Black Center Brace - Can I Cut it Out of the Aquarium or No?

[PaulKreider]

AGA makes a 30 breeder, 36x18x12 No brace.

And a 40B is 36x18x16 no brace.

 

[Alabamareef]

Plenty of frag tanks dont have them! Deep Blue has a whole line up to 80 gallons which is 4x2x16 I believe, all of which don't have center braces. Or you could go with a 30breeder or 40breeder or even 20 long, all great.

++1

 

[billwill]

Wow, have any of you guys and gals heard of engineering? Each tank is designed based on their overall dimensions and anticipated water level. Sure, you can get a 400G rimless cube, but I'll guarantee it's been engineered to work without a top brace. Can you cut out your plastic top brace? Sure but your tank will fail eventually. They do make clear plastic braces you can replace them with. I think I saw them on Reefbuilders.com or somewhere. Don't be stupid.

 

[dormreefer]

I've done it on a few tanks 40-90 gallons no issues personally

 

[vladandlilith]

Wow, have any of you guys and gals heard of engineering? Each tank is designed based on their overall dimensions and anticipated water level. Sure, you can get a 400G rimless cube, but I'll guarantee it's been engineered to work without a top brace. Can you cut out your plastic top brace? Sure but your tank will fail eventually. They do make clear plastic braces you can replace them with. I think I saw them on Reefbuilders.com or somewhere. Don't be stupid.

I believe I saw the same video that you did. This person had a 42g bowfront (I think) . They took a flat piece of acrylic and with the tank empty they cut out the center brace and used it as a template for their clear acrylic brace that they made to replace the factory black one. Then they drilled either two or three holes on both ends and used plastic nuts and bolts to secure it. I considered doing they same thing on my 56g bowfront, but decided against it since I did not have a problem with shadowing and I am using two Kessil 360WE's on this tank with very good results. Not that this matters, but my 125g has three braces, my 300g and 400g do not.

 

[vladandlilith]

BTW billwill, if it does not sound like it, I apologize. I am supporting your point of engineering. Whoever the tank builder is( and I build acrylic tanks) takes every possible stress point into consideration when designing any aquarium. After all there are liability issues at hand.

 

[that Reef Guy]

I see (Thicker Glass) it makes sense now.

Does anybody know off hand how thick a regular 30 Breeder and 45 is and how thick the rimless version should be?

I ask because my LFS said they are the Exact Same Tank just no Top Black Support Trim on the Rimless Version.

I want to make sure they are the right thickness.

The Dimensions are

36 Long
18 Deep
12 High

or

48 Long
18 Deep
12 High

How thick should the glass be for Regular and Rimless?

 

[that Reef Guy]

So I got a quote from the LFS.

48 Long
18 Deep
12 High

45 Gallons

36 Long
18 Deep
12 High

30 Gallons

Whether I get Rimless or with Black Trim and a Brace both Tanks will be 1/4 Inch Thick.

Is that the Right Thickness?

Somebody said that Rimless should be Thicker than Regular but they said that it would be made the same Thickness.

What do you guys Think?

 

[hart24601]

Sorry I can't help with those specific tanks, but the glass must be thicker on rimless as the tank size increases. I don't know about those size of tanks, but here is a good example. The marineland 300dd (72x36x27) tank has 12mm glass or .47 inches. I had miracles build me a rimless tank ~120 (48x24x24) and they required the use of 19mm glass or 0.75 inches. So the rimless required over 50% thicker glass despite being 2 ft shorter, 1 ft narrower and 3 inches lower!

 

[that Reef Guy]

My LFS said it would be fine and does not need thicker glass because it is so Shallow (12 Inches).

Do you guys agre with that or no?

How Thick would you have the Tanks of that Size Built if they were for you?