OMG: i need help fast

[flgoose]

Ok my huge tank been up for a month or so now and while i was sitting on the couch, i heard a snap. Investigating i saw that the top braces snapped loose. I put a couple of bar clamps to hold and remove the bow for now. Of course i tried to take a picture but the camera battery is dead.

Ok about the tank: it is a DIY measuring 83 x 27 x 27 (268gal)(see me big project past posts) I've made the top frame out of wood. Apperently the 2 braces i had placed in there with biscuits didn't hold the pressure and the biscuits snapped loose.

I was thinking of putting a 10" piece in the center and screw it in with 4 3 or more inches long screws from each end. another idea was to put 3 1/4" threaded rods embadded into a piece of wood. I should have enough room on the trim to drill for either one of those fixes. Another idea was to screw a piece of wood from the top down. that would mean modifying the cannopy to accomodate this, not my favorite choice. What do you guys think? Or what do you suggest? I'm open for anything at this point.

[Poseidon]

Pictures would really help me here, how are those batteries?

Out of what you have listed I like the threaded rod option the best. What is the tank made from, can you brace it with acrylic?

[flgoose]

The tank is made out of glass. I got it stabilized for the night but i definatelly wil have to fix it in the morning. No luck on the pictures yet I will sure post them in the morning.

I was looking a it and i almost feel that if i do the rods thing, i just might have to go deeper in the wood and might not have too much meat lft to hold. I'm considering heavily on the screwed in wood. I figure if i replace the 1.5" bracing with a 3 1'2" and use 3 or 4 screws on each end, it should hold. Let's remember there ar 2 of those so 6 screws should hold back a 83"panel span.

[Future]

Screws drilled into wood as you've mentioned would require a good degree of angle, sounds like a good idea, but if you go this way don't forget to use something to lock the screws as well, such as a wood glue IN the screw hole. The glue is because of the grain splitting, it'll take up the slack where the grain in the wood is separating.

You could also drill a hole straight down the center of a 2x4, and use piano wire to slowly pull the bow back in, but this can be expensive, tedious and just a plain PITA. Basically the piano wire would pull the stress out of the bow and keep it from going out any farther until you get a permanent fix.