Great video - straight to the point. The only thing I have to add for anyone looking to do the same: PLEASE make sure you are *wet sanding* glass and using PPE - and do it outside for extra precaution. It seems small and harmless but it’s not something you wanna breathe in if you can avoid it. Anyway, thanks! I’m going to go try this out. 🤞😬
@@Anne_Onymous when they sell them without rims they use much thicker glass, which outside of just more glass strength on the rim, it gives double the surface area for the glass to stick together at the seams.
Just wanted to add that it’s better to cut away from you… might not be as comfortable; but helps make sure you don’t slip and cut yourself. Thanks for the vid! Considering doing this to an extra 5G tank I have
I've been trying to pop the rim ofg my 10 gallon for the past 2hours because of another video saying to keep the rim intact. Thank you for showing I need to just destroy it. Time is money and I'm not paid enough to preserve the rim
Had to look this up because I purchased a light for my 2.5 gallon only to realize I can't mount it on the rim lol But I know it'll be worth it in the end, thanks for the tips!
@@ichikades hey, thanks for checking XD Yeah, I managed to remove the tank rim, took me a bit longer than the guy in the video (mostly because I had to handle the blade) but it was fairly easy and I didn't crack it. Still some silicone residue on the sides and rear, but honestly I don't mind that.
@@ichikades so long as you don't mess with the silicone keeping the aquarium together you'll be fine! Just be careful when you pull the rim off, I had once broken a previous tank thay way some years ago
This is a terrible idea. The Rims are there so the manufacturer can safely use thinner/cheaper glass. You will end up having to replace your aquarium spend $5,000 on new flooring.
I have a 40 gallon for my hamster, so no water in it, that I need to take the rim off because she keeps chewing it. Do you think since it won’t have the pressure of the water it would be ok?
The acetone will eat acrylic, so be mindful of how much you use and how slowly you work. This type of acrylic may be denser than acetone's target acrylic use, but the material itself is essentially the same.
@@IansFishRoom I just know that my small tanks from Walmart are definitely not glass (and yes, they have these rims. I started cheap and I'm still spending cheap lol), and that acrylic fake finger nails require an acetone soak to remove, same as fake nails made of other types of plastic.
Hi. I have a reptile tank that I am using as a paludarium with 4" of water, some lava rock, soil, and lots of pond foam rocks and both aquatic plants and assorted mosses. None of the "land" is touching the sides in order to reduce pressure. I want to remove the top rim and be able to cover this tank with a solid piece of plexiglass, both for aesthetics and to hold in the humidity. Since reptile tanks aren't really made to hold water - and I stubbornly decided to do it anyway without an issue - do you think it would be safe to try this on my established tank? (I would definitely cover all my structures and plants with plastic wrap to avoid the mess.)
Thanks for the advice. I can buy another rimless tank, but I was trying to use what I had taking up space. It's the idea of trying to get all the stuff back out and trying to reassemble the scape in a new tank. I just got it all where I wanted it - didn't realize how bad the rim affected the "look." So, I'll probably try getting it off some day. Thanks to you, I know how !@@IansFishRoom
Hi, I want to add a plastic frame to my aqueon 11.5 x 11.5 cube aquarium tank. I've seen many come apart and I don't want to lose my fish or destroyed the kitcken cabinets. If you know where I can purchase a frame for it, please let me know thank you.
I'm sure there is some increase in risk but there is always a risk that your aquarium will start leaking at some point. It's probably going to leak at closer to the 20 year mark vs the 30 year mark but will you have the aquarium long enough to know ?
Are you using a retractable razor? The extra length makes a big difference. It does make some noise when cutting off the silicone but you shouldn't be scratching the glass.
