on your build project

 

[Baldyreef]

Welcome to reef2reef from the freshwater side!!

 

[winxp_man]

first off……

And glad to have you here!

As for your question, depends on the tank size for me. Larger tank I wouldn’t even think about not getting euro brace put on if it’s a custom build. If it’s not installed in pre builds I also don’t look in their direction.

And a side note, they can be a fish saver. Most fish tend to jump from the edge of a tank to the outside. Not from the middle or the tank.

 

[exnisstech]

Welcome aboard.
I love a top eurobrace if for no other reason it keeps water from splashing out when I'm cleaning glass, and it makes a nice little shelf.

 

[UncommonSense]

I’m picking up a Reefer 750XXL v2 that needs a side panel structurally resealed (starting to bubble a few inches from the top).

I plan on going through, taking every panel off, and resealing every joint with RTV103 just for my minds sake. First time taking on a reseal so I’m nervous to do it, however, I’m pretty handy and patient so it should go fine.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

This is no small project…

I think the biggest issue you’ll run into would be the physical size and weight of the individual glass panes…

— Front and rear pane are 71” long, 19mm thick… so roughly 113lbs each! The bottom pane wouldn’t be far behind…

That said, this will almost certainly require at least one able bodied helper for glass pane maneuvering, and another to hold the already placed panes steady from tipping over as you’re moving stuff around, setting the adjacent panes!

I know these tanks are prone to failed seals, would euro-bracing the inner top and bottom of the tank be worth the effort? Maybe one or the other?

If you’re using glass of equal thickness (19mm [3/4”]), this tank should only really ‘need’ a top eurobrace! (Because you’re using quality silicone, and because Red Sea actually stepped up to making the bottom pane equal in thickness to the viewing panes for G2, substantially increasing safety factor towards the industry baseline)

The bottom bracing gets complicated because you need to cut the glass parts extremely thin, otherwise they cover a multiple inch wide swath, and the Momentive silicone you apply will take literal months to cure (assuming it ever does fully cure in the dead-center)…

Additionally, Red Sea bulkhead placement in the overflow box is WAY too close to the bottom pane edge, so you cannot reliably add just bottom bracing there… I got around this by adding a glass doubler plate over the bulkhead holes on my project tank , though this goes right back to that multi-month cure process!

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello everyone,

I’ve been keeping freshwater tanks for about a year now (38 gallon peninsula community tank, 10 gallon Mexican Dwarf Crayfish tank, 10 gallon Neocaridina tank) and wanted to come to the salty side.

In the next couple days I’m picking up a Reefer 750XXL v2 that needs a side panel structurally resealed (starting to bubble a few inches from the top).

I plan on going through, taking every panel off, and resealing every joint with RTV103 just for my minds sake. First time taking on a reseal so I’m nervous to do it, however, I’m pretty handy and patient so it should go fine.

I know these tanks are prone to failed seals, would euro-bracing the inner top and bottom of the tank be worth the effort? Maybe one or the other?Modifications to the cabinet?

Any advice/input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

fOR A 10G TANK, IT SHOULD DO WELL STRUCTRALLY OPPOSED TO A LARGER SIZE TANK

 

[kevgib67]

Welcome, glad you are here!

 

[Evil1]

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

Hello everyone,

I’ve been keeping freshwater tanks for about a year now (38 gallon peninsula community tank, 10 gallon Mexican Dwarf Crayfish tank, 10 gallon Neocaridina tank) and wanted to come to the salty side.

In the next couple days I’m picking up a Reefer 750XXL v2 that needs a side panel structurally resealed (starting to bubble a few inches from the top).

I plan on going through, taking every panel off, and resealing every joint with RTV103 just for my minds sake. First time taking on a reseal so I’m nervous to do it, however, I’m pretty handy and patient so it should go fine.

I know these tanks are prone to failed seals, would euro-bracing the inner top and bottom of the tank be worth the effort? Maybe one or the other?Modifications to the cabinet?

Any advice/input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

I am not doubting your skills at all unless you have done this for a living, but please don't attempt to fill that tank with water and expensive livestock unless you literally have nothing to lose and money is not a factor. If it is for a sort of fun experiment and you can flood an unfinished basement, I guess I could see it.

 

[fishface NJ]

Welcome

 

[BigWes]

Hello everyone,

I’ve been keeping freshwater tanks for about a year now (38 gallon peninsula community tank, 10 gallon Mexican Dwarf Crayfish tank, 10 gallon Neocaridina tank) and wanted to come to the salty side.

In the next couple days I’m picking up a Reefer 750XXL v2 that needs a side panel structurally resealed (starting to bubble a few inches from the top).

