center brace

AQUA DAVE · 02/03/2006, 12:04 AM

Is it ok to take the center brace off of the top half of my 90 bowfront? It blocks alot of the light in the center of the tank. Just wondering. I was thinking of cutting the black brace off while adding two clear acrylic braces across the top. Let me know if anyone can help. I would appreciate it greatly.

Blown 346 · 02/03/2006, 12:09 AM

If you take part of the brace off you will be weakining the tank, the only thing holding the tank together then would be the silicon seals and the trim.
Either way you look at it, with a clear brace or plastic you are still going toget a shadow. The clear brace wont let light go thru it totally. After water settles on it so will algae.

rlschne · 02/03/2006, 12:16 AM

i cut the brace on my smaller tank and used 2 stainless cables to brace it...

RyanJ · 02/03/2006, 12:27 AM

Do you have metal halides? not that it matters, but if you were to cut that black brace out and put in acrylic with some plastic wing nuts and glue to secure it to the trim, you would be fine and I've seen tanks with the acrylic braces and no shadows. go do www.utahreefs.com and do a search there is a great thread on there going through it step by step

AQUA DAVE · 02/03/2006, 12:52 AM

Thanks for the advice guys.. I have hallides so i think im going to go with the acrylic idea. What i will do is pute two thinner acrylic strips in the middle on the outside of the black one. After they are secured i then will gut the middle one out. Any adhesive sudgestions

mejiggery · 02/03/2006, 05:05 AM

I have two 4 ft bow fronted tanks, I have taken the centre brace off them both about 3 years ago now and they are fine. But... i guess acrylic braces are the safe option.

02/03/2006, 12:04 AM	#1
AQUA DAVE Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Houston, TX USA Posts: 389	center brace Is it ok to take the center brace off of the top half of my 90 bowfront? It blocks alot of the light in the center of the tank. Just wondering. I was thinking of cutting the black brace off while adding two clear acrylic braces across the top. Let me know if anyone can help. I would appreciate it greatly.

02/03/2006, 12:09 AM	#2
Blown 346 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Rockford, Illinois Posts: 6,596	If you take part of the brace off you will be weakining the tank, the only thing holding the tank together then would be the silicon seals and the trim. Either way you look at it, with a clear brace or plastic you are still going toget a shadow. The clear brace wont let light go thru it totally. After water settles on it so will algae.

02/03/2006, 12:16 AM	#3
rlschne Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: AR Posts: 122	i cut the brace on my smaller tank and used 2 stainless cables to brace it...

02/03/2006, 12:27 AM	#4
RyanJ Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Provo, Utah Posts: 67	Do you have metal halides? not that it matters, but if you were to cut that black brace out and put in acrylic with some plastic wing nuts and glue to secure it to the trim, you would be fine and I've seen tanks with the acrylic braces and no shadows. go do www.utahreefs.com and do a search there is a great thread on there going through it step by step

02/03/2006, 12:52 AM	#5
AQUA DAVE Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Houston, TX USA Posts: 389	Thanks for the advice guys.. I have hallides so i think im going to go with the acrylic idea. What i will do is pute two thinner acrylic strips in the middle on the outside of the black one. After they are secured i then will gut the middle one out. Any adhesive sudgestions

02/03/2006, 05:05 AM	#6
mejiggery Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: south-west uk Posts: 469	I have two 4 ft bow fronted tanks, I have taken the centre brace off them both about 3 years ago now and they are fine. But... i guess acrylic braces are the safe option.