New tank new questions..

I have a new tank and have some questions regarding the setup.

1) The new tank I have is a custom tank with matching stand. I bought it used. I verified that it does not leak and has not been repaired. It's dimensions are 60x18x24 with 1/2 inch thick glass. I noticed that there is no brace across the middle top like most tanks I've seen. Is there going to be a problem once I load it up with water and rock?

2) The tank was drilled by the previous owner. I thas one 2.6 inch diameter hole at the top right back of the tank. The whole is 1.2 inch from the top of the tank. Initially, I was just going to plug this since I may be going with canisters but now I'm wordering if I should add an overflow and go with a sump system. I saw glass holes overflow add ons and they seem to be a good option but since I have no flexibility over hole location or size, do you guys think this will work?

3) I've now seen some on this site using flexible clear tubing to run their plumbing instead of the white PVC. This is a much better option for me since I"m not that comfortable with PVC fittings. Any downsides to using this sort of setup?

 

I use tubing on all of my plumbing with no problems. I would def go with the sump setup over the canister for one you increase your overall water volume and canisters are really better served in the freshwater realm. As for the restrictions on hole location and size I say just go with it at least you don't have the sweat of drilling a glass tank and hoping it doesnt crack! If you look around you will find bulkheads and fittings galore that will accomidate your current situation. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

Can anyone comment on the lack of bracing on this tank?

Also if I did go with a sump it would be a very small one because I do not want to significantly increase the weight of the system. Is it still beneficial if your sump is very small? ie 10 gallons

 

Well I think the benefit of a sump in the cabinet is that you can put your heater and skimmer in it and keep them concealed. And 10 more gallons of water is better than none. As far as the bracing is concerned I'm not an expert I would wait for others to respond. Why is the weight such an issue is the setup not on a ground floor? I would think that the difference in a 10 or 20 weight wise is harmless and for that manner even a 30. I would just try to get the largest sump that can still fit inside the stand and be concealed. You are planning a skimmer correct?

 

i was told that bracing is needed but thats not really true. It really depends on the strength of the tank. I've seen 120 gallon tanks with no bracing.

Depends on what the manufacturer recommends.

You should test it with fresh water for a while

 

My tank is going in the office, which is essentially 3 floors above ground. All the levels below it including the basement are finished so there isn't a easy way to brace underneight. It is a newer home with metal stud/beam contruction. I known where one of the main beams run and I was going to position it over that but I still want to keep it as light as possible given that I haven't been able to figure out the load rating of this beam. With a 125 GA tank with stand, etc I was estimating just under 2000lbs - this is without a sump.

As for the bracing. The tank is a custom build for one of the big aquarium stores in town. One of the trades people working on the store had one built for his home. It is completely custom - tank and stand. It looks to of good build, 1/2 inch thick glass, with good sealing and no evidence of patched areas but I was just suprised there was nothing on the top at all..

 

If indeed the tank is built from 1/2" thick glass, it's thicker than most stock tanks of these dimensions and I that works in your favor as to not needing a center brace.

As a side note, I'm not good enough at estimating the thickness of a piece of glass jsut by eyeballing it. Once in a while, people or stores selling a tank have been known to be a little off in their measurements as well. If you haven't already done so, it might be interesting to put a pair of calipers on the glass and confirm that it is indeed 1/2" thick and not 3/8" or thinner. Another thing that comes into play is that this is probably not tempered glass (first clue, it has been drilled) so that would require some thicker glass than a tempered tank either with or without bracing.

One final note is that if you are really concerned about the lack of a brace, you could always add one. My guess is that it is not necessary but it is an insurance policy that you could use.

 

Thanks for all the help guys!

I measured with a pair calipers the glass is definitely 1/2 inch thick. Saddly it isn't starfire thought..

 

Don't sweat the Starphire. I've got it on my front panal but the side panels look just fine. Nobody has asked me, "Hey, why does this tank look so much better from the front?"