Removing center brace

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Blue Water

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Hi all! Fellow reefer Newbiefish was telling me that someone can come in my house and remove center brace while tank is up and running.. and also add eurobracing and probably some thinner center braces. I was wondering what company can do that?
I have a giant center brace that is bugging me. I didn't think it would bug me so much so now I want it removed if possible.
The guy who had my tank built had it designed for freshwater. It is a 6' long tank , 1/2" glass so requires some sort of bracing. Built by David V.
The problem is the center brace is 2' wide! I designed my aquacaping with the brace in mind but it just buggs me. I would rather have some euro brace and thinner center braces if possible. If not I'll just live with it for a couple years and get a custom built later.
 
I would think you will need to drain the tank to remove and add bracing.




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I am not sure if it can be done in a day I would think you need the silicone to cure I guess they could put clamps on the tank. I would ask the company that will be doing the euro bracing see what they do with tanks with livestock


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You can clamp the tank and replace the bracing, but why risk it for cosmetic purposes? The new bracing would need to cure for about a week minimum, so keep it clamped up, then hope everything went well or you could have a break. I'd wait the couple years personally.
 
It's been done, various ways to rebrace the aquairium using acrylic, glass, even steel cable. There are always risks and very few people will promote the idea of altering an aquarium, but it can be done. I pulled the center brace out of my 40b completely agains the advice of many people, that was 4 years ago, I've bumped it, hit it with rocks, it still holds water and the majority of my frags.
 
Removing the brace from a 40G breeder is a sinch in fact mine doesn't have one. Removing a center brace from a ~180 gallon is not at all the same and will certainly destroy the tank.

Structural silicone takes ~14 days to fully cure, it is dry in 12 hours but not chemically cured. As this will be a structural application (euro bracing) additional bracing will be required to allow the silicone to set during the curing process.

As such drain the tank prior to beginning. If that is not an option purchase C, or box steel to reinforce near the top of the tank and use clamps to hold the glass in place. Even such there is a significant chance of the euro bracing not adhereing to the glass.

You could replace the center brace with acrylic which would be much easier, but you'll still need the steel temporary bracing.
 
That tank would look really nice eurobraced...I'd get two Rubbermaid stock tanks for coral/fish and empty it first though. Why risk it not curing properly.
 
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