Can I remove the center door jam so I can slide in my new sump?

Slingshot357

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Before I do something really stupid I want to make sure this board in the middle is just cosmetic and not load bearing. It just looks like its there as a door jam to me and not holding up the tank at all, but I thought I'd ask the experts first. It's a 90 Gal tank, up and running.

I looked inside, up under the tank itself and its a solid piece of plywood 1/2" thick maybe, with a small rectangular cutout portion for the overflow.

IMG_3493.JPG
 

W1ngz

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All kinds of nope.
That's supporting the middle of the cross member. The only way that sump is getting in there is by draining the tank to remove the weight of the water.

You could try some temporary supports to one side of it before you remove it, but make sure they're snug or you won't get the center support back in after.
 
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Slingshot357

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All kinds of nope.
That's supporting the middle of the cross member. The only way that sump is getting in there is by draining the tank to remove the weight of the water.

You could try some temporary supports to one side of it before you remove it, but make sure they're snug or you won't get the center support back in after.

I don't think it's holding anything really. Here is another picture. please take another look just to be sure.

It looks like it's just a bunch of staples holding it to the horizontal board. the view is from the inside showing the back of the board I want to remove (red arrow) and the staples holding it to the horizontal board. There's nothing behind it that it's attached to. and at the very top is the 1/2" plywood under the tank. No middle support at all.

IMG_E3496.jpg
 

Cassian

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Ok, so everyone is going to say the opposite of what I’m about to say, but hear me out. I did the same exact thing on my old 125 gal. No you cannot remove the center brace. BUT, you can do like I did and take a 2 x4 and hammer it in further down so it is wedged right enough to support the weight. Bust out your center brace and put your sump in. Then put your center brace back using lots of wood glue and nails(with air gun) or screws. Whichever was already in it. Make sure you over do the securing job on the center brace because you had to compromise the original nails and glue. Let this set up, then pop the 2 x 4 out with a hammer. My dad actually did this for me and if it makes you feel any better about this method, he is an engineer. :)

Hope this helps!
 
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Slingshot357

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Ok, so everyone is going to say the opposite of what I’m about to say, but hear me out. I did the same exact thing on my old 125 gal. No you cannot remove the center brace. BUT, you can do like I did and take a 2 x4 and hammer it in further down so it is wedged right enough to support the weight. Bust out your center brace and put your sump in. Then put your center brace back using lots of wood glue and nails(with air gun) or screws. Whichever was already in it. Make sure you over do the securing job on the center brace because you had to compromise the original nails and glue. Let this set up, then pop the 2 x 4 out with a hammer. My dad actually did this for me and if it makes you feel any better about this method, he is an engineer. :)

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the advise. It's much appreciated. I wish I knew an engineer. To me it really looks like the tank is being supported on the thick plywood it's sitting on which is being supported on the outside edges. It's more like the tank is sitting on a table not an open box. You can't see 80% of the bottom of the tank if I look up. I can only see the section where the overflow is. That's the only part not supported by plywood.

I took another look at it and it really is just a solid table with a tank on it. That plywood the covers almost all of the bottom of the tank actually overhangs around the outside Just like a cabinet. It looks like they took cabinet and cut a hole in the top to fit the overflow ports through. Another clue is that board isn't in the back. I'm not sure it makes much sense to brace there in the front and not in the back.
 
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Cassian

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Thanks for the advise. It's much appreciated. I wish I knew an engineer. To me it really looks like the tank is being supported on the thick plywood it's sitting on which is being supported on the outside edges. It's more like the tank is sitting on a table not an open box. You can't see 80% of the bottom of the tank if I look up. I can only see the section where the overflow is. That's the only part not supported by plywood.

I took another look at it and it really is just a solid table with a tank on it. That plywood the covers almost all of the bottom of the tank actually overhangs around the outside Just like a cabinet. It looks like they took cabinet and cut a hole in the top to fit the overflow ports through. Another clue is that board isn't in the back. I'm not sure it makes much sense to brace there in the front and not in the back.

Np!
Hmm that does sound odd. Typically the center brace on most stands are very important. But yours may be different.
 
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Slingshot357

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Np!
Hmm that does sound odd. Typically the center brace on most stands are very important. But yours may be different.

Maybe. It's about 15 years old I think. It looks really solid. There's no bracing under the tank at all except that table piece and nothing in the back middle supporting it vertically. Just the piece in the front between the doors that I'm really leaning towards it just being there cosmetically and to stop the doors when they are closed.
 

LadyMac

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I believe the brace is only there for the doors. You can remove it but in my honest opinion, it would be safer to drain the tank a good bit to lessen the weight beforehand. Then just put it back so your doors close back into it. Or fashion it onto one of the doors and have a stop on the top and bottom of the stand

The way I was taught, the main support is always the four corners which is why it’s important to have the setup level.
 

Cassian

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Maybe. It's about 15 years old I think. It looks really solid. There's no bracing under the tank at all except that table piece and nothing in the back middle supporting it vertically. Just the piece in the front between the doors that I'm really leaning towards it just being there cosmetically and to stop the doors when they are closed.

It may be made different then. Sounds like it is just cosmetic then
 

Dr. Reef

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I had a stand exactly like that and I removed the center many times to get large equipment in and out of it without any issues.
 

MSB123

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I had a stand exactly like that and I removed the center many times to get large equipment in and out of it without any issues.
Same. My center brace was cosmetic. It took some force to get out and put back in, but no real load.
 
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Slingshot357

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I had a stand exactly like that and I removed the center many times to get large equipment in and out of it without any issues.

Thank You! I think I'll do it this weekend. I am planning on emptying a lot of water out first though. I have a brute trash can filled with fresh RODI on standby.

At one point I was actually considering cutting a hole in the back wall so the sump could make the turn. LOL
 

Dr. Reef

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This is what my old setup 20 yrs ago looked like and the center was just cosmetic for doors to shut on.
SANY0024.JPG
 

Dr. Reef

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If you really wanna be safe place a 2x4 here as shown in the photoshopped pic.
Screenshot_20190912-004622_Chrome.jpg
 

Billdogg

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If the cross piece on top is, indeed, plywood, then it won't sag a bit if you remove the "brace". That being said, I would still drain as much water as is reasonable to lessen the load, and replace it as soon as you are done.
 

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Evening

I Agree with the wolf as well. Few minutes and dollars for peace of mind=priceless

Even if it is not a support, there’s a good chance the stand may sag just enough to where you will have trim the brace by an 1/8 inch to get,it back in
 

Reefnman2

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I had the same problem with my stand, I got everything ready to go underneath then removed the center piece got the sump in place then replaced the board. Took about 15 mins but it was nerve racking...glad to see you got yourself a jack.
 
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