# Removing rim from a 55 gallon???



## DevinWolfe (Aug 1, 2009)

My 50G (same as 55, just 2" shorter) had a warning that read something like "do NOT fill tank if center brace is cracked." I am sure this has to do with the center brace keeping the glass on the front and back from bowing too much.

I would definitely find another way to brace the top if you are going to remove the trim entirely.


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## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

yea, i have read several posts saying this isn't recommended because of bowing. what about if i add a glass support bar connected to the front and back panels with silicone? do you guys think this would suffice? would i have to worry about the corners also? c'mon people help me just LOOK at how hideous this frame is! haha


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## DevinWolfe (Aug 1, 2009)

I don't remember who, but someone managed to bend acrylic sheets into the proper shape to mount a fixture to the top of a tank.

I am sure you could use the same method to make a flat plate with two tabs that could be secured in place with a bit of silicone. The original plastic bar is not very sturdy so the replacement doesn't need to be built like a tank.

I will look for that thread.


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## DevinWolfe (Aug 1, 2009)

Found it:
http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/88221-first-nano-10-gallon-diy-light.html

I think he just heated it and bent it. It has been a while since I read into it, but it should all be in the thread somewhere. He set up a really awesome light, too.

At first I was thinking that something like plexi or Lexan would work, but I wouldn't have any idea as to how you would make those adhere. Using something like he did you would only need to use silicone to keep it in place, not actually holding the front and back together under pressure.


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## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

wow- that is way cool with the bent acrylic to hold the lights up. unfortunately, i don't have the resources to bend acrylic like that haha, or could even imagine getting it right. i know that alot of people remove the rim on a 10 gallon like in that post, my major concern is the size of the tank


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

You should be able to silicone a 6 inch or so wide piece of glass across the top, and it should work well. I would cement it in place inside the tank glass nor across the top of the tank, so the silicone would be in tension not being sheared by the forces. You do have to get the tank glass very clean and free of silicone haze before doing this, in order to get the full strength of the silicone. I would use about 6 inches for the width of that piece only so it would be stronger if someone hits it with something. It doesn't take that much to stop the bowing out of the tank glass.


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## badmatt (Nov 19, 2003)

euro-brace that sucker!


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## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

> euro-brace that sucker!


haha- thanks hoppy you gave me some hope to help this god awful rim! so you think the brace should go inside the panels instead of across the top of them? maybe i should put one toward each end of the tank just in case...


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## badmatt (Nov 19, 2003)

JennaH said:


> haha- thanks hoppy you gave me some hope to help this god awful rim! so you think the brace should go inside the panels instead of across the top of them? maybe i should put one toward each end of the tank just in case...


id put the side pieces on top and the front and back braces just on the inside...

or like this..


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Silicone isn't very strong when it has to resist shearing loads (loads parallel to the plane of the joint), but it is very strong when it only resists tension loads (loads that try to pull the two joined pieces apart.) If you look at the size of the plastic piece that you will be replacing, and keep in mind that glass is very much stronger than plastic, you can see that it doesn't take much to stop the bowing out of the glass. But, if you tried a 2 inch wide piece of 1/8 inch glass and accidentally dropped a pair of scissors on it, it would very likely shatter, where a wider and thicker piece wouldn't.


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## DevinWolfe (Aug 1, 2009)

I see what you mean, Hoppy. That sounds much easier that bending acrylic.

Would it be a good idea to use a pair of evenly spaced braces, then? One at 1/3 and 2/3 the length of the tank? Just thinking, "what IF something happens to one." Then the other would hold it safely long enough to fix the problem.

Maybe unnecessary, but I would think that overbuilding it would be a good idea. We are talking about a retrofit of sorts after all. Although, I have never done this kind of thing myself.


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## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

> Would it be a good idea to use a pair of evenly spaced braces, then? One at 1/3 and 2/3 the length of the tank?


yes, i think this will be the plan then.. still worried about the corners.. any ideas? or you think they will be ok? maybe i could apply some small corner brackets with silicone on the outside? http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=23592-1277-SPV115&lpage=none


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

The upper corners are not stressed much by the water pressure. The maximum water pressure is at the bottom of the tank, not the top. I wouldn't be at all worried about the corners. The Eurobrace method is most likely the strongest way to deal with the sides bowing out, but I can't see a real need for going to that much work. And, that method requires a lot more silicone joint surface to get very clean, a lot more trouble getting the glass pieces in place without making a mess of the silicone, and at least 4 pieces of glass to get cut to a very close tolerance on length - a real problem. Hardware stores cut glass accurate to about +/- 1/16 inch, which is not nearly good enough. It takes skill and care to cut accurate to +/- 1/64 inch, which is still a bit too big a tolerance for this job. If I were trying this I would try to use a single piece of glass, concentrating on getting it cut accurately, then concentrating on getting it installed with good silicone joints.


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## badmatt (Nov 19, 2003)

Hoppy said:


> The upper corners are not stressed much by the water pressure. The maximum water pressure is at the bottom of the tank, not the top. I wouldn't be at all worried about the corners. The Eurobrace method is most likely the strongest way to deal with the sides bowing out, but I can't see a real need for going to that much work. And, that method requires a lot more silicone joint surface to get very clean, a lot more trouble getting the glass pieces in place without making a mess of the silicone, and at least 4 pieces of glass to get cut to a very close tolerance on length - a real problem. Hardware stores cut glass accurate to about +/- 1/16 inch, which is not nearly good enough. It takes skill and care to cut accurate to +/- 1/64 inch, which is still a bit too big a tolerance for this job. If I were trying this I would try to use a single piece of glass, concentrating on getting it cut accurately, then concentrating on getting it installed with good silicone joints.


when I've done euro bracing what ive done is use tap the control the silicone bead usually a 1/4" under the joint some times smaller...


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## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

thanks for all the input! does anyone have pictures of larger tanks they have removed the rim on with success?


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## redman88 (Dec 12, 2008)




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## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

redman- you removed the rim on that? it looks pretty good! does the canopy give it the support so you didn't need a brace?


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## redman88 (Dec 12, 2008)

i am sure if the glass bowed some more the canopy would give some support but i didn't make it that tight of a fit.


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## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

cool. thanks!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Here is my 65-gallon Aqueon tank with rim removed.










I am using this tank for a riparium setup, so I don't have to worry about the compromised strength from lack of top rim (I think?) the way that I would for a tank filled with water.

Reomving that rim was a 4-hour process involving drill bits, a utility knife and many sharp pieces of mangled hard plastic. I was fortunate that it didn't land me in the ER.
I subsequently learned that the way to do it is with a *block plane*, shaving the plastic away all around the top outside edge of plastic until the whole thing is divided into two pieces more easily pulled away from the glass.


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## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

> I subsequently learned that the way to do it is with a block plane, shaving the plastic away all around the top outside edge of plastic until the whole thing is divided into two pieces more easily pulled away from the glass.


hmm.. that's a really good idea, i wonder if my dad has one of these at his house. planning to fill the tank wednesday and let it sit for a couple weeks to make sure there are no leaks, then onto the PITA task of taking the rim off this beast!


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## JennaH (Sep 28, 2009)

ok, now im thinking of attempting the eurobrace. found this guy http://images.google.com/imgres?img...mages?q=aquarium+euro+bracing&hl=en&sa=N&um=1 
im sure it looks easier than it is! :/ anyone attempted this?


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## jaidexl (Sep 18, 2006)

Hey, I don't want to kill your dream of making this rimless, but satin black Krylon Fusion will make for a much easier job than removing rims... http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/87775-refurbishing-junk-110x-56k.html


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