Is this piece important???

Ok so after resealing my 200gal (not fun but not terribly difficult), the siphon tubes on my skimmer (overflow box) decide to leak and lose their siphon. After much rigging, thinking, planning and plotting I have decided that if at all possible I need a new box design.

My tank is a 8 year old custom corner build with 1/2 in thick glass. Im about 95% sure the sides are not tempered. In this picture, the 4in wide 30in long piece on the right (under the box)runs from the front panel to the 4in wide piece that runs along the top of the back panel.



My question is this:

Is that 4in x 30in top piece on the right necessary? Is it structural?

To look at it, it doesn't look important. But I know looks can be deceiving

Here are more pics of the tank to give you a better idea of what I have.






The piece in question touches the inside of the end panel, not the top edge.

If I can get rid of this blasted piece then I can get a nice new CPR unit and be done with it.

Thanks in advance

 

Nice Looking Tank

I have no idea if its needed. The only thing I would worry about is that it looks like there is no other support that runs from the front glass to the back glass on the top of the tank. I think most tanks have a couple supports that are on top of the tank. For example my tank is 7' long by 30" deep and 24" from front to back and I have 3 supports on the top of my tank. Also I have a 40Gallon aqrylic and its open all the way along the top except for 2" all the way around it. Very close to the design of what you have.

My opinion would be to not remove it

Sorry

 

why not just take it to a glass shop and have it drilled for internal overflow, or one of those internal box going through the side glass (if the glass is not tempered). your 2nd pic does not show any type of support going all the way around the outside, so i would not remove the inside piece you are talking about. you might be able to replace it with a smaller piece, but probably will be easier to just drill it.

 

I agree with the other two, I didn't see a center brace in the pics, although there does appear to be a plastic frame around the outside. Usually when there's no center brace, those pieces around the edge act like braces. I believe it's called Eurobracing(?). I would not remove it.

 

I think I'll take the advice and leave it in place. :-/ ah well.. Now to contact a glass shop and find out for a fact if it's safe to drill.

If so I'm thinking of using an external Calfo(?) style with 1in x 1/4in holes atop and along the length of the aforementioned end panel with a Dorso/Stockman and maybe a fail-safe tube or two.

Thanks for the input!