# older 75 gallon built with no center brace?



## vincel892 (May 23, 2012)

I recently picked up a 75 gallon from a friend who was giving it away.
It was very heavy and made with 3/8" glass.
There did not seem to be any center bracing on the top or bottom trim.
Were older tanks built without this center bracing?
Only indication of the brand of tank is a Hagen sticker on one of the panels.


----------



## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Older aquariums were made with thicker glass vs aquariums today of the same dimensions.

3/8" is the "todays" thickness and probably made when they shifted to thinner glass as they used to be 1/2" and do remember that 65 and 75 gal didn't have the centre brace but the 90gals did. For ease of assembly, they used the same trim for the top and bottom

On the bottom, the silicone of all sides to the bottom pane with the trim will hold the water pressure and not bow. The top is another matter as only the trim is helping to "hold the bow' from water pressure.

Personally, I would remove the top trim and put a 3" wide, 3/8" thick EuroBrace (EB) on the top perimeter and no need for a centre brace...I would sleep better at night.


----------



## vincel892 (May 23, 2012)

wtac said:


> Older aquariums were made with thicker glass vs aquariums today of the same dimensions.
> 
> 3/8" is the "todays" thickness and probably made when they shifted to thinner glass as they used to be 1/2" and do remember that 65 and 75 gal didn't have the centre brace but the 90gals did. For ease of assembly, they used the same trim for the top and bottom
> 
> ...


I don't want to have to spend that much on money on glass. From what I've seen, most glass shops would charge a minimum of $20 per piece (?). I was considering leaving the top brace and just putting one glass center brace.

Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk


----------



## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

You can do that but you have to cut the trim so that its glass siliconed to glass and not on the trim.

To help hold the corners if you remove the trim, silicone 3-4" right angle triangles of another strip of glass going back to front.

I understand not wanting to spend more $ on glass but in the long run, cheaper than a blow out.


----------

