how important is the center brace?

You basically cut off the remaining brace and have about 1" sticking out. Think of a dock sticking into the water. Then get a piece of acrylic about 1/4" thick and cut it to size. I've found the easiest way is to use a table saw and a plywood blade, but you can it with what ever works. Then get some plastic screws. You want ones maybe 1/'4 around and drill through the acrylic strip and the 1" nub of the old brace. Then just screw it down. You might want to try to use 4 screws on either side, so eight total. That Should give you a good solid brace.

 

Another good way to cut acrylic is to flip the blade backwards...it melts the cut, and saves from dull blades catching and cracking the acrylic.

 

FYI, silicone does not hold on to plastic well.

DO what guitarman said, but take it another step. After you cut the brace out and drill the holes, use some weld-on 16 to actually weld the acrylic to the brace. This adds another level of protection.

I see you are in Cali. Are you close to TAPS plastics? If so, they will cut acrylic for you. You can also get the weld-on from them.

 

i get the picture now. thanks.
my problem is the brace broke off from the back where it meets the rear glass. for some reason the silicone came off that connects the brace to the glass. and the brace is made of glass also so it will be hard to drill through it.
i just finished attaching it again with new silicone and filled up with water but not up to the level of the new silicone.
what i am really worried about is the whole integrity of the tank since i have no idea how long the brace came off.
the brace was just re-attached by me before i set up the tank since this was a broken tank that i just fixed by resealing it.
this size of a tank is hard to come by.

 

Empty as much water as possible from the tank. Silicone the original glass brace in place and use clamps to make sure there is good contact between the brace and sides. This will keep the tank from bowing. You will need to wait a few days for the silicone to cure before adding more water.

Can you post photos?

 

yes i siliconed it in place. pictures attached
the circled red is where the water level is right now almost touching the new silicne i applied. will this have any effect with the curing of silicone?
also why is the rest of my silicone (whole tank) turning yellow? does it mean my silicone's are turning brittle?

 

Wow, that's scary. I would be afraid to mess with that. Hey a bad tank is a bad tank. I don't know what to say but if it was me I'd tell the manufacturer about this. They may be able to help. If you bought the tank used your on your own. It's your house.

 

The pressure from the water will have a negative affect on the seal. Filling the tank back up with water creates gaps and a less effective seal. You want as much pressure relieved as possible. You need the tank to be like this for about 3 days. This time frame makes sure the silicone is cured. As for the yellowing, IDK. I have the same problem with my sump. You can easily clean the yellow off with a paper towel.

 

will it still be the case even if there are clamps supporting the tank to prevent bowing?

 

anybody knows a good place to buy aquarium tanks?
looking for this dimensions
72x18x22
thanks