my point exactly, a 10 gal without the bracing on the top would be fine without the trimming. most 55 gals i have seen have the center bracing which indicates to me, it is there for support. with my tank that fell apart, the crack in the trimming was in the back so i couldnt see it but the crack was so bad that it made the center bracing useless
True, most bigger tanks have bracing built into the top frame. One solution to this is to silicone in a piece of glass to replace the original bracing. In the "Old Days" tanks were often made without center bracing. My old 110 long is 72" long and has no center brace. Of course it's made from 1/2" glass. My newer 135 has two braces across the top, I believe it is made from 5/16" glass.
