# Can I convert to Rimless?



## diirrtydubcakeZ (26 Nov 2015)

Hey everyone!

I'm not exactly new to fish-keeping, but certainly new to Aquascaping...I REALLY like the look of Rimless tanks, but I already have a 54Ltr tank I picked up cheap.

Question is, can I remove the lid and the black plastic around it without losing integrity?
http://www.rocketaquatics.co.uk/FRF-585-Aquarium-54L.html

Above is the link for the Tank I have...I don't mind just taking the lid out and putting a light etc over the top, but Rimless would be ideal!! 

If not, any ideas where I can get a cheap-ish rimless tank - the same size?  60x30x....45?

Thanks!


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## Bacms (26 Nov 2015)

diirrtydubcakeZ said:


> Hey everyone!
> 
> I'm not exactly new to fish-keeping, but certainly new to Aquascaping...I REALLY like the look of Rimless tanks, but I already have a 54Ltr tank I picked up cheap.
> 
> ...


I did thought about doing this to my Juwel and at the time the consensus seemed to be it is a lottery. There are plenty of folks who did without problems and also plenty that have got glass bowing due to this. As for alternatives the cheaper I remember finding was probably the AquaOne AquaOpti 85.


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## diirrtydubcakeZ (26 Nov 2015)

Thanks Bacms =]

That tank is very nice for the money!! I wonder how much I could fetch for that FRF one?  I don't really want to remove the top, fill it with water and plants and fish and have the thing collapse on me, that would be devastating!!


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## Jaap (26 Nov 2015)

http://www.thegreenmachineonline.com/shop/category/aquatics/aquariums-and-stands/do-aqua-cube-glass/


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## Greenfinger2 (26 Nov 2015)

Hi D, These are good  I ordered 60 x 40 x 40 cm and a 40cm Cube Fab looking tanks well made too 

http://www.seapets.co.uk/products/a...aqua-one-aquaopti-aquariums/all-products.html


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## Andy Thurston (26 Nov 2015)

Greenfinger2 said:


> Hi D, These are good  I ordered 60 x 40 x 40 cm and a 40cm Cube Fab looking tanks well made too
> 
> http://www.seapets.co.uk/products/a...aqua-one-aquaopti-aquariums/all-products.html


 
These are awesome for the money, optiwhite too, much better value than. just waiting for our trade supplier to add them to the price list



Jaap said:


> http://www.thegreenmachineonline.com/shop/category/aquatics/aquariums-and-stands/do-aqua-cube-glass/



Which are just plain float glass


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## Paul L (26 Nov 2015)

Search Dennerle The Scapers Tank 
They do a 50 litre tank , and it is on offer at Swell at the moment

Paul


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## alto (27 Nov 2015)

Note that ADA cube garden 60 x 30 x 36 is similar price to Aqua One 60 x 40 x 40  ... most tanks are competitively priced (ignore the "regular retail price") & it's the bit of kit that you look at constantly, so buy the one that you like.

Note that the ad does state that frame etc can be removed ... it's really just whether you believe them ... look very carefully at the silicon seals for any bubbles or gaps
Check whether that "frame removal" is included in the written material


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## diirrtydubcakeZ (27 Nov 2015)

Thanks for the answers guys =]  I'll maybe contact the manufacturer and see what they advise - I bought it second hand from a friend, so no literature =[
My missus says that I'm 'just being picky' in that I want a rimless/braceless tank - what does she know, eh?! Haha...


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## Andy Thurston (27 Nov 2015)

its not picky it makes maintenance easier


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## jagillham (27 Nov 2015)

I doubt anybody who might get any fall back from it will tell you "OK to remove" incase you hold it against them later.

I'd be interested to see your current take with the lid off, will give a good idea of if the stuff on there is supporting or decorative.


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## LondonDragon (27 Nov 2015)

I remember back in the day George Farmer running his Juwel Rio 125 without braces


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## Tim Harrison (27 Nov 2015)

I heard that legendary story many years ago too...he had to use a belt instead to keep his trousers up

...Seriously tho' folks I've removed the...well everything really...from around the rim of a Juwel 70l and a Fluval Roma 90l without any mishaps, and that was several years ago now.

But that said you'd have to be very brave to try it with anything bigger than Georges Rio 125, the flex in the front and back glass would be very scary...

The Fluval Roma...


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## Dougie (28 Nov 2015)

I removed the rim from my fluval Roma 125 and bought a cheap piece of 10mm thick perspex online and aquarium siliconed it in.
This allowed me to fit aftermarket upgraded LED lights and the difference has been phenomenal. 

I had a mate that removed the rim from his juwel Rio 125 and it had a definite bow to it!





Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


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## mantis147 (28 Nov 2015)

I have also removed the rim/lid from my fluval roma 90, been like this for 12 months now with no probs. Just a little messy cutting the black sealant away that held the lid in place. 



Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk


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## diirrtydubcakeZ (30 Nov 2015)

Wow you guys are very brave - I've spoken with a few local shops now and got a resounding NO!...Who am I kidding, I suppose it's only an inch of blackness!  Now I just need to buy some bloody bits to put in it!! After Christmas I suppose =/
The glass on your Fluval certainly looks thicker than that on mine, perhaps that's why you've been okay so far?


