Need Guidelines for Building Fish Tank

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PMaj

Jack Dempsey
Jan 1, 2007
2
0
31
Fremont, CA
Hi everyone,
I'm going to try my hand at building my own acrylic fish tank since I have now outgrown by 55 gallon. I know the general rules about any height over 20 inches has to be half inch thickness. The size of the tank and I want to build is 48 x 20 x 24. What I like to know is for the top plate to I really need a center brace instead it being completely open. On my acrylic 55 gallon the center brace gets in the way in anything I do. So if I could eliminate the center brace it would be so much easier to landscape, catch fish, put in a diy background that is a one-piece instead of multiple pieces, etc. By the way how do production tanks get away with their side panes being such a thin thickness. My 55 gallon is 48 x 13 x 20 and it's all made of 1/4 inch thick acrylic.
Looking forward to your ideas and comments,
Pat
 
Hmm I thought the center brace helps keep the tank from bursting?
 
Triple the thickness of the top plate.

Make a removable brace (not pretty but functional).

Use transparent aluminum (running out of ideas :D).

Dr Joe

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