Center brace upgrade/replace

b4tn · Oct 29, 2019

Since I have had my 4 foot tank the huge center brace has driven me crazy! Its near 4" wide and casts a huge shadow directly center of the tank. I know its a necessity to prevent bowing and I cant find any marketed solutions so I am thinking to make my own. Here is my plan.... Home depot sells angle and rod stock and I have a welder so I am thinking to weld a 1/8" rod on to some 3" wide 1 1/2" angle pieces, clean it up, and plasti dip it for corrosion resistance. I have a pair of quick grip bar clamps that I can use to hold the tank together in position while I cut out the existing center brace with a small hand saw with a Tupperware container floating underneath to catch the shavings. Once the center brace is out I will just drop this over the top frame with some heavy duty double sided tape to keep it from sliding around. It should be relatively low profile and will allow tons more light spread. Good idea? Playing with fire? Any better ideas?

andrewkw · Oct 29, 2019

Why not just use acrylic? I cut my center brace and replaced the black with an acrylic. I left the very ends of the brace and drilled holes and use nylon screws and bolts to hold it in. The clear does still cast a tiny shadow but if it's kept clean not very much. I did this around 2008 so it's held for more than a decade without bowing.

I can take a picture for you later but google searches should come up with some. I may have even posted it here some time ago..

b4tn · Oct 29, 2019

andrewkw said:
Why not just use acrylic? I cut my center brace and replaced the black with an acrylic. I left the very ends of the brace and drilled holes and use nylon screws and bolts to hold it in. The clear does still cast a tiny shadow but if it's kept clean not very much. I did this around 2008 so it's held for more than a decade without bowing.

I can take a picture for you later but google searches should come up with some. I may have even posted it here some time ago..

How thick did you use?