55 Gallon Aquarium Bridge Broke

[Bonniegiff]

I called all the petco,s in the area and they have no 55 gallon tanks and will not be getting any more.

 

[colleen0309]

This fix is not temporary and it does not interfere with the weight distribution. I have used this method to fix several tanks in my 35 years of fish keeping. This last tank is the oldest one I have ever tried to fix ( 25 year old tank). I was worried that the plastic of the brace was deteriorated, but that wasn't the case. If it was, I wouldn't have tried it. I have to work within a very limited budget, so if there is a way to fix something cheap, I will give it a try. If it works, I will continue to do it, and this works very well. My fixed brace has been holding for over two years now and shows no signs of failing. Why replace something if you don't have to? If you don't feel comfortable fixing something, ask someone who can help you. I wasn't comfortable fixing things like this years ago, but if I want to keep fish, I had to learn. I'm a big DIY fan.

personally, i would go ahead and get new trim. the fix may work, but there is no way to tell if it will continue working in the long run. plus, it changes the way that weight is distributed along the brace. it may be a good temporary fix, but definitely not something I would have as a permanent solution.

 

[platytudes]

People sometimes give away (or sell very cheaply) cracked tanks for reptiles and such. You could take the trim off an old one. If it has been this way for a while, you have time to look around for deals on Craigslist and what not.

If you're not a handy person, or don't want to or don't have time to fix it, just get a new tank altogether. It's not that much money, even if it's more than $55.

Bottom line, glue won't fix it...but Colleen's repair will hold indefinitely (such a repair is common), and new trim will fix it too. The choice is yours!

 

[denebuff]

Picture?

I had the same problem. My tank is 25 years old. I couldn't afford to replace it at the time. Like you ,it is my favorite tank. I went to the hardware store and bought a stainless steel strip. First I drained the tank about half way. Made sure everything on the brace was clean and dry. I used aquarium sealer and glued the metal strip in place. Then I drilled 4 small holes in the metal, thru the center brace and screwed it together with stainless steel screws. I gave it 2 days to dry and refilled the tank. It worked beautiful. It's been 2 years and it's still holding like new. It cost me less than $5 to fix it. I wouldn't have tried to fix it like this if it had ever leaked before.

Would love to see a picture of your repair.
My center brace is broke of the back of the tank.

 

[denebuff]

How do I repair the bridge in the middle of a 55 gallon tank? The center bridge of my 55 gallon broke and my glass tops and lights fell in the water.The lights were on but I was lucky I didn't get shocked or break any more in the tank. Can I use goop to fix it or silcone?. Do I have to buy a new frame to make it safe or would it be better to buy a new tank. I got this tank from a friend and I really like it. It is already set up but when everything fell in the water I had to reduced the water 1/3. Now how do I fix it.

I just found the same problem on my 55, the fix took 5 minutes and you will not believe what I'm going to tell you. I called my buddy up the street and explained my situation he showed up 3 minutes later, took one look and said, that's no problem! He measured the right and left side of the tank to see what the measurement was front to back, it was 12"5/8 the measured the center it was bowed out 1/4" he took a aluminum yard stick cut it and made it 1" longer then the 12"5/8 and the he bent 1/2 " 90 degree angles on each end, We bushed the front of the tank in and the support popped in place we put black electrial tape around each end to make it look like it was part of the top and done! no drilling, no screws no glue its stronger now then it was before. Good luck. Hope I could help.

 

[avenger21]

How do I repair the bridge in the middle of a 55 gallon tank? The center bridge of my 55 gallon broke and my glass tops and lights fell in the water.The lights were on but I was lucky I didn't get shocked or break any more in the tank. Can I use goop to fix it or silcone?. Do I have to buy a new frame to make it safe or would it be better to buy a new tank. I got this tank from a friend and I really like it. It is already set up but when everything fell in the water I had to reduced the water 1/3. Now how do I fix it.

you could probably get a nice tank when one of the big companies runs a sale on them.

or you could always go to eurobracing and remove the frame all together

these guys do sell 55 gallon replacement frames [url]http://www.aquariumframeswholesale.com/[/URL]