Re: [APD] Aquatic-Plants Digest, Vol 102, Issue 7

[Karen Randall <krandall at rdrcpa_biz>]

> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:56:49 +0000 (UTC)
> From: John Hess <johnfhess at comcast_net>
> Subject: Re: [APD] Aquatic-Plants Digest, Vol 102, Issue 6
> To: aquatic-plants at actwin_com
> 
> Also, recently, the plastic divider on the top of my tank let go.  I have a glass tank made by All Glass, with plastic frame on top and bottom.  on the top, at the midpoint of the tank, there is a plastic bar than runs from front to back.  It helps hold up the glass top (if I used those) and also helps reinforce the front and rear glass from bowing out.  Anyway, the plastic had cracks in it and a local guy said don't worry about it, but when the plastic did finally let go, it went crack! I heard it from the bedroom.  The front glass was obviously bowed, I expect the back glass was also, but couldn't see as well.  I was definitely worried about the corners leaking and wanted to add back some sort of reinforcement.  My first thought was a threaded steel rod with washers and nuts to hold the ends. However, a friedn suggest flat stock, so I went to the hardware store and bought a 1/8 inch thick, 1 inch wide flat steel bar.  Bent one end into a curve then measured and cut the b!
 ar!
>  and bent the other end.  The final bar looks like a very tall C with ends curved in.  I placed this over the top of the tank, pushed and pulled on the front and back glass and got the new "clamp" to hold the glass in pretty much the original flat position.  The fix is very simple, hardly noticeable and I think, a good long term solution.  
> 
> Anyone else deal with this sort of event?  

Tanks built with a center brace REALLY need that center brace.  They are built using thinner glass than pricier tanks, and you are lucky the whole thing didn't let go on you when the brace initially cracked.  Even now, if I am picturing what you did right, you are putting a LOT of pressure on a very small area of glass, the original brace was integrated into the plastic rim that went all around the tank, no?  So the pressure was spread evenly, not just on two points on the glass.  The right answer is to get rid of that tank and buy a better quality one.  I recently bought two Deep Blue tanks and am quite happy with them.  My older large tank is an Oceanic, which is a very good quality "framed" tank.  But the company has had its ups and downs.  I believe they are manufacturing again, but I haven't seen the new tanks, so check them out before buying.

> Message: 3
> Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 10:03:40 -0800
> From: Jerry Baker <jerry at bakerweb_biz>
> Subject: Re: [APD] LED lighting
> To: aquatic plants digest <aquatic-plants at actwin_com>
> 
> I was thinking of mounting LEDs to some copper pipe the length of the 
> tank and then running the filter output through the copper pipe. I've 
> just been too lazy to do the calculations to see whether this would add 
> too much heat to the water or not.

I don't know anything about heat sinks for LED's but I DO know it's a really bad idea to send aquarium water through copper tubing.  You will for sure kill all your inverts, and there are many plants and fish that are coper sensitve as well.


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