40 Gallon Breeder-Bowing?

[BlueKiller82]

Hello,
I just set up a 40 gallon breeder tank today (36"x18"). It does not have a center brace and I have noticed a slight bow in the front and back at the top of the tank. Should I be worried about this or is it normal?

I'd rather not have 40 gallons of water burst in the middle of the night, and dont think my neighbors downstairs would be too happy either.

Thanks for your help!!

 

[flamenco-t]

All 40 breeder are like that. Who manufactured yours ? usually they have 5/16" thick glass. Anything lesser than that may be a disaster waiting to happen

 

[joedodge]

my oceanic 58 gallon has no center brace either it is the same foot print as your tank just taller. but my glass is 3/8" thick. it sounds like you have a manufacturing issue how thick is the glass, who manufactured it.

 

[12 Volt Man]

a slight bow is normal. I have seen threads on other forums talking about Aqueon's (aka Allglass) 40 breeder having a slight bow and they build very good tanks.

perfecto (marineland) 40 breeders have a brace I believe. but the aqueon's do not.

I wouldn't worry.

most tanks without braces (they all were like this before the late 90's) have slight bows to them.

thats why they went to bracing (and thinner glass ) they can make the tank not bow but use thinner glass to make them cheaper to build..

I prefer the old style tanks anyway..

 

[BlueKiller82]

Thanks for the replies. I dont know the manufacturer. i bought the tank used and its supposedly only a couple years old. The glass is 1/4".

 

[joedodge]

wow 1/4 inch with no bracing that would scare me to death. i would strongly way the positives and negatives of geting a new tank i think the positives will win.

 

[DMD123]

Thanks for the replies. I dont know the manufacturer. i bought the tank used and its supposedly only a couple years old. The glass is 1/4".

Could it have been purchased as a reptile tank by the former owner (Maybe 1/2 full of water if it housed a turtle)? These are sometimes cheaper and are used with screened tops.

You could always drain the tank, go to a glass shop and have a piece cut and silicone it in place. But I still would be afraid of such thin glass.

 

[BlueKiller82]

Seemed to be 1/4", could be 5/16", hard to get a good measurement with tape measure.

 

[12 Volt Man]

I doubt you need to worry about the glass thickness. the thickness on the Aqueon's (allglass) is probably 1/4" and their tanks are fine:

the shallow height of this tank is the reason you don't need really thick glass, even without a brace.

 

[EdCal]

wait a sec...your 40g GLASS tank is BOWING...?

Glass does not bow!!! You probably have an acrylic tank.
its normal for an acrylic tank to bow.