I sold an 80 gallon aquarium (1990's?!) and have a question/issue.

[Jori]

I have a question: I have an older model tank that I was selling. The customer put down a deposit ($100) but a local aquarium sales person told her since it did not have a center support bar in the center top that it was more than likely a terrarium so she wanted her deposit back.
I am trying to find out if the older models 9 MM thick glass came with or needed the center divide. I checked and it appears the tank never had one but the tank is built very well/quality unlike the ones I seen at the local pet store. I purchased it used as an aquarium. Do you know if tanks like the one described are safe to fill full with water for fish? I used the tank for over a year full for a turtle and never had any issues with it. I am primary trying to see if this sales man was just trying to get a sale or if there's any truth that the tank will collapse and is unsafe filled with water.
Thank you for your time, Jori

 

[Rbishop]

Can you post some pictures of it? I've had many 75-90 tanks without center braces over the years. I also ask you to check the interior sealant well for nibbling by the turtle...

 

[the loach]

How safe it is depends on who you ask and who made it. But it's just a fact of physics it will be more stable with the center support bar, and it's so easy and cheap to do I would just put that in. You don't want to cut corners with an 80 gallon.

 

[Jori]

PHOTOS

 

[dudley]

If that is the original top and bottom trim then the tank does not require a center trim support.

I got an older 90G tank from my brother that also does not have any center supports and it held water just fine. It had 2 separate glass lids that were held in place by thin plastic strips to keep it from falling into the tank.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Like Dee said, if those are the original top and bottom plastic frames, which likely are, this tank did not come with center braces.

You did quite good if $100 still didn't buy it!

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Older tanks used thicjer glass which made the use of a center brace unnecessary. When they decided to lower the tank weight by using thinner (cheaper) glass, they had to begin using center braces to compensate. I have had a braceless 75 gal. and also have 2 75s with braces. I can tell you there was a huge difference in weight. Consider 30, 40 and 50 gal tanks. All have the same 36x18 inch footprint, however the more gallons, the taller the tank. My 30s and 40s are single top braceless tanks. but the 50 has a center brace and requires two smaller lids.

Basically, an aquarium is built to hold water and a terrarium is not. So the glass on the former will be thicker.

 

[fishorama]

I had a 40g long with super thick glass, it weighed an absolute ton! I bought it for $5 with a stand & other stuff because the garage sale woman said she was NOT going to carry it to the basement again, lol. It had a glass 5or 6 inch brace? in the bottom...it might have be homemade. It was my only foray into a rimless tank...& will probably be my last. I had to have a "custom" glass top & supports made for it. The guys at the local glass shop thought it an interesting project & didn't charge much.

I also have a 5ft 110g tank that has glass twice as thick as my 75g & 55g tanks but it does have a center brace. It weighs a ton too but I think it might need to for the size of the glass panels.

Terrariums usually have even thinner glass than 55g, they don't support the weight of lots of water, just a light at most, as TTA said. Clawed reptiles & their waste may damage the silicone seals, so you may have to reseal even an "aquarium" tank used for them. It's not that hard.

I belong to a plant club & many have rimless or at least no center bracing that may block lighting...

 

[Rbishop]

I'd use it as a fishy home provided the interior sealant is completely intact and no leakage exhibited after a test fill and period of time.