Need Guidelines for Building Tank - Aquarium Advice

PMaj · 08-17-2007, 11:40 PM

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

**Ziggy953** · 08-29-2007, 03:47 PM

You don't have to have a center brace if you use euro bracing all the way around the top of the tank. Have a look here http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/s...p_model_e.html I know this isn't a "tank" but it will give you an idea of what I'm talking about. The brace that runs all the way around the tank keeps things square.

bs6749 · 09-29-2007, 03:14 PM

Also, acrylic tanks are supposedly 5 times as strong as glass tanks so that would explain why the thickness could be less than glass.

08-17-2007, 11:40 PM	#1
PMaj Aquarium Advice Newbie Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 4	Need Guidelines for Building Tank 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

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08-29-2007, 03:47 PM	#2
Ziggy953 Aquarium Advice Addict Community Moderator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Sumerduck, Virginia Posts: 3,294 Images: 5	You don't have to have a center brace if you use euro bracing all the way around the top of the tank. Have a look here http://www.melevsreef.com/acrylics/s...p_model_e.html I know this isn't a "tank" but it will give you an idea of what I'm talking about. The brace that runs all the way around the tank keeps things square.

09-29-2007, 03:14 PM	#3
bs6749 Aquarium Advice FINatic Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 903	Also, acrylic tanks are supposedly 5 times as strong as glass tanks so that would explain why the thickness could be less than glass.