Hi. I have a 90 gallon tank and want to make it rimless. Your video was straight forward, but what can I add for more protection so that my tank doesn't split or leak
You can silicone glass panes of similar thickness glass across the top. I've never done it personally but there are several youtube videos on it. My only concern would be that 90g is bigger than tanks I've seen done that way.
hey, i want to do this to a 20 gallon tank. do you think i’ll run the risk of having my aquarium breaking apart because of the pressure and tension of the water,
@@IansFishRoom sounds good. i already removed the rims off my 20 gallon. however i haven’t filled it because i’m skeptical as well. i’m going to reinforce the silicone before putting some fish in there.
I wanted to add braces to mine but I don’t know what I’m looking for. I searched up aquarium braces and saw corner protecters but they aren’t braces. Do you know where I get braces?
@@IansFishRoom Take a look at my channel I have plenty of rimless tanks and my latest video is a blackwater style aquascape, you can check it out on my channel Majestic Cichlids amongst other videos. Tell me what you think in the comments section, I would really appreciate it.
This was harder than it looked! But I managed to get the job done. Had to use two different razor blades, and not everything came off in one piece, but pieces. I almost left out doing the inside parts of the tank. Cut myself kinda badly, but worth it. Dw, I had worse lol.
@@IansFishRoom 😢 I was going to use that and clean it, but I’ll just use my 6 gallon. And just stick to buying rimless tanks. But my 10 gallon is finished.
I have always thought the top rim provided support for the sides as the outward pressure and weight of the water put a strain on the silicone in the seams. And I thought that aquariums that were made rimless, used a different type of silicone and method to overcome this. Is this no longer the case? Is all the silicone glue the same? Would this work on a 20 or 40 gallon tank? They often have supports going through the middle of the tank. Is that structural support, or just there to hold up lids? Just curious because I'd love to do this to the 10 gallon I'm about to set up.
It does provide additional support but in tanks 20g and below they can hold water without them. Some people do it with bigger tanks but I haven't personally done a 40 breeder. Anything with a center brace I would not try.
100% silicone is 100% silicone - Shouldn’t be using adhesive with any sort of additives anyway.. So, in theory, it’s the same adhesive but quality likely varies [as with most brands]. I’ve seen another TH-camr completely disassemble their tank, then reassemble it with new silicone and leaving the rim off, but perhaps that was an extra precautionary measure. I’ve also seen, for a larger tank, adding a glass brace for anything over 3 or 4ft, so you can still go rimless for those. [DYOR; I’ve never done any of this and am using Ian’s video for my first attempt of testing the waters lol] That plastic is so flimsy, anyway; Does it really add that much support when you have X pounds of pressure constantly against it? If the seams broke in a braced tank, I can’t fathom the plastic helping much but apparently it does for larger tanks.🤷♀️
I only followed the first step bc I just wanted a bit clearer of a view on the front of my tank, and, since it's already an established tank, I didn't want to get any plastic or sandpaper gunk in the water, and honestly it looks fine with the inside edge of the rim still there. My shrimp got a little excited/agitated from all the vibrations, but they honestly look happy, sifting through all the tiny bits of detritus that got disturbed so alls well that ends well. 😅
If you mean without breaking the top rim the answer is yes its possible but it's going to be tank dependent and if it was built with minimal glue. No real way to know until you are into the project.
I want the rim gone because that’s the obvious new look that in these days but I can’t imagine there’s a way to remove it safely im thinking of everything.like idk what if I lowered water level..completely covered the water like tarp it up some how 😂 then scrape..remove rim..glue on supports let it dry ..carefully remove cover ontop of water (that would be catching silicone debri that i scrape since water level down) I know I’m crazy but people would call me crazy for breaking down the system just for no rim
@@IansFishRoom the secret was to use a straight razor 🪒 blade/safety razor blade it's so thin that it just pushed through I grabbed both side from inside and outside tank pulled up and it sliced all the way through
I need to remove the bottom frame. There's literally no videos for that. The seal failed on the bottom. It's not broken but I want to take it off to reseal the frame before resealing the inside of the tank
You can but there are 2 reasons I don't. The 1st reason is I don't mind the bottom plastic because I use black substrate and the bottom plastic is not that noticeable. The 2nd reason is the tank rest on that plastic frame and if you remove it you have to get a mat to put under the glass to keep it from breaking.
