Removing middle brace from plexiglass tank

[Alazo1]

My tank crashed a bit more then a week ago.
It is a plexiglass tank. 48x24x24. (1/2" thick). I wanted to remove the middle brace and wondering if I can get opinions. I suppose I can remove it and fill it up with water to see if the bulging is about the same as with the brace on.

thanks

 

[fishguy242]

hi , not sure such a good idea.
@Joe Glass Cages @Lowell Lemon ??

 

[oreo54]

My tank crashed a bit more then a week ago.
It is a plexiglass tank. 48x24x24. (1/2" thick). I wanted to remove the middle brace and wondering if I can get opinions. I suppose I can remove it and fill it up with water to see if the bulging is about the same as with the brace on.

thanks

Conservative calculator from an Acrylic manuf. states 1" cell cast acrylic for "open" top.
3/4" for braced.
https://www.acrylite.co/resources/calculators
This is related..
https://sheet.zohopublic.com/sheet/published/y0e2966628a3377884c538436cb0952d87ae4
Soo "technically" you are already too thin.
Now this doesn't mean it is wrong per se just a different way of looking at it.
All sorts of factors are not accounted for.

One that bugs me is age.. Really want to increase stress (that is not negotiable) on this tank?

Point is it gives you food for thought .

 

[Alazo1]

Thanks for the feedback and links. I think I'll just leave it. Not sure how old the tank is as I bought it used. As well I hacked off the corner overflows as can be seen by the gouges I left. I ended up lining the sides and back with 1/8" black acrylic to hide the gouges. It's an in wall tank so the glue visible on the sides are not seen. It's held up for the 2 years that it was running.

Joe, I made an inquiry yesterday for one of your tanks. Still on the fence to go new with a deeper tank or keep chugging along with this one.

Albert

 

[Lowell Lemon]

I would not cut out the brace either. Good choice.

 

[Joe Glass Cages]

hi , not sure such a good idea.
@Joe Glass Cages @Lowell Lemon ??

Sure @fishguy242

First, this is a great question for the manufacture of the tank. they made it that way for a reason. Try this first.

Second, Check the thickness required for acrylic with the public acrylic thickness calculator. However, we have found the rimless side of this formula to be challenging in real life. It is great for braced acrylic tanks. fYI, we will not build an Acrylic rimless Tank above 12" in acrylic regardless of what the calculator states.

 

[Joe Glass Cages]

Thanks for the feedback and links. I think I'll just leave it. Not sure how old the tank is as I bought it used. As well I hacked off the corner overflows as can be seen by the gouges I left. I ended up lining the sides and back with 1/8" black acrylic to hide the gouges. It's an in wall tank so the glue visible on the sides are not seen. It's held up for the 2 years that it was running.

Joe, I made an inquiry yesterday for one of your tanks. Still on the fence to go new with a deeper tank or keep chugging along with this one.

Albert

Honored for the consideration.

Here to help if you want to talk your situation through.