De-Bracing 40 Gallon top and bottom

[Filipino Reefer]

What are the cons of de-bracing the bottom AND top of the Aqueon 40 Gallon Breeder? Note, ones removing both braces, resealing will be done prior to using it.

In addition, when is best time to drill for overflow and return, before removing both top and bottom braces? No Eurobrace will be added in the end.

 

[Captmcfly]

The pros would be not having to buy a rimless tank the cons would be the