Modifying tank cabinet advice

[worthy1]

Hi all,

I am in the process of setting up a new tank and i really like the cabinet it came with but it doesnt suit the sump i want to put in there. I am looking to get rid of the sump it came with and put a 3ft sump in there to get more space and a bigger refugium.

My question is the center vertical brace i believe is load bearing. Can i remove it and put in a piece of vertical 2x4 at the front, will this be enough to support the weight? I think the other option would be to upgrade the steel beam that runs across the length of it to a thicker piece that wont be able to bend?

Any help would be great otherwise i will have to stick with a 2ft sump and modify the chambers.

[slawman]

Short answer is no. There is very little in the way of support around that top surface. Over time this will flex without support and your tank will crack.

[worthy1]

Thanks for the reply. They Do look like flimsy cabinets as nice as they are. My mate thats a builder said upgrading the cross steel brace to a thicker one will do the trick but I still didn't feel comfortable doing it.

So ended up tearing apart my nice new barrier reef sump to build a refugium and another chamber for my bubble king skimmer.