[Airphotog]

Here is how I am removing the rim on my tank. Remove the center brace If you have one, I next used a hack saw carefully and cut the corners on the top and inside. The outside corners are a little trickier. You will need a small cutoff wheel like a Dremel and cut the corners carefully. Next I used a tool that is used for painting (pic below) to get in between the glass and tank inside and out to break the seal. (Safer than a razor blade). The hardest part is next. Take your cutoff tool and cut the top of the trim the length of the tank and the ends. The pic below shows how much room you have between the tank and the trim,(lots of silicone). After you are done gently lift the trim pieces off.(do not put a screw driver or anything else in between the trim and glass to pry or you might crack or chip the glass. Clean the glass with a razor blade and you are ready to go rimless. Unless of course you need bracing.

 

[CL]

I would not recommend removing the rim from a tank with a center brace. It will most certainly break. What size tank are you derimming?

 

[Airphotog]

55 and the euro bracing...

 

[bigboij]

me and my buddie replaced the rim on his, except we used a steak knife shoved in the crack and ran down both inside and out. then we went he-man on it and started grabbing and pulling it off piece by piece.

 

[davocean]

Yeah, I'm not a fan of removing trim for two reasons.
One, it's usually there for structural support.
Two, the glass is usually pretty raw on edges, not polished like most rimless.
I've seen people do this on very small tanks, but there isn't as much load on a small panel.
I definitely would not suggest doing this as an effective way to achieve a rimless look w/out the cost.

 

[Bugman]

55 and the euro bracing...

Ever seen a 55 full without the center brace? It most certainly is there for a reason. It will certainly bow out. Ever seen 55 gallons of water on the floor? Not a pretty sight.

 

[Airphotog]

Ever seen a 55 full without the center brace? It most certainly is there for a reason. It will certainly bow out. Ever seen 55 gallons of water on the floor? Not a pretty sight.

I am planning on running a 2.5 to 3" x 3/8" piece of glass down each length of the tank for bracing. I would think that would be enough to keep it together. Any thoughts?

 

[pasully]

I pulled the rim off of my 150. On my tank I made a brace out of glass. I think it would be pretty easy to make a decent looking brace for most tanks from glass and silicone.The heaviest pressure is at the bottom of the tank.

 

[davocean]

Well, depends on panel length, and glass thickness, but my concern would be front panel bowing in center.

 

[pasully]

You're right. The glass on my 150 is 1/2" plus and less than 2' high. I have done this though to a 55 and I think the glass brace I installed is much stronger than the plastic brace that is part of the rim and is not as noticeable as the plastic. The edges were pretty rough on this tank but were fairly easy to sand smooth.

 

[Airphotog]

So if I do this (pic below). Would this not work?

 

[Hoppy]

In my opinion that will work. Those glass pieces are many times stronger and more rigid than the plastic rim and cross brace were, even when new. Just be sure to do a good job with the silicone, and have those pieces inside the top, not on top of it.

 

[stephenr216]

No, that glass attached with silicon will not replace the structural support of the center brace. The front will bow out and spill onto your floor.

 

[dr6run]

I did the same thing years ago. I tried silicone, didn't hold, the support pulled away with the bow of the glass, so I got new glass thicker this time and tried epoxy, same result. only this time it wasn't a smooth separation, it let loose with a pop once the pressure got to be too much. talk about heart attack. long and short i now have a black rim with a center support! oh yeah i forgot to mention i have an old 55 with the 3/8" glass. one would think that alone would hold it. but i do like to sleep at night

bottom line, I would not do it.

 

[dr6run]

In my opinion that will work. Those glass pieces are many times stronger and more rigid than the plastic rim and cross brace were, even when new. Just be sure to do a good job with the silicone, and have those pieces inside the top, not on top of it.

the rim wraps arround the outside of the glass. holding it, with ( or pushing ).
the glass on the inside is pulling on the glass relying on the silicone to hold it together. with that much pressure the silicone will fail. ( i know ) you would need something that has a much higher tinsel strength like epoxy. only problem is they done make one that bonds to glass very well.

sorry to disagree. but i would rather not hear about all that water on the floor.

 

[bradac56]

He would have to add a glass center brace just like the plastic one and it would have to clip onto the outside of the glass. I'm sure it can be done but who has the home workshop to do it?

I might try it, I have a couple of cracked 55's I'm planning on repairing this winter and I have a wood/metel working shop but I haven't messed with much glass work. That project wouldn't be high on my list tho as I need to tile and sheet rock the fish-room first.

- Brad

 

[Airphotog]

I guess I am wondering why the glass strips would not be as strong as any other siliconed piece on the tank. I would think that it would distribute the pressure evenly and keep the tank from bowing. A piece that long 3/8" thick should be a good brace.

 

[stephenr216]

I guess I am wondering why the glass strips would not be as strong as any other siliconed piece on the tank. I would think that it would distribute the pressure evenly and keep the tank from bowing. A piece that long 3/8" thick should be a good brace.

You have over 400 pounds of water trying to push through your glass aquarium. That rim isn't there for decoration; it's there to hold the pieces of glass in place. Your glass rods siliconed onto the edge of the tank won't be able to support that kind of weight. Remove all of the other variables, and just think of your glass rods trying to support weight pulling on the side of them versus a plastic center brace being pulled on. Which will break first?

Here's a drawing of a modest 100 pounds of weight being applied to a glass rod and a plastic brace. Which looks like it will break first?

 

[Airphotog]

I am not getting it I guess. I am thinking of it like stringer in a boat. A long piece evenly distributing the pressure so no one point gives way....

 

[Bugman]

I am not getting it I guess. I am thinking of it like stringer in a boat. A long piece evenly distributing the pressure so no one point gives way....

I don't get the illustration either but that aside I believe the issue is with the silicone holding your glass rods. The center brace essentially attaches to the outside of the glass with the pressure pushing against it. Your glass rod attaches to the inside of the tank (using silicone) with the pressure pulling on it. Will the silicone hold under this pressure? Personally, I think this is a big gamble. One that I wouldn't want to take. I have had a 55 with a broken rim and have seen the kind of pressure we are talking about. I'm just not sure it will hold. Now if you came up with a brace that attached to the outside and across then that would be different but that would detract from the look you are trying to acheive.