1) order new piece of glass
2) Make jig/glass holder thing, so you can avoid the need to grow two extra arms, and hold it for a few days straight.
3) silicone into place.
4) Crack open a cold one and enjoy your handiwork.

Or

5) Pay someone to come and fix it for you.

P.S. I can't seem to figure out which thread to follow/post in.

I have been following yours on both also, I agree it can be interesting to follow both.

Probably easier to follow this one, I spend more time here *lol*

I'm over it now, It should be pretty easy to fix and if thats the worst that happens to me over the course of this tank then I'll call myself lucky!

Now, I'm off to have a beer, stare at the tank and scratch my head a little..

Is it just the top brace? If so, yeah, super easy to fix. The hardest part (removing the old piece of glass) is halfways done for you too. ;)

However, if it is a centre brace ... you might want to consider taking this as an opportunity to go with Eurobracing (perimeter bracing) instead? You'll be WAY happier with the tank with perimeter bracing methinks...

Well,

She will never see this post but I have to give thanks to my better half. She was out of town when the tank broke and got home late, she didn't know the tank had broken. I told her about it this morning she had a look at it and asked if I can fix it. I said I probably could, she went meh if you can't go buy a new one and that was the end of it! :lol:

So heres a thanks to all the people behind us who have to put up with our insanity.

I would look at that as a blessing in disguise. Ditch the large center brace and go with a euro brace instead. You could still add two smaller center braces for additional support. At least that way you could offset them so 3 halides could shine through without going through any glass.

I like the idea of a euro braced tank. What dimensions should the glass be, thickness and width?

I'm not entirely certain if there's a hard science behind brace sizing, but FWIW, on my 280g (which is 72x30x30), the perimeter bracing is 6"x3/4" glass (super beefy stuff). On my 110g (which is 30x30x30), the perimeter bracing is 2"x1/2" (might be 5/8", not entirely sure) glass.

I can figure it out for you if you tell me the tank glass thickness.

The tank is 5/8 I believe.

so 15mm then.

Would that need to be 15mm x 4" or 6"

Sorry to be a pain

No worries I was actually just confirming glass thickness.

Here's what I got for you:

First off this analysis may not be correct in actual displacement values as representing silicon seams and dynamic behavior is difficult and unnecessary.

So we start off by seeing what you had before, not intirely sure but my experience shows most of these larger tanks have 18" wide center brace with about a 1" trim around the top:
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...nterbraced.jpg
This is showing a displacement of 0.26mm and a somewhat unhealthy displacement pattern.

The goal here would be to at least match the displacement, as already stated the actual number isn't important, we just want to come close to matching it.

First lets compare to no bracing:
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...entnobrace.jpg
This shows max displacement of 2.22mm, so center brace does a lot.

Now lets try a 15mm x 4" Euro Brace, bigger than 4" and it's awkward, any smaller than 4" and the glass shop will be b*tching.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...teurobrace.jpg
This shows 0.36mm max displacement and a healthier displacement pattern. This will be good, not much difference from the center brace.

However we'll take it one step further and place in 2 center braces 4" wide. Not ideal but better than the large one in the center.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...cewithdual.jpg
Well look at that 0.26mm max and way better displacement pattern than the center brace alone.

I leave the choice up to you, but it's interesting to see, that center brace does a good job no wonder the manufacturers use them, cheap and effective. Just sucks for us.

HTH

Holy Crap!

I can't thank you enough for that. I think I'm going to go for option 4.. I'd rather be safe then sorry.

neat analysis plots

Robb you had 3 400w, seems the brace breaking might have been for the best for positioning your reflectors for coverage (***** about the extra cost and hassle though)

No problem, glad to help.

Yeah in the end I'll be much better off with that brace being gone. But your right, it will be a pain in the !@# getting there.

Wow those stress plots are really cool!! [/nerd]

Ditto!

They helped me make a decision I have been struggling with. Thanks!

They're actually displacement plots, I figured they would be benificial to most people with similar tanks.

Indeed, very beneficial.

Here is a thread I just started asking for help regarding bracing/bowing concerns.

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...490#post326490

I got most of the bracing off before I ran the knife across my knuckle and had to stop to get some stitches! :lol:

sorry but I'm smiling

Your luck sucks lately!

No need to be sorry, I'm laughing at myself. :mrgreen:

My tank now has the blood and the sweat, now all I need are the tears!

What program you use and where can I get me a copy :D

would have been some tears from me if I broke the brace on my tank

Ha..ha... I know what you mean. While trying to screw in my overhead track system, the screwdriver slipped and whacked me right between the eyes. I thought it hurt, but when I pulled my hand back....blood everywhere.

I had the same thought...the sweat and tears were already in the tank, so it was only a matter of time....

Don't worry the tears will come when you get your credit card statements each month. :mrgreen:


SolidWorks 2008 with Comoworks FEA add-on. For a legal license you're looking at around $8000. So unless you're using it for business you really don't need it. In addition you need to know a little about the subject to use it, I really wouldn't like to think anyone could do what I do.

Ya, figured she'd be pricy. I have some expensive software here too for my CNC milling machine. But not $8K. Dont worry, I have too much to do allready to try and figure out what it is you do too LMAO:mrgreen:

Well the tank is officially braceless, too bad it can't stay that way. That is a job I NEVER want to do again. :2gunfire:

The counter tops went in today

The bottom of the tank sits 2.75" below the top of the counter top. One thing I always hated about my other tanks was that I could never clean right to the bottom of the glass with the mag-float without scratching the tank. This solves that problem and makes it look pretty cool.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/a...d/IMG_1990.jpg

Looking good man.

We are going to take this tank out and replace it. We have decided to go for a taller tank 84x24x?
About the only thing good about this whole thing is that I get to smash the thing and buy a new tank with the specs I want.. So I'll probably be asking for some design help in the future.

I guess I should tell you what prompted the change... the left hand payne cracked sometime during the night. I know it wasn't broken last night when I went to bed.

Man, you just aren't having the best of luck are you?

I guess it's a blessing though, now you get what you really wanted.

Wow, weird. :( Although I suppose it's better to have happen now than when there's water in it.

I'm baffled as to what happened also.. I know it wasn't cracked yesterday..It’s pretty obvious and impossible to miss. The counter top doesn't touch the tank, there is at least 1/8 all the way around that I siliconed in last night.

No sense trying to figure it out, what's done is done, on the upside I can build what I want now. The downside, I now need to sell a kidney to pay for it! :lol:

Since you are going taller... I think I would take up as high as the highest shelf on the sides... would give a it nice uniform look! :D

Lucky it wasn't full of water. The glass itself may have has an imperfection it it, inclusion, just the right tap and it fractures.....I think any glass company could repair it for you. Might cost more than the tank.