# Removing tank braces to make your own?



## nipzie (Nov 24, 2008)

Any ideas on this thought?

I would like to remove two braces on a 6 foot long tank. Now we all know the braces are there for glass deflection under the load of the water, but, what if you were planning a DIY canopy and were to create a wooden brace that slips overtop and all around the existing black rimmed top with two identically placed wooden braces which could then have the DIY lighting canopy placed on top? This should support the flex of the glass as long as the carpentry skills are adequate. Anyone with any thoughts, suggestions or concerns?


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

You lost me at hello :lol:

I'm not sure I understand. You're planning on cutting out the factory braces and replacing with a wood frame to do the same job? You're doing this so that you can set the canopy on the braces? The factory braces won't support the weight of the lights? Is that the problem with the factory braces?

Personally, I wouldn't cut the braces out. You'd be surprised how much it will bow, especially depending on what thickness of glass you're working with. Not sure if your canopy plan includes the brace or it's separate. If it's included...how do you get the brace off when the tank is full? Maybe I'm misunderstanding.


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## Stickzula (Sep 14, 2007)

I did something similar as a band aid type fix for a 55g that had a broken brace. I made a frame out of 1x2's and ran a 1/8"x3" wide acrylic strip across the frame's center. It worked great, aside from being and eye sore. Since you are planning to make it out of wood be sure that you waterproof ALL of the the wood so that it doesn't warp on you.


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## nipzie (Nov 24, 2008)

There is nothing wrong with the tank braces, but to move my DIY background which was designed for a single brace into a necessary new tank(as the stand settled more pressure was placed on the back right corner, causing an eventual pressure crack), 6 foot tanks are now made with 2 braces spaced 2 feet apart, to answer why I query on this subject. The wood brace would fit around the existing plastic rim, and need not be removed unless tank is empty and is going to be moved and must be emptied anyway. I would design the canopy to lift off of a nestling lip around the outside should I need to take the canopy off. The other two solutions I have thought of were to swap top plastic braces(which would be time consuming with no guarantee I wouldn't snap the single brace model by accident), or to remove the right brace and make a diy acrylic strip that would be functional and removable. I do not have the glass thickness of the new tank as I have not gotten it yet, but the glass thickness may be thinner due to more bracing for the top rim. The thicknesses may be the same I don't know as I've only measured the tanks outside dimension. The wooden brace, and the canopy would be separate entities.


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## nipzie (Nov 24, 2008)

stickzula, which product did you use to seal the wood? commercial water sealer or a type of paint?


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

This is probably not a good idea. It seems better to modify the background into segments that can get past the braces than to count on a canopy that might accidentally get lifted above the tank rim. It would only take once.


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## Stickzula (Sep 14, 2007)

Mcdaphnia said:


> This is probably not a good idea. It seems better to modify the background into segments that can get past the braces than to count on a canopy that might accidentally get lifted above the tank rim. It would only take once.


I agree. However, good idea or not, it can be done...successfully. I know with mine the water pressure was enough to keep the whole "trim" piece in place without concern of it being accidentally knocked off. In fact, you would have to work at it to get it off with the tank filled.

I feel like I need to stress that what I did was a temporary band aid type fix that, while it worked well, was only intended to be used for a few months. But at the same time, if proper care was taken during the design, fabrication, and use of such a brace... there should be no problem.



> stickzula, which product did you use to seal the wood? commercial water sealer or a type of paint?


Since mine was only a temp solution I just used $1 a can spray paint from walmart. I recently made a hood and used 2 coats of minwax quick dry polyeurethane on the outside and 2 coats of kilz II latex primer on the inside. I have noticed some discoloration of the kilz and some slight warping so I may throw on a couple of coats of poly on the inside just to be safe.


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

I'd agree with modifying the background before I would make any structural changes.

I attempted to add braces to my 135, which was built without any bracing. Several weeks of wasted time later, I went without. I couldn't get a glass brace to silicone in place, and stay there. Maybe you'll have better luck with your wood braces, but I'm biased. You have good braces, those are permanent. In all likelihood, the background won't be in the tank forever.


