Tip of the Day – 9/21/2012

The middle brace in your aquarium, which is there for structural support, is a necessary evil in most cases. While it helps keep the aquarium from falling apart, it also blocks out a great deal of light and will grow algae and accumulate salt creep. Fortunately, these center supports can be removed…albeit very cautiously. If the tank is brand new, replacing the glass brace with an alternative is simple. It’s when the tank is full that presents a challenge. To savely navigate around these problems, draining the aquarium is a must. You don’t have to drain it all the way, but at the very least half of the water needs to be removed. From there, the existing brace can be cut out and replaced with acrylic, corrosion resistant metal rods, or whatever tickles your DIY nerve.