So you said replacement frames are cheap, please tell us where you can get a replacement frame! The only place I can find them is places where the minimum you can buy is 100 of them for your store or something 😂😭 I still want my tank to have a frame bit my current frame is useless because the last owner had rodents in it that ate most of the inside of the rim away.
Rimless 40 gallon is 3-400 bucks. My local aquarium store has 40 gallons on sale for 75 bucks…may just pay the 75 and the extra cost for the tools and do this lol.
Just be careful guys. Do what you wanna do but me personally I wouldn’t do it to a tank bigger than a 5g. Theres a reason why the black rims are there.
Great video - straight to the point. The only thing I have to add for anyone looking to do the same: PLEASE make sure you are *wet sanding* glass and using PPE - and do it outside for extra precaution. It seems small and harmless but it’s not something you wanna breathe in if you can avoid it.
Anyway, thanks! I’m going to go try this out. 🤞😬
Great points!
Damn. I didn't know how easy it is to cut through the frame. It took two passes. Great video, wish I could like it more than once.
Glad you found it useful. It is definitely easier than would be expected. Thanks for watching!
Exactly what I was looking for to see if it was doable with my old 10 gallon. Thanks for making this!
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you so much!
The rimless version is $100 more so I'm going to just buy a framed one and do this.
I think the frames should come removable.
Glad you found this helpful!
MonkaLaugh
The rim is there for a reason. You will save $100 on removing the rim, but you will have to pay $5,000 new flooring. Don’t do this.
@@BradfordRMcKnight If it's so required, why do they sell them without
@@Anne_Onymous when they sell them without rims they use much thicker glass, which outside of just more glass strength on the rim, it gives double the surface area for the glass to stick together at the seams.
Just wanted to add that it’s better to cut away from you… might not be as comfortable; but helps make sure you don’t slip and cut yourself. Thanks for the vid! Considering doing this to an extra 5G tank I have
I live dangerously 😆
I've been trying to pop the rim ofg my 10 gallon for the past 2hours because of another video saying to keep the rim intact. Thank you for showing I need to just destroy it. Time is money and I'm not paid enough to preserve the rim
Glad this was helpful! Hope you hit that subscribe button!
Thanks you so much you are the only person that actually helped me get my rim off!!!! Godless!
So glad this helped! Thanks for watching!
Had to look this up because I purchased a light for my 2.5 gallon only to realize I can't mount it on the rim lol
But I know it'll be worth it in the end, thanks for the tips!
Glad you found it helpful!
Update on your tank? did it crack or explode? I'm so worry because I did the same thing pls answer 😭
@@ichikades hey, thanks for checking XD
Yeah, I managed to remove the tank rim, took me a bit longer than the guy in the video (mostly because I had to handle the blade) but it was fairly easy and I didn't crack it.
Still some silicone residue on the sides and rear, but honestly I don't mind that.
@@onyxdragon1179 Thank you so much I hope mine won't crack when I put water in it
@@ichikades so long as you don't mess with the silicone keeping the aquarium together you'll be fine!
Just be careful when you pull the rim off, I had once broken a previous tank thay way some years ago
I’m going to do this to a spare 5 gallon and turn it into a terrarium for jewel orchids so thank you!
Awesome!
Will it cause any structural issues when you take it off? Kinda wanted to do it with a 40 gal, but by the looks of the coments, it seems quite risky.
It does cause structural issues and the bigger the tank the higher the risk.
This is a terrible idea. The Rims are there so the manufacturer can safely use thinner/cheaper glass. You will end up having to replace your aquarium spend $5,000 on new flooring.
