90 gallon center brace

I just noticed my newly acquired used 90 gallon (4') doesn't have a center brace. I will be doing a water test all day tomorrow to check for leaks and so forth.

Do you guys think it is safe to have one without a brace in the center?

 

should be fine, never had one on mine.

 

My 90 was made with a center brace.

 

You could reinforce the top molding/bracket with a black ratcheting cargo strap that you can easily cover up, so you can't see it.

 

If it came from the factory that way wtihout a centrer brace than its fine. If it has been cut or broken out then get a new trim kit for the tank from the manufacturer,

 

+1
How thick is the glass? If it's thicker than most standard 90's that come with the brace you shouldn't have to worry, so that may be one reason why yours doesn't have one.

 

I think that's the perfect answer.

 

It is 1/2 inch thick

Yes it is from the factory that way. I just wanted to make sure, or at least see if both parties are present (those with and without center braces on 90s)

Thank you much!

 

My 90g was 3/* thick, an AGA with the megaflow RR setup. It had a center brace. I was considering removing the centerbrace, and putting a glass brace in its place so I could run a single 250w MH on it, but I ended up going with a 2x 250 setup and I never looked back. I knew my 90g was simply a "holding tank" for a year until I went with a bigger tank, which I made (193g in wall).

Many folks have done the glass center brace replacement, so if you have a centerbrace that is cracked or whatever, then you can do the same. You would use plastic (nylon) screws to hold the glass to the existing plastic trim. If you want to get a new top trim piece, be patient and cut the old one off, and get all the old silicone off, and re silicone it . Be careful of your fingers though

What brand of tank is that? I have seen a couple non AGA 90g's that have 1/2" thick glass and no center braces, but most are 3/8" and center braced.

A local guy with a 75g that took the center brace off for a single MH setup, and he did it while the tank was filled. He used clamps to control the bowing until he got the glass brace in, but he was worried that had he not had that brace on, it would have cracked. I think the 75gs use the same glass thickness as the taller same footprint 90g. I can't imagine a 90g with 3/8" glass would fare well, if at all with no brace of some sort.

 

get a couple pieces or a piece of 1/2 inch glass strips, then silicone it in up top like my 125 oceanic has. itll hold fine. say a 4 x (whatever the depth is) in the middle