# Safe to remove tank bracing?



## Holy Samosa (Nov 3, 2009)

Hey guys:

My 46 gallon bow front has a length of plastic bracing that runs from the front to rear center across the top of the tank. It's only two or three inches wide, but this does block perhaps 8% of my light. I wasn't sure if this served a structural purpose, or if it was just to help keep the lid or lighting from slipping into the tank. 

I'm wondering: can cut this out without affecting the integrity of my tank?

Thanks,
Jeremy


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## alym (Mar 31, 2008)

I have the same tank and would love to know the answer to that one - I don't think it's ornamental though! I would imagine it would hurt the tank (and with 46 gallons of water over my hardwood, I don't think i'd take the chance!)


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## archer772 (Nov 13, 2009)

I broke my center brace while doing some maintenance on my tank and the brace had a 1/4-3/8 inch gap in it so I wouldnt remove it. My tank is a 4 foot 65 gallon with 3/8 glass


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## PUNiSH3R (Nov 17, 2009)

Word from the manufacturer of my bow front is DO NOT remove the bracing for any reason. I inquired a while back about it (It blocks my lunar light :icon_mrgr ) and they emphatically responded that it would cause the tank to fail if it were removed. I figured if a quart of milk is bad and a body's worth of blood is really, really bad, then a fish tank...


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## kyle3 (May 26, 2005)

you could have a peice of acrylic cut and secured to the tank- if it was designed correctly it would do the work of the center brace and allow light to pass thru- a decent LFS will either be able to make such a thing for you or refer you to someone who could.
cheers-K


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## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

The brace is structural. 
As in a house, structural elements can be modified but should be done by a professional and not the average owner. If you have a good floor or a significant other, leave it alone. 

If you're single living in a basement - experiment all you want to and let us know how it goes in a couple of months and years.


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## mustbekarma (Nov 12, 2009)

I'd be very afraid to remove the brace. One of my many aquarium disasters with classroom tanks involved the center brace for a 55 gallon breaking over the weekend. By Monday morning, the glass had bowed out about 1 1/2 inches and the hood and lights had had started falling into the aquarium.

Those were not good times.


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## DrinkTheYeastMix (Oct 14, 2009)

My 40g breeder (hoping to fill next week) doesn't have a support across the top or bottom, and it doesn't appear as if there was one that the previous owner might have removed. Does the fact that it's a shorter, deeper tank have anything to do with this? Am I screwed?


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## mustbekarma (Nov 12, 2009)

Funny you should mention that, *Jake*, because I've wondered about the issue of tank braces. The 30 gallon aquarium I have at school has a center brace. The new 30 gallon tank I bought for my home doesn't have a center brace. I guess mine is probably the better manufactured tank. The glass does seem a bit thicker on "my" tank, too.

I guess maybe it just depends on the manufacturer.


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## Holy Samosa (Nov 3, 2009)

Alright, I suspected as much.

I do have access to scrap acrylic, so I'm tempted to to try to fashion my own acrylic cross brace when I empty the tank for rescaping in a couple of weeks. I'd definitely be interested to hear from anyone who has been successful with this mod...


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

The 40-45 gallon Jebo style tank I had for a few years came with the brace across the top missing. That made me nervous, so I made an acrylic piece, about 3 inches wide to fit where the original brace had been. That original had been attached with two tiny screws at each end. I substituted a couple of 1/8" diameter acrylic pins glued into my new brace, to match the holes in the tank rims, which I reamed out to the same diameter. This worked for several weeks, then one day I noticed that one end was loose. The pins had sheared off on that end, and the front glass bowed out an additional 1/8 inch or so. Since no other failure had happened, I just removed my brace and forgot about it. The tank was in use, fully filled for about 3 years after that, no problem. That tank was 30 inches long. If I had a 48 inch long tank I would probably never take the risk of leaving the brace off.


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## Holy Samosa (Nov 3, 2009)

Ok, I think the brace will be staying put.


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## amdmeplz (Nov 30, 2010)

*cebter brace is broken*

I have a 120 gallon Jebo bowfront and my center brace is broken if by center brace you mean the piece of plastic going across the middle of the tank... although it doesn't seem very structural to begin with mine is cracked but i notice no gap i don't know how long its been broken that's how it was when i got it ? should i be worried ? :drool::icon_neut:eek5::frown:


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