acrylic tanks can be great, but as stated by everybody, they can scratch. I've always stood by glass because their cheap and IMO just as strong. im not sure what would cause the center braces to break, but if that does happen, no matter what size tank, the potential for breaking is always high. smaller tanks such as the 50 gallon your looking at would probably do fine without a center brace althought i would advise against not using one. as with anything in life, what ever best suits you is whats going to work out better for you. the best option you have is to match the tank with your plans. your talkin cichlids correct. with cichlids you have a lot of rock work. if a rock were to fall then your looking at a broken tank with glass. the acrylic tank could still break but a lot less likely. acrylic sheets form stress cracks if their was an air bubble in the sheet. I wouldnt worry about your tank either way, because your going to drive yourself crazy. buy a glass tank because their cheap. i would drill holes and drive PVC dowels in them to hold the rockwork together if your worried about a collapse!!!