Can you do this to a 20L
Nice video btw
You can but it is an increased risk in comparison to the 5g.
I have a 40 gallon for my hamster, so no water in it, that I need to take the rim off because she keeps chewing it. Do you think since it won’t have the pressure of the water it would be ok?
Absolutely! Some people even remove them when they do hold water.
Is it okay to remove the rim at the base? Or, is that not recommended?
You can but you will need a pad to put the tank on or you risk crack8ng the tank.
Great video
Thanks! I think the DIY videos are the hardest for me to make.
The acetone will eat acrylic, so be mindful of how much you use and how slowly you work. This type of acrylic may be denser than acetone's target acrylic use, but the material itself is essentially the same.
I'm unaware of any acrylic tanks that have this type of rim. Do you know of any that do?
@@IansFishRoom Yes they do have them with this type of rim.
@@IansFishRoom I just know that my small tanks from Walmart are definitely not glass (and yes, they have these rims. I started cheap and I'm still spending cheap lol), and that acrylic fake finger nails require an acetone soak to remove, same as fake nails made of other types of plastic.
Hi. I have a reptile tank that I am using as a paludarium with 4" of water, some lava rock, soil, and lots of pond foam rocks and both aquatic plants and assorted mosses. None of the "land" is touching the sides in order to reduce pressure. I want to remove the top rim and be able to cover this tank with a solid piece of plexiglass, both for aesthetics and to hold in the humidity. Since reptile tanks aren't really made to hold water - and I stubbornly decided to do it anyway without an issue - do you think it would be safe to try this on my established tank? (I would definitely cover all my structures and plants with plastic wrap to avoid the mess.)
I can't really give you an educated answer on this but if your willing to replace it if it fails...
It's always a risk when you start modifying.
Thanks for the advice. I can buy another rimless tank, but I was trying to use what I had taking up space. It's the idea of trying to get all the stuff back out and trying to reassemble the scape in a new tank. I just got it all where I wanted it - didn't realize how bad the rim affected the "look." So, I'll probably try getting it off some day. Thanks to you, I know how !@@IansFishRoom
Do you think its risky to do it on a 20 long? I really want a cool saltwater coral aquascape with rimless aquarium
The risk goes up as you go up in tank size but you could consider bracing the top by siliconing a piece of glass across the top.
Hi, I want to add a plastic frame to my aqueon 11.5 x 11.5 cube aquarium tank. I've seen many come apart and I don't want to lose my fish or destroyed the kitcken cabinets. If you know where I can purchase a frame for it, please let me know thank you.
Not sure they have what you want but I'd look here
www.aquariumframeswholesale.com/
If i do this to a 10 gallon tank, will this possibly result to leaks in the long term?
I'm sure there is some increase in risk but there is always a risk that your aquarium will start leaking at some point. It's probably going to leak at closer to the 20 year mark vs the 30 year mark but will you have the aquarium long enough to know ?
@@IansFishRoom cool thanks. i just tried it and it doesn’t seem to be doing anything except scratch the glass
what am i doing wrong
Are you using a retractable razor? The extra length makes a big difference. It does make some noise when cutting off the silicone but you shouldn't be scratching the glass.
@@IansFishRoom oh I see thanks. it’s coming together now lol
Hi. I have a 90 gallon tank and want to make it rimless. Your video was straight forward, but what can I add for more protection so that my tank doesn't split or leak
You can silicone glass panes of similar thickness glass across the top. I've never done it personally but there are several youtube videos on it. My only concern would be that 90g is bigger than tanks I've seen done that way.
So this isnt possible with my 30 Gal what type of braces do you recommend
A lot of people use small panes of glass silicone for braces.
hey, i want to do this to a 20 gallon tank. do you think i’ll run the risk of having my aquarium breaking apart because of the pressure and tension of the water,
?*
You should be good with a 20 gallon, but there is always a risk. That's the biggest tank I'm comfortable removing the top frame from personally.
