Hagen Tank braces

Seth · #1 12-17-2003, 11:50 AM

I have a question about the upper brace/frame thing on hagen tanks.

I really hate the look of the black frame and have always wanted a frameless tank.
Today I was washing out my 50 gallon freshwater tank and while trying to lift up the tank by the top frame, it started to come off! At first, I was like OH SHIT my tank! But then it didn't break or anything.

Do you guys think I could take of that frame? Does it serve a purpose or just there to look nice or ugly.

Thanks!

Canadian Man · #2 12-17-2003, 04:58 PM

Does the top frame have any cross braces?

If not then you will have no problems taking the outer rim of plasic off.
If there is cross braces then you need to leave it on because the cross brace is nessecary.

cheers

three dawgs · #3 12-17-2003, 06:36 PM

Frame is there for support in the corners. My cross brace on the other hand, silicone let go. My tank is a 90 gal. The canopy would not fit because the glass bowed out over half an inch. Suggestions, leave it all on. I had to get two people to help me put a brace in middle to pull tank together. Nothing worse then the tank sides letting do. Like I said frame at the top keeps the corners together. Lots of pressure on the glass. Learned that in Physics, cant remember the formula, but if your interested I could get it.

Seth · #4 12-17-2003, 08:59 PM

There's no cross brace on my tank. There is only the frame that goes around the top rectangle.

Canadian Man · #5 12-17-2003, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seth

There's no cross brace on my tank. There is only the frame that goes around the top rectangle.

Then if you want to take it off you will have no problems.

Canadian Man · #6 12-17-2003, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by three dawgs

Frame is there for support in the corners. My cross brace on the other hand, silicone let go. My tank is a 90 gal. The canopy would not fit because the glass bowed out over half an inch. Suggestions, leave it all on. I had to get two people to help me put a brace in middle to pull tank together. Nothing worse then the tank sides letting do. Like I said frame at the top keeps the corners together. Lots of pressure on the glass. Learned that in Physics, cant remember the formula, but if your interested I could get it.

The silicone keeps the corners together NOT the trim. If the trim on the tank has no center brace than it's there to cover the sharp top edges of the tank and that's it. There is much less pressure at the top of the tank then the bottom. one could take off the bottom trim as well as the silocone between the bottom glass and the outer tank walls is what would hold it together.

Aquattro · #7 12-17-2003, 09:17 PM

From what I ahve read, most (all?) tanks in europe do not have any trim at all. You do not need trim to keep anything together.

Seth · #8 12-17-2003, 11:38 PM

Ok Let me try taking it off today!
If it breaks, you guys have to come help me clean up!

jkjk

Samw · #9 12-17-2003, 11:53 PM

Is it worth the risk Seth? I don't know if Hagen tanks are designed to be braceless. Do you know if braceless tanks use a different stronger type of silicone or not? I don't know what floor you are on but if there was a problem, it will be very difficult to remove the salt from the walls of the apartments below you. What kind of damage could salt do to the steel rods inside concrete floors if there were tiny cracks in the concrete. 50 gals is a lot of water.

psuedo · #10 12-18-2003, 05:19 AM

yeah, I can vouch for that. My landlady should have freaked at me when 40 gallons of water was soaked up by my carpet and the floor joists and the ceiling of the tenants below me. She was cool though.
Nowadays I am very careful