28 Gallon Euro - Brace Question

[PuffLuv]

I have a 28 gallon euro, and it has a plastic center brace about 2" wide. My 150W HQI sits right in the middle, and this big brace obstructs a lot of light. I'm considering trimming the middle portion of the plastic ) ( <-like that, down to about 1" or so in the middle. Would anyone recommend doing this? OR, I've also considered running aircraft cable, and removing the plastic brace completely...

Thanks for any suggestions!