I plan on going through, taking every panel off, and resealing every joint with RTV103 just for my minds sake. First time taking on a reseal so I’m nervous to do it, however, I’m pretty handy and patient so it should go fine.

I know these tanks are prone to failed seals, would euro-bracing the inner top and bottom of the tank be worth the effort? Maybe one or the other?Modifications to the cabinet?

Any advice/input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

I am not doubting your skills at all unless you have done this for a living, but please don't attempt to fill that tank with water and expensive livestock unless you literally have nothing to lose and money is not a factor. If it is for a sort of fun experiment and you can flood an unfinished basement, I guess I could see it.

I mean I’m gonna water test it outside in the garage that has next to nothing in it for a few weeks before moving it inside, I’ll keep you posted

 

[mfinn]

Hello everyone,

I’ve been keeping freshwater tanks for about a year now (38 gallon peninsula community tank, 10 gallon Mexican Dwarf Crayfish tank, 10 gallon Neocaridina tank) and wanted to come to the salty side.

In the next couple days I’m picking up a Reefer 750XXL v2 that needs a side panel structurally resealed (starting to bubble a few inches from the top).

I plan on going through, taking every panel off, and resealing every joint with RTV103 just for my minds sake. First time taking on a reseal so I’m nervous to do it, however, I’m pretty handy and patient so it should go fine.

I know these tanks are prone to failed seals, would euro-bracing the inner top and bottom of the tank be worth the effort? Maybe one or the other?Modifications to the cabinet?

Any advice/input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Sounds like you have the start of a plan.
Get all your internal braces made up in advance. Have all the needed external braces ( especially corner braces )
Have extra help and lay out a step by step plan so everyone knows what they are supposed to do.
Even if you have one guy just standing around and fetching stuff. ( changing the radio station, etc)

 

[BigWes]

I’m picking up a Reefer 750XXL v2 that needs a side panel structurally resealed (starting to bubble a few inches from the top).

I plan on going through, taking every panel off, and resealing every joint with RTV103 just for my minds sake. First time taking on a reseal so I’m nervous to do it, however, I’m pretty handy and patient so it should go fine.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

This is no small project…

I think the biggest issue you’ll run into would be the physical size and weight of the individual glass panes…

— Front and rear pane are 71” long, 19mm thick… so roughly 113lbs each! The bottom pane wouldn’t be far behind…

That said, this will almost certainly require at least one able bodied helper for glass pane maneuvering, and another to hold the already placed panes steady from tipping over as you’re moving stuff around, setting the adjacent panes!

I know these tanks are prone to failed seals, would euro-bracing the inner top and bottom of the tank be worth the effort? Maybe one or the other?

If you’re using glass of equal thickness (19mm [3/4”]), this tank should only really ‘need’ a top eurobrace! (Because you’re using quality silicone, and because Red Sea actually stepped up to making the bottom pane equal in thickness to the viewing panes for G2, substantially increasing safety factor towards the industry baseline)

The bottom bracing gets complicated because you need to cut the glass parts extremely thin, otherwise they cover a multiple inch wide swath, and the Momentive silicone you apply will take literal months to cure (assuming it ever does fully cure in the dead-center)…

Additionally, Red Sea bulkhead placement in the overflow box is WAY too close to the bottom pane edge, so you cannot reliably add just bottom bracing there… I got around this by adding a glass doubler plate over the bulkhead holes on my project tank , though this goes right back to that multi-month cure process!

Wonderful insight. I didn’t really think about the overflow/bulkhead for a bottom euro brace. I think I’ll just get some 19mm glass cut for the top euro brace then.

Thank you so much!

 

[BigWes]

Hello everyone,

I’ve been keeping freshwater tanks for about a year now (38 gallon peninsula community tank, 10 gallon Mexican Dwarf Crayfish tank, 10 gallon Neocaridina tank) and wanted to come to the salty side.

In the next couple days I’m picking up a Reefer 750XXL v2 that needs a side panel structurally resealed (starting to bubble a few inches from the top).

I plan on going through, taking every panel off, and resealing every joint with RTV103 just for my minds sake. First time taking on a reseal so I’m nervous to do it, however, I’m pretty handy and patient so it should go fine.

I know these tanks are prone to failed seals, would euro-bracing the inner top and bottom of the tank be worth the effort? Maybe one or the other?Modifications to the cabinet?

Any advice/input would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

Sounds like you have the start of a plan.
Get all your internal braces made up in advance. Have all the needed external braces ( especially corner braces )
Have extra help and lay out a step by step plan so everyone knows what they are supposed to do.
Even if you have one guy just standing around and fetching stuff. ( changing the radio station, etc)

ALWAYS need a gopher when working on projects. Thanks for the advice!

 

[mfinn]

Maybe the extra guy can take pictures.
We definitely need pictures