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## nipzie (Nov 24, 2008)

If the background was able to be modified I would. That is impossible due to the integrated design of all the components. It was made in three parts, it shall remain in three parts. If I could find a 135 gallon used that still had a single brace I'd get that, but it is an irregular tall size of 125 gallon tank. I believe I will modify the right brace to make it a removable one at this point unless I can verify the glass thicknesses are identical and switching tops would be an option.


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## Stickzula (Sep 14, 2007)

I'd go for the brace mod before changing trim pieces. There is too much chance of chipping the glass or busting up the frame trying to get the dumb thing off. Seriously though, if you have a good design and are confidant that you can build it right, then go for the wood. I see no reason that it CAN'T work just a lot of factors that might make it a less desirable approach.


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## nipzie (Nov 24, 2008)

It would be a challenge to get it to look nice, but I do have a plan. I am still leaning towards the brace mod, but getting the force to pull evenly on the attached part of the original brace(which I would leave about 2" on either side for attachment) and not stretch and break the holes that I would drill Still time to think on it though. I don't see any problems with the wooden brace idea so far. The overhang would be 2" all around the top rim, as long as it is square to *all* the sides and not angled I believe the force of the water should tighten against it to prevent popping off, as you alluded to for your 55. The canopy design I've done is far more complicated, and the brace would pale in comparison for difficulty. Theoretically the wood would (wood-wood?) have a greater shear force than the plastic provided you use (you-youse?) outdoor wood glue and deck screws to hold it together at any joints.


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

Any drawings or designs for the canopy? I need to make a canopy for my 135, and have overhead clearance issues. I've always made canopies that hinge on the top, and the lid goes up and over. That won't work this time.


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## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

mithesaint said:


> Any drawings or designs for the canopy? I need to make a canopy for my 135, and have overhead clearance issues. I've always made canopies that hinge on the top, and the lid goes up and over. That won't work this time.


 How about one with a front that lifts up, or up and off?


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## nipzie (Nov 24, 2008)

For my design I was getting mine to hinge up and open, with about a foot of working space before lights were placed on top so I can get to the tank to maintain, etc. By overhead issues do you mean you can't have the lid open up? You could hinge it down and use magnets to ensure closing while having it angle slightly towards the middle to maintain closing balance. Or you could chamfer an upper lip to hold it in place so it would be removable as Mcdaphnia said. I have yet to place any pictures on Photobucket or some other site, but my drawings are pretty "chicken scratch" if you know what I mean. They help me but may look like scribbles to others.


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## mithesaint (Oct 31, 2006)

First, sorry for the thread hijack  :lol:

Second...the tank is sitting in the basement, and there is a support beam over the R side of the aquarium, and would be too low for the canopy that I usually make. Not sure how much space I have exactly....12 inches? The last canopy I built added about a foot to the height, and there's no way I could fit that in there comfortably.

Downward hinging (is that a word?) makes me uncomfortable in case the door swings open uncontrollably.

I was planning on hinging the entire front, and using some sort of support to keep it open when I needed to work in the tank, similar to how they hold piano bench tops open. You know what I'm talking about?


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## nipzie (Nov 24, 2008)

no worries on thread hijacking, this is an open exchange about top braces and canopies, so it's not really off topic.

yes I do know what you mean, as a matter of fact I am using a piano hinge on mine and I believe you are thinking of using one of those metal braces with grooves in them periodically for a sliding pin to fall into and lock open, maybe? For flipping/hinging down, take a look at your cupped hand from the side. Making it an r-shape or just an upside down L shape will shift the centre of balance towards the middle of the tank and not towards the front where you would open it from. You could use magnets to prevent an accidental opening, but with the hinge on the lower side of the "r" it would take a bit. You might not want to make the hinge right on the front edge of the canopy so that it won't fold flat and a knob (assuming there was one) hit the glass. Probably a better bet would be the same upside down L shape, with an edge to prevent slipping into water held in place by magnets. screed aquarium silicone over the magnets to protect from moisture and that should do what you need. You'd be able to take it right off by pulling it straight out, you could build another smaller access door in the removable door that would be able to be hinged for feeding without having to take the whole thing off and set it down. any time you've really got to get in there you'd just have to remove the whole thing.

the other option would be depend on how far the beam comes over the tank. You could do the canopy top flat with a hinge to open it just under where you have clearance


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