View Full Version : 40breeder AGA can i run without the rim?
gotbags-10
09/14/2008, 06:31 PM
setting up new 40 br and was wondering if i took off the factory rim would the tank still be sturdy enough. I've heard of others doing it with no problems. Just looking for some oppinions.
NanoReefWanabe
09/14/2008, 07:48 PM
unless it has a cross brace it is "mostly" decorative...by mostly i mean it is covering the rough unfinished edges of the rim of the tank which can break and crack very easily if tapped with anything that is relatively hard or hard edged..
nauticac4
09/15/2008, 07:48 AM
I think that you could so it with a 40BDR that is designed to be a reptile cage b/c they do not have a center brace and with as fragile plastic rims are I can't imagine that it will help that much.
Psychographic
09/15/2008, 08:08 AM
Don't kid yourself thinking these frames are only decorative, a rimless tank uses thicker glass which gives more contact area for Silicone and the glass is less prone to bowing which can put extra stress on the joints.
If you took 2 pieces of glass the height and thickness of the stard 40 BR and slid them into the channel of the frame without glueing them, then tried to pull them straight outward, I would bet the glass breaks before you crack the frame.
You might be able to run it rimless, but I would never suggest it.
benzreef
09/15/2008, 11:08 PM
I agree. It would be a huge risk. Even the slightest bump against the top rim of the glass, being unfinished, could be catastrophic. It all depends how lucky you feel....
therealfatman
09/15/2008, 11:58 PM
A GFCI outlet, belt sander and a small amount of running water and some time and effort would produce finished edges on your glass. A small vinyl tube fed by a small power head would provide plenty of water for grinding (sanding) glass. The ground glass should not be fed down a standard house hold drain as it settles and then compacts well in low spots and glass is virtually inert to all standard drain cleaners.
Make sure you get a sanding belt that is made to be run wet. A typical glass shop uses nothing more than a large version of a belt sander that uses water to keep the belt clean and the glass cool. Some people are even ambitous enough to do it by hand with a block of wood wrapped with cloth then the sand paper. Just keep dipping the block in a bucket of water and sand away.
There are many, many thousands of rimless tanks in use in this country as well as around the world. My self, I prefer a partial european braced tank. Just a top rimless tank with glass reinforcing strips a top the sides and front/back glass at the top, but I like the bottom plastic rim. The bottom plastic rim allows for a margin of safety when using stands that typically have top edges not perfectly smooth.
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