replacing tank frames with...what?

Sploke

Sploke

resident boozehound
Staff member
Oct 20, 2005
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Matt
Ok I have a 150gal that I got for free. Its been about 1/3 full for the past 8 months with no problems, but some of the silicone was looking a bit suspect so I scraped it all down and resealed it today. I'm not concerned about the water-tightness of it, but the frames were all broken when I got the tank. I built some flimsy wooden ones for when I had it partially full but I want to do something more permanent now that its going to be completely full. Its 1/2" glass, and no center brace.

My plan is to get some of the vinyl-covered wire from the hardware store and basically use that as a frame. I can put a turnbuckle on it to keep tension. I also want to build a center brace, probably out of angle iron, that justs sits over the top of the tank, kind of shaped like this [ except turned 90 degrees clockwise. I would do the cable at the top and bottom, just to provide some inward tension in place of a plastic frame. Any comments about this idea?
 
Sounds like an interesting idea. I'm wondering how you're going to have enough tension on the cable and still be able to turn the turn buckle. I'm also concerned about the tension being put more on the corners and much less on the sides....which is where the bowing happens. But I'm a worry wort. If you decide to do it, let us know how it goes!
 
Hi sploke,

If you want to be safe get 2 pieces of glass cut to the inside dimension of the tank and silicone them in place at the top of the tank (use a bar clamp to put a slight pressure on the glass to draw it in while the silicone cures. It will also help hold up a top (or atleast help it from falling into the tank :grinyes: .

If you go with the cable and turnbuckle, you will have to put ' L ' blocks at all the corner to raise the wire off of the glass so you can adjust the turnbuckle (it will hold it off the glass) and disperse the stress of point-of-contact.

If you use the angle iron idea, use two, equally separated). Make sure the welds are not underneath and it is perfectly square. Then coat them with liquid vinyl (HomeDepot, used to cover tool handles, rope ends and aquarium parts :grinyes: ).

Would love to see pix of however you go.

What is your filtering going to be?

I'm trying to frequent this forum more often another one seems to consume my time tho (MFK :drool: ).

Happy DIYing.

Dr Joe

.
 
I'm not as worried about the bowing as the pressure on the seams. I have another 150 with no center brace, and yes it bows, even with the plastic bracing around it, but not enough to be really of concern. The wire would be more to keep pressure on the seams and corners, since the tank would me more likely to blow out a seam than crack down the middle of a pane and burst. In theory at least :eek3:
 
How about getting some L-Angle Aluminum [like 1 1/2 inch], measure and mitre-cut new top and bottom frames, leaving 1/8 to 1/4 inch spare, take to a metal shop and have them weld it up for you [weld from outside of joint, clean up with file]. Then just silicone them to the top and bottom of the tank? Probably wouldn't cost much more, be quite strong and would look classy IMHO... They could also put in a couple braces in the top to stop the bowing effect... Just paint those with plastic paint to avoid corrosion... Just a thought...
 
On our old 130 gallon I had two iron braces made for the top. The center glass brace broke and the tank bowed a good inch half. Nerve racking

The tank lasted 6 years before it sprung a 12" leak across the bottom. I was amazed it didnt just bust the whole bottom seal. Got lucky i guess

I'd never make my own tank again =)
 
Well, for anyone who's interested, this is the temporary fix.

Picture151.jpg


Picture152.jpg


I used the cable and turnbuckle method for the time being. I put the center brace together with rivets to prevent bowing. I just resealed the tank, its been filled since Sunday, leak free so far.

When I move this tank into its final location, I'm going to use one of the suggestions above and weld up some angle aluminum frames for the top and bottom, then I can just weld on a center support as well. The things on the corners are pieces of plastic that made up part of the plastic frames that were originally on the tank. The turnbuckles are on the far end, and hte plastic holds them just far enough out to tighten the turnbuckles.
 
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