@@IansFishRoom sounds good. i already removed the rims off my 20 gallon. however i haven’t filled it because i’m skeptical as well. i’m going to reinforce the silicone before putting some fish in there.
@@vlm1322 I’m considering doing this to my 20gal long any updates ??
@@brifisher it worked perfectly. Nothing to worry about
I wanted to add braces to mine but I don’t know what I’m looking for. I searched up aquarium braces and saw corner protecters but they aren’t braces. Do you know where I get braces?
A factory brace or glass? If you want to do glass you just need to get similar thickness glass and silicone it to the tank.
Where can I buy a replacement frame? Ive checked Amazon, Ebay, and looked on line and cant find a place that has just a frame for cheap.
www.aquariumframeswholesale.com/custom-frames
www.aquariumframeswholesale.com/custom-frames
Nice tutorial 👍
Thanks! Are you looking to do your own rimless tank?
@@IansFishRoom Take a look at my channel I have plenty of rimless tanks and my latest video is a blackwater style aquascape, you can check it out on my channel Majestic Cichlids amongst other videos. Tell me what you think in the comments section, I would really appreciate it.
how can i add something to brace if i have a 70 gallon tall
Personally I wouldn't attempt it with this tank....but...you could get some glass cut that is the same thickness and silicone it as cross braces.
This was harder than it looked! But I managed to get the job done. Had to use two different razor blades, and not everything came off in one piece, but pieces. I almost left out doing the inside parts of the tank. Cut myself kinda badly, but worth it. Dw, I had worse lol.
Glad you got through it! The quality control on fish tanks definitely varies leading to some being more difficult than others.
@@IansFishRoom I applied the same thing to my 5 and a half gal tank, but sadly I cracked and broke it 😔
@@Abcity92 that sucks! I'm sorry to hear it broke on you.
@@IansFishRoom 😢 I was going to use that and clean it, but I’ll just use my 6 gallon. And just stick to buying rimless tanks. But my 10 gallon is finished.
I have always thought the top rim provided support for the sides as the outward pressure and weight of the water put a strain on the silicone in the seams. And I thought that aquariums that were made rimless, used a different type of silicone and method to overcome this. Is this no longer the case? Is all the silicone glue the same? Would this work on a 20 or 40 gallon tank? They often have supports going through the middle of the tank. Is that structural support, or just there to hold up lids? Just curious because I'd love to do this to the 10 gallon I'm about to set up.
It does provide additional support but in tanks 20g and below they can hold water without them. Some people do it with bigger tanks but I haven't personally done a 40 breeder. Anything with a center brace I would not try.
100% silicone is 100% silicone - Shouldn’t be using adhesive with any sort of additives anyway.. So, in theory, it’s the same adhesive but quality likely varies [as with most brands]. I’ve seen another TH-camr completely disassemble their tank, then reassemble it with new silicone and leaving the rim off, but perhaps that was an extra precautionary measure. I’ve also seen, for a larger tank, adding a glass brace for anything over 3 or 4ft, so you can still go rimless for those. [DYOR; I’ve never done any of this and am using Ian’s video for my first attempt of testing the waters lol]
That plastic is so flimsy, anyway; Does it really add that much support when you have X pounds of pressure constantly against it? If the seams broke in a braced tank, I can’t fathom the plastic helping much but apparently it does for larger tanks.🤷♀️
is it safe to remove the bottom frame?
You can but you need to have a very flat surface with a pad underneath the tank as the brace supports the weight
I only followed the first step bc I just wanted a bit clearer of a view on the front of my tank, and, since it's already an established tank, I didn't want to get any plastic or sandpaper gunk in the water, and honestly it looks fine with the inside edge of the rim still there. My shrimp got a little excited/agitated from all the vibrations, but they honestly look happy, sifting through all the tiny bits of detritus that got disturbed so alls well that ends well. 😅
Makes sense and if your happy with it that's all that really matters.
