rimless

[the marine apprentice]

im not to sure if this is in the right place but here goes. i have a std 90g drilled with overflow. it has 3/8" glass all around and dont see any bubbles in my silicone and i am wondering if it would be a bad idea to try and take the black rim off the top. i love the look of rimless tanks and would like to do mine like that. any info would be great. also there is no bow at all in the tank incase you are wondering
tks
terry

[ScubaSteve]

If it is a tall tank, you may want to be careful taking of the rims. The taller the tank, the higher the pressure on the glass at the bottom; the rim is more important at the bottom of the tank where the pressure is higher.

Often you will find that the rim at the top provides little structural support. Mine came off with a slight tug (while is was full of water). It certainly wasn't supporting anything. The top rim is more than anything there to a) stop you from chipping the top edge of your glass (which could lead to catastrophe) or b) cutting yourself on the unfinished edges.

Really, when it comes down to it, do you trust it? I took the risk with mine and I could not be happier.

[the marine apprentice]

its only 24 tall and yes i trust it

[ScubaSteve]

Then I say have at 'er but keep that rim intact while taking it off incase you find you need to put it back.

Get a box of razor blades from the hardware store (the kind you use for finishing, etc.) and get ready for some silicone fun. Don't bother with the silicone removers that they sell, they aren't worth it and they are full of chemicals that you wouldn't want making their way into your tank.

Slide the razor between the tank and the rim and slide between the silicone and the glass all the way around. You will probably have to do it a few times. Slowly pry the rim off without breaking it if you can. Once the rim is off use the razors the scrape away the film that the silicone leaves behind. You'll know what I mean, it'll be the stuff that is impossible to get off and will infuriate you. Keep using fresh blades and dedicate a few hours. That's it! Easy operation.

If you are worried about the sharp top edges you can finish them but be careful about scratching your glass.

[the marine apprentice]

yeah i have tons of good blades i can use. and i also have a bunch of good sandpaper for finishing edges of my glass. i use it for body work on my car. 2000grit and everything down to 80grit. and yes i klnow what ya mean by the annoying film left from silicone i did this same thing to my cube which looks amazing now