Ok to remove plastic bracing?
 

In my new build, I have decided to go with a heavy duty utility shelf to stack my sumps on. The problem is the one I want is almost exactly 48". All of my tanks have the plastic rimmers on the top and bottom, making them 49".

I have has rimless tanks before that were DIY, and they did just fine, but these tanks are larger. I have two 80 gallons and a 90 gallon used as sumps. (first one fuge, second skimmer/reactors/media, third filled with live rock.

Will it be ok to de-rim these tanks to make them fit? Do these plastic rims even serve a purpose other than looks or protection?

It keeps the tank from bowing out so they can use thinner glass. It all depends on how thick your glass is? You could take it of and do your own euro brace on it that way you can ma,e it the size you want. Hope that helps.

Yeah all the tanks are super thick and heavy as crap, so i'm not worried about that. Even though the 90 is really thick, its more that there is going to be a lot of weight in rock in it.

I've removed those from a lot of tanks randing from 30 up to 90 gallons and each time the tank has bowed pretty good.

What about if I were to remove the plastic rims, and make a metal rim consisting of the utility shelf legs? I could run a piece of aluminum from front to back to compinsate.

Wouldn't it be easier and safer just to use glass? I braced an old bowfront a couple years ago only 46g mind you but ya

These will all be sumps/fuges? Chances are there will be baffles & you won't be filling them to the top. Less water volume will mean less bowing if you decide to remove the braces. Still, as mentioned, if the tank has a plastic center brace, more than likely it serves the purpose of keeping the tank from bowing, worst case exploding. Tough call advising on something like this, an 80-90 gallon flood can really put a damper on your day.

Why dont you take the bottom one off to fit the shelf but leave the top one on to stop the tank from bowing and breaking or causing stress on the silicon

I would definitely get some glass strips cut and add a eurobrace.

+1 would seem to be the easiest and cheapest solution:)