I remove 3 of my rims for my filter and light but I'm worried it might crack or explode help pls
How big is the aquarium. You can add a piece of glass as a brace with silicone.
Great video 👍👍👍
Thanks for watching again!
Is there ANY way possible to do this without breaking down the whole system
If you mean without breaking the top rim the answer is yes its possible but it's going to be tank dependent and if it was built with minimal glue. No real way to know until you are into the project.
@@IansFishRoom meant anyway without emptying the tank..and thank u for fast reply
I want the rim gone because that’s the obvious new look that in these days but I can’t imagine there’s a way to remove it safely im thinking of everything.like idk what if I lowered water level..completely covered the water like tarp it up some how 😂 then scrape..remove rim..glue on supports let it dry ..carefully remove cover ontop of water (that would be catching silicone debri that i scrape since water level down) I know I’m crazy but people would call me crazy for breaking down the system just for no rim
@JusD3wit_ probably easier to just get a new tank. I'd be worried about accidently breaking it with it full.
I am trying to remove my side glass on both my 10 gallon tanks so I can combine them to make a larger longer tank
Good luck! I'd just buy a 20g.
@@IansFishRoom I just don't want to junk my other 10g but I already got the glass off just need to silicone and it's done
@@IansFishRoom the secret was to use a straight razor 🪒 blade/safety razor blade it's so thin that it just pushed through I grabbed both side from inside and outside tank pulled up and it sliced all the way through
I need to remove the bottom frame. There's literally no videos for that. The seal failed on the bottom. It's not broken but I want to take it off to reseal the frame before resealing the inside of the tank
It's basically the exact same procedure.
Can you not remove the bottom one
You can but there are 2 reasons I don't. The 1st reason is I don't mind the bottom plastic because I use black substrate and the bottom plastic is not that noticeable. The 2nd reason is the tank rest on that plastic frame and if you remove it you have to get a mat to put under the glass to keep it from breaking.
So you said replacement frames are cheap, please tell us where you can get a replacement frame! The only place I can find them is places where the minimum you can buy is 100 of them for your store or something 😂😭 I still want my tank to have a frame bit my current frame is useless because the last owner had rodents in it that ate most of the inside of the rim away.
Here you go!
www.aquariumframeswholesale.com/6-x-12-frame
Im converting small tank for inside a bigger tank
I'd love to see that!
Rimless 40 gallon is 3-400 bucks. My local aquarium store has 40 gallons on sale for 75 bucks…may just pay the 75 and the extra cost for the tools and do this lol.
Good luck! I've never tried a tank that big personally but I know some people do. I'd probably add a glass center brace.
Shame I only thought about this AFTER I'd already got my shrimps in in the tank, 🤦🏽♀️ Idiot!!😂😂😂 Thanks, I'll apply it when I want to re-scape.
I'm using the tank in the video for shrimp currently.
until you come home from work and fins your tank has split open. There is a reason they put it on there.
You definitely increase your risk but all fish tanks have potential for failure it just depends on your comfort level to the risk.
Just be careful guys. Do what you wanna do but me personally I wouldn’t do it to a tank bigger than a 5g. Theres a reason why the black rims are there.
It definitely gets riskier the bigger the tank.
I cracked mine Rip. Worth a try tho
Sorry to hear that. Definitely have to take your time.
My only issue now is that i have to empty my tank 😂
Guess I should have made it a 4 step video lol
My problem too 😂😂
If this works that will save you at least 50 bucks on a rim less tank
It didn’t work
Oh no...what happened?
Now show a 100 gallon tank with a harder frame...
Won't see me doing it.
This is more than 3 steps
Step 1 remove rim
Step 2 remove silicone
Step 3 sand rough edges
Anything else is just the details.
I did this and broke my established tank. Never diying again.
That's a shame. There is definitely risk involved and it's not for everyone.