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## James O (30 Nov 2015)

The aqua one optiwhite tanks are as near as you can get to ADA buildwise. The silicone is no wider than the glass edge........

I have the 40cm cube and the 60cm.  They are sitting empty & unused but I can't make my mind up about the getting the 80cm or the 100cm to complete the triptych.  Yeah you heard me  I've two unused optiwhite tanks and I'm considering buying a third...........


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## zozo (30 Nov 2015)

Actualy the most pressure the tank has to take is never at the top..  Always at the bottom.. If a tank is constructed in full glass without brasses at the vertical corners and bottom horizontal corners, than such a plastic rim at the top is not ment for extra reinforcement and only for making a tight fit for the lid and the bottom rim also is just cosmetics.

The only risk you should take in consideration is if you need force to take it of.. Tho 54 liter aint much pressure force and such tanks even sometimes can take a crack or chip from the glass very well without leaking.. But still if it is glewed on i wouldn't use to much force to get it off. 54 liter on the floor is still a lot.. 

The last rimless 54 liter tank i bought was a year ago new € 20.. Maybe thats a better option if you still have some savings..


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## diirrtydubcakeZ (30 Nov 2015)

James O said:


> The aqua one optiwhite tanks are as near as you can get to ADA buildwise. The silicone is no wider than the glass edge........
> 
> I have the 40cm cube and the 60cm.  They are sitting empty & unused but I can't make my mind up about the getting the 80cm or the 100cm to complete the triptych.  Yeah you heard me  I've two unused optiwhite tanks and I'm considering buying a third...........


Craziness!! And would you consider parting with the 60cm? 



zozo said:


> Actualy the most pressure the tank has to take is never at the top..  Always at the bottom.. If a tank is constructed in full glass without brasses at the vertical corners and bottom horizontal corners, than such a plastic rim at the top is not ment for extra reinforcement and only for making a tight fit for the lid and the bottom rim also is just cosmetics.
> 
> The only risk you should take in consideration is if you need force to take it of.. Tho 54 liter aint much pressure force and such tanks even sometimes can take a crack or chip from the glass very well without leaking.. But still if it is glewed on i wouldn't use to much force to get it off. 54 liter on the floor is still a lot..
> 
> The last rimless 54 liter tank i bought was a year ago new € 20.. Maybe thats a better option if you still have some savings..



It's empty at the moment so I don't have the worry of breaking it =]  And also - where on earth did you pick up a new 54 ltr rimless tank for €20?? That's an insane price....


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## zozo (30 Nov 2015)

http://www.hornbach.nl/shop/HAGEN-Volglas-aquarium-60-x-30-x-30-cm/3477369/artikel.html

A year ago it was € 20

2 weeks ago i bought the glass for a 90x35x35 cm x 6mm tank it cost me €32 ex. vat  and €9,50 for the bison aquarium kit. Now its almost up and running for €41.50..


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## diirrtydubcakeZ (1 Dec 2015)

Wow - so cheap! And you can vouch for the quality?  4mm glass seems a little on the thin side - based on the research I've been doing..


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## zozo (1 Dec 2015)

Well it aint an ADA Opti white..  But the glass is regular blank floated glass.. I'm using one for a year now and it's nothing realy wrong with it other than it has black kit.. The seams are pretty small about 5mm so looking at a green glass edge or a black kit beat isn't much difference but still i would like to have it in clear kit. It's a matter of taste. Another thing i noticed during the scaping part that the glass has a kind of slight distorsion, this you only notice when you gaze long time trough the glass in different angles. It is so little only a nit picker like me would notice. Maybe that's just a proppertie of regular blank floated glass, it isn't 100% perfectly flat there are very little impurities but they are there. Some sheets of glass probably could have more than others.. Inspect the tank closely before bying, if you have the chance put some hardware in and look trough the glass from different angles and pick the best you'll find.. 

The 4mm thikness is more then enough for a 30 cm height, doesn't realy matter how big you make your aquarium in lenght and depth as long as you don't go over 35 cm height the safety factor for glass thickness is 4mm. It's the height of the tank changing the pressure inside and this infuences the safety factor and glass thickness. When i calculated my 90x35x35cm tank it also gave me 4mm glass thickness, still i went for 6mm, just because i like it.

As i said glass aint that expensive it's the labor that is..  I payed €32 for the glass and would have payed double for opti white, so that would be €64 for same dimension in opti white.. I didn't because it was my first DIY aquarium build.. Next one is going to be opti white for sure.

Building an aquarium aint difficult, as long as you work very clean with preparing the glass.. Once it is orderly prepared, it's a matter of working fast and apply the kit within it's curing time.. So preparing is 1 or 2 hours work, the kitting part has to be done within 12 to 15 minutes.. Professionals don't need so much preparing after building a 100 tanks you'll kit with your eyes closed and a finger in your nose. So that makes the essambled regular tank prices actualy always and everywhere a bit overrated when you look at the material costs..


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