Cutting my tank

do you have one you can barrow, maybe from your LFS? test run?

 

No fixtures that size around to borrow:-/

I wonder if I try to position the lamp higher there would be less of a shadow

or use a 250w MH

or leave the center brace but drill some holes through the plastic.
maybe all the above

or get a different tank

 

I wouldn't mess with the brace. 20 gallon tanks bow out about 1/4" with no brace.

I don't think the light is going to be impeded in any noticable amount by the brace.

 

I've seen people cut the brace out then replace it with a glass brace. Wouldn't be too hard to do if the tank is empty.

The plastic is flimsy side to side but it is it's tensile strength that keeps the glass from bowing.

 

I went ahead and took the easy way out
Changed back to the boring old square tank(aga 30 GAL)
but made choosing my lighting much easier. Well not easy but I had more choices, actually now that I think if it, more choises made it harder.
Damn maybe I should just have stayed with the bow

 

Yep...don't remove that brace. Older tanks that did not have a brace in the middle were made of thicker glass and could get away with it. Not anymore these days the same size tank is made with a smaller thickness glass a DO require a brace.

 

Yo, I wouldn't cut it a rass. You cut that so that you can get 6 little moonlights to shine thru and then loose everything in your tank one day.

It would be better to just spend the money now on some other moonlights and place them in other places.