Can I remove the tank crossbeam?

[reefman]

the "crossbeam" only, not the whole brace
can but should not be remove unless you r willing to risk the tank bursting.
when? only god knows. its like a ticking time bomb with no clock attach.

 

[wilrock101]

I, agree the middle piece only.Its what I,did with my 37gallon tank.I used homedepot straps that I have used when building large cabinet frames.They hold about 600-900pounds .I strapped it unto the top frame of the tank and added two 3\8inch pieces of wood. One on the front top side of the frame and the other on the back top side of the frame.Its been secure for two years now.I like the added strength that it has given the tank together with the plastic frame and the silcone.It all comes together and holds everything in place

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

99.99 percent the answer is "no" because your tank is most likely one of those commercially available ones. Most factory will make them just enough to hold plus a little safety factor and that's it. Removing it means a big deal since the glass that come with those tanks are usually thin. There is a calculator in RC that you can actually check how much pressure vs height of the tank and what glass you should use. With that safety calculator, most of glass of our tanks need to be doubled in thickness. So go figure what if you are missing one center brace.

I have a tank 29 years old. Some how the center brace is missing(I don't remember why or how from the previous owner) The tank over time bowed out(the tank cover also "melted" downward but since it's a very shallow tank, it does not break nor leak. That's the tank where my turtle used to live until I hated the bowing so much and replace it with a new setup for her.

 

[Prefect]

Being 3" taller, the Oceanic 58G uses the same type of glass(3/8 and umtempered on the sides) and the same type of silicone, yet it does not have a center brace. Granted i have not inspected the workmanship of the seams side by side but i'm betting they are similar since they come from the same factory. So my question is - why doesn't the 58G come with a center brace?