Replacing glass center brace.

[Balz3352]

Hello. I am trying to find ideas and opinions on how to replace current glass center brace because it is huge!!

Currently have a 210 gallon tank. 72x24 footprint. Center brace is 24x24 and 1/2 in thick. Im planning on running 3 mh and am concerned 1. No light will get through the center brace 2. Center brace willnget too hot and crack.

My plan was to have a brace welded out of angle iron and have it powder coated. And have the brace instead of one in the middle 2 splitting tank in thirds. I would silicone the metal frame to the glass.


Anyone have experience with doing this? Or opinion thanks in advance.

 

[rayn]

Not sure silicone will be enough to hold. Is the tank glass or acrylic?

[HASHTAG]#reefsquad[/HASHTAG] will be able to hold you together

 

[Shep]

I am not a structural engineer but I agree that silicone would not be enough. I honestly do not know if I would even mess with that.

 

[Aussie paul]

You could make up a frame but I would make it out of 1/4' thick 1' angle all round and at least 2 cross braces for safety and silicone it to the top all round. Personally I'd leave it and light will get through it if you keep it clean

 

[Diesel]

Your idea is possible but silicone won't work on iron.
If you powercoated with a epoxy that silicone holds on I would say maybe.
The pressure of the glass when filled with water will be enough to hold it in place.
IMHO, I would mess with it and make it work with the lights.
You can create two islands of a rock formation in your tank as aquascape and position the MH above them and have the area where the glass is as a open swim area.
Remember that your reflector will let your light travel in a 45 or 60 degree and some of the light will still be under your brace.

 

[Aussie paul]

Your idea is possible but silicone won't work on iron.
If you powercoated with a epoxy that silicone holds on I would say maybe.
The pressure of the glass when filled with water will be enough to hold it in place.
IMHO, I would mess with it and make it work with the lights.
You can create two islands of a rock formation in your tank as aquascape and position the MH above them and have the area where the glass is as a open swim area.
Remember that your reflector will let your light travel in a 45 or 60 degree and some of the light will still be under your brace.

I was thinking the silicone would mainly be use as a cushion between the iron and the glass and provide a little grip so it does not move to much

 

[Balz3352]

Tank is glass... My idea is to make that plastic frame that comes with aquariums out of metal with the braces so the glass would push against the angle iron and use silicone as a cushion.

 

[Balz3352]

I wish I could find one more mh pendant to match the 3 and angle the lights to go under.

Guess I'll just hang the middle directly over and keep glass as clean as possible

 

[Shep]

I wish I could find one more mh pendant to match the 3 and angle the lights to go under.

Guess I'll just hang the middle directly over and keep glass as clean as possible

You can also just build your rockwork around the brace or just put lowe light corals under the brace. Aso I doubt it will even have that much of an effect.

 

[Balz3352]

You can also just build your rockwork around the brace or just put lowe light corals under the brace. Aso I doubt it will even have that much of an effect.

Perhaps this is what I'll do. And like above leave a swimming space here. Plan is for mixed reef so ill throw some zoas and lps here. Thanks for all the replies.

Hopefully won't have to clean too often.

 

[Diesel]

I was thinking the silicone would mainly be use as a cushion between the iron and the glass and provide a little grip so it does not move to much

You could use the silicone pads that Ecotech uses between the glass and dryside.
You can buy that a Grainers.

 

[Salty1962]

I don't know if you have a lip on your tank but I replaced a center bracket on a tank years back and used nylon bolts to connect 1/2" plexiglass to my tank rim. Held like a champ. Be sure to brace the tank before removing any structural braces