Nearly had a tank-tastrophe with one of my 55g

[FreshyFresh]

The top/center brace broke on my oldest Aqueon 55g. This tank was a Petco $1/gal sale tank that I purchased in 2013. I discovered it last week when I noticed the glass tops not looking like they were sitting right. The tank was bowed out a disturbing amount and was giggly if you moved anything. Of course I noticed it when were running late for something and on our way out the door. I was a mess worrying about it until we got back.

I lowered the water level by about 20gal to get the bow to go away, then I wrapped packing tape over the top/center to help stabilize the tank until I could break it down.

Such a shame too because this was my oldest planted setup that was full of crypts, anubia and java fern. I only had a angel fish and some bristle nose plecos in it that I transferred to another tank. The entire bottom under the gravel was a mass of roots. After transferring what I could keep to another 55gal, I filled 3 kitty litter buckets with plants that I gave away though a local FB fish group.

This aqueon tank has 5/16" thick glass and thicker plastic frames than any mass produced 55 has today. It's a lot heavier than any of the Aqueon and Marineland 55's I've bought since that all have thinner glass now.

I had it on an Aquatic Fundamentals 55gal stand, on the hardwood floor of our living room.

 

[dudley]

Glad you were able to avert disaster with the broken brace and move at least some plants to another 55G tank. It's a shame such a heavily planted tank needed to be take down, I can only imagine the root structures that have developed over the years.

I'm curious if this tank had a full length light fixture over the years which may have contributed to the plastic brace degrading?

 

[FreshyFresh]

Glad you were able to avert disaster with the broken brace and move at least some plants to another 55G tank. It's a shame such a heavily planted tank needed to be take down, I can only imagine the root structures that have developed over the years.

I'm curious if this tank had a full length light fixture over the years which may have contributed to the plastic brace degrading?

It was heart breaking. The root structure from all those crypts was amazing. I never gravel vac'd this tank and hadn't used any ferts or "liquid CO2" in years. There was 'dirt' build up, but It just smelled like fresh turned earth.

This tank has always been planted and always had a full 4 foot light fixture over it set to run 8hrs/day. Started with an Odyssea T5HO, then a Current Satellite LED. UV weakened it maybe? For this tank's first 8 months maybe, it was up against a window, where my Oscar and Severum tank has been for years.

 

[dudley]

Thanks for the update!

I've always been curious if some tank brace failures are due to either direct aquarium light exposure or sunlight exposure versus mishandling by tank owners such as leaning on the top when servicing or using the brace as a handle when moving the tank around.

 

[fishorama]

Wow, that was a close call! My first thought was heat from lighting too. But shouldn't LEDs be cooler? Maybe the bulging started to happen first & actually caused the brace break? I don't use legs on all my lights (T-5 & PCs) they just sit on the glass. But as I said in the "lid" thread, that's probably the cause of hinge breakage. I'm going to try to be extra careful of my center braces for a least a while when I remember. My tanks are much older &, fingers crossed, maybe sturdier?

I'm glad you were able to rescue the fish, some plants & give the rest away. I can imagine the root mass/mess.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Wow, that was a close call! My first thought was heat from lighting too. But shouldn't LEDs be cooler? Maybe the bulging started to happen first & actually caused the brace break? I don't use legs on all my lights (T-5 & PCs) they just sit on the glass. But as I said in the "lid" thread, that's probably the cause of hinge breakage. I'm going to try to be extra careful of my center braces for a least a while when I remember. My tanks are much older &, fingers crossed, maybe sturdier?

I'm glad you were able to rescue the fish, some plants & give the rest away. I can imagine the root mass/mess.

It's hard to say. Any strip light I kept on this tank was always up on it's feet. It had the twin tube 48" T5HO on it for maybe 2yrs before the electronics on the fixture burned out, then on to 48" LEDs, that like you say, ran very cool. This tank has had aqueon glass tops on it since day one.

We do have a cat that would occasionally hop from nearby furniture onto the tank. Not a big/heavy cat, but still could have not helped the situation.

This situation has sold me on the idea of 40B tanks. A better footprint than a 55g and no center brace to worry about. I've never owned a 40B, but it would be the way I'd go.

Here's the plants I gave away on the facehole marketplace. It was about 2/3 of the contents. Giving them away turned out to be a fiasco of people blowing up my phone and pestering me, when I already had a guy supposedly "on his way" to get them. Never again.

 

[dudley]

WOW those plants look fantastic and I'm so sorry you had to deal with jerks wanting them and not showing up!

 

[FreshyFresh]

WOW those plants look fantastic and I'm so sorry you had to deal with jerks wanting them and not showing up!

They were gone within an hour or two. I had a guy from about an hour away inquire and say he was on his way. I then took the message down from the fish group, but inquiries kept coming for a few hours anyway.

Those plants were all purchased as withered sad little packaged Petco and Petsmart plants about 9yrs ago.

 

[fishorama]

Those do look great! You were very nice to not only offer them up for free but to put up the all the BS involved. This is partly why I love my plant club & social media not so much. You're a good man & a great gardener too!

 

[FreshyFresh]

Those do look great! You were very nice to not only offer them up for free but to put up the all the BS involved. This is partly why I love my plant club & social media not so much. You're a good man & a great gardener too!

I've never been able to find a group locally that's not affiliated with a FB group unfortunately. Most of the regulars are great, but so many people have access to it..

It's always worked out fine. I just wind up having to filter through all the inquiries.

A few years back I gave away a 29g on a press board cabinet/stand that needed some TLC. I was contacted by someone in a neighboring town. They wanted to come get it. A real cute young mom showed up in her minivan with two kiddos strapped in their car seats. I never saw my teenage sons jump to attention so eager to help load something. LOL