Plastic trim is a cost saving way for tank manufacturers to avoid having to polish the top edge of the glass.  A strip of plactic can hide a lot of chips and flaws in the glass. 
 
Some people don't like being able to see the water surface and the rim can hide that.  A practical use of trim is to provide a lip for a glass top to sit on. 
		
	
		
		
		
		
		
	
		
		
	
	
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