old school 55 thick glass

[aquaman5000]

ok i have a old school 55 gallon tank!! very thick glass well it dosent have the center brace like the new 55 gallons have well my mom has been trying to find a hood for the tank for christmas to no avail well all the lfs ppl been telln her they dont make tanks like that any more. and for good reason apparently they will bow and shatter. my mom works at a hair salon and one of the ladies workn there had a old 55 like that shatter..... so now i have to tear down my biggist tank i have wtf is this a legit reason or tottal bs ?

 

[12 Volt Man]

it shouldnt bow and shatter.

the old style tanks were made better than the newer tanks with thinner glass IMO.

I had old style tanks from the early 90's last from 1993 right up until last month..90 and 65 gallons..and only because I sold them.

no doubt they would still be going strong...

the braced tanks were made and became popular for a few reasons, none of which had to do with the integrity of the tanks.

they switched to the one peice braced tops because:

1. they are easier to place on a tank (instead of 4 individual peices of trim) - faster labor.

2. the glass tops are cheaper and easier to make because they are smaller hinged peices, instead of 3 peice style tops where peices of glass had to be glued together.

now, you may need to reseal the tank, but as far as being braceless?

don't worry. it was never designed to have a brace.

its only in the last 12 years or so that braced tanks have been popular.

for the 40+ years before that, it was all no brace tanks..

 

[aquaman5000]

see thats what im saying just because someone she new it happend to i have to take my 55 doen thats okay haha im priceing a aycrlic 55

 

[solchitlins]

I wouldn't worry. I have a old 90 gal, with the green tint glass. Looks like it belongs in a science roon at a school, probally 30 years old.
It doesn't even bow when filled.

But you can cut a 4 inch wide peice of glass and silicone it on the top middle as a brace if you want then you can buy the new type lids.

Or just make your own lids by buying glass that fits the opening and siliconing a hinge and a knob.

check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHM3ldgdGl4

 

[Toby_H]

I have an old 55 gal that was made with no center brace... it bows less than my newer 55 gal with center brace...

I recently sold an old 90 gal that was made with no center brace... it bows less than my newer 90 gal with a center brace...

A friend down the street has a 5' tank that was made with no center brace that has been set up in his home for several years... it bows less than my newer 55 gal with a center brace...

If the tank was made with no center brace, it was made to function with no center brace. If the tank was made with a center brace, then it's meant to have one and will likely blow out without one.

As far as your Mother's friend's tank... I believe that her tank broke... and I believe it broke for a reason... but I do not believe the reason was a tank made with no center brace broke due to a lack of a center brace. I think she did something else wrong which resulted in a shattered tank.

 

[flstffxe]

^^^ I second this(nc_nutcase). Any tank will break for a number of reasons. Number one is not having its weight distributed evenly, twisted/un-level stand.

One option for the top is just a hinged glass top available at most independent aquatic stores.

Or you can go the route I am going on rebuilding a freebie 55g(broken frames, leaks). Buy a new style replacement frame/s from the manufacture of the tank. Dimensions very slightly from manufacture to manufacturer, so measure the tank dimensions via the outside of the glass and that will become the measurements you need for the new frame.

Typically tank manufactures kept the same dimensions when they switched to the new braced frames and thinner glass. There are a couple of cases I can think of that they did not. In that case you may end up with a old tank from one manufacture and a new frame from another, but rarely will you not be able to find the right size. I have a old 1/2" glass 90 gallon(originally 4 individual trim pieces, no brace, unknown manufacture(not a Perfecto) with new one piece center braced frames for a 90 gallon by Perfecto.

New frames are cheap, 55g frames will run about $16 a piece, top or bottom, $32 a set. My 90g were $24 a piece, $48 a set. Easy to swap out also.