No top bracing on a 55-gallon: still safe?

T

tankenvy

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Apr 4, 2007
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Just picked up a used 55-gallon tank, and noticed two things:

1. This thing is unbelievably heavy, without any water or rocks/wood!

2. It does not have a top cross-brace in the middle, unlike my 38g tank. I am surprised; with the heavier weight of water why would this tank have no cross-brace? Does it mean it's an older design?

I'm going to CAREFULLY fill it up with water and make sure it's not leaking, even thought the friend I got it from had it filled for a month with no leaks, after he took it (temporarily) from a neighbor who had it set up for years as a saltwater tank. Fingers crossed that it won't leak.

3. Without that cross-brace, what kind of glass cover can I get? Most I've seen made for 55g's are split in half, so that they come as two 24" sections that each butt up against each other in the middle and rest on a cross brace.

Any suggestions on where I can get a glass cover for this?

Thanks!
 
It is probably an older tank. How thick is the glass? I have a 75gal that has no center brace but it has 1/2 glass. I have been using it for quite some time with no problems. I had a piece of 1/4" glass cut that fits on the top lip of the tank that is about 5" wide. Then I bought (2) 24" glass tops made for a 75 gal, and I just put it in the center and rest the glass tops on it. It works fine. Be sure that when you get the glass cut for the top you measure the tank full and empty because the glass does bow ever so slightly.
 
Sounds like it's built from heavier glass, so it probably doens't need a cross brace. Tanks are usually made with some sort of brace so they can use thinner cheaper glass.

No reason you cant just tack a brace on top of the tank with a blob of aquarium sealant. Doesn't need to be structural, just something to hold the cover in place.

Ian
 
It's possible that, as above, it's a design that was made without a brace. Can you tell if there was a place where it was taken off the plastic trim on the tank? If it looks completely intact, then this is pretty likely. If it looks like it has a broken spot, crack, or irregularity near the middle, then it's more likely that someone didn't like the look of it and removed it.

As mentioned above, if the glass is thicker than a normal 55g (take measurement if you can and compare to any at the LFS), this will account for both the heavier feel and the lack of bracing.
 
I don't think the Oceanics in that size range are designed with middle braces-- at least my 58 is not.
 
Yup, now i can see where someone cut away the brace. Even so, this is indeed very thick glass--much thicker than my AllGlass 38, so I think I'm safe. As for cutting top glass as noted above, makes sense--i'll try to post pix of the setup as it evolves. Gonna be an SA cichlid tank with tetra dithers, some corys, a pleco and...ah, decisions, decisions...heavily planted, so maybe a small Bolivian ram harem? Maybe squeeze in another dwarf cichlid pair....

thanks for the advice!
 
ya i would say you need some sort of brace,,, plactic,, aluminum,, etc,,, held in place by something pretty strong...

too bad nobody lives by me i work for a glass company,,, can get any glass you can imagine for pretty cheap..
 
It sounds like an older tank. I have one like it, heavy and no center brace. It was built in 1975! I just resealed it after setting in storage for over 30 years. I added a thick piece of plexiglass as a center brace. I also added pieces of plexiglass on either end so the 48 in glass top is level. It works great!
 
If there once was a brace but someone hacked it off, see if you can purchase a rim to fit your tank somewhere. im sure you could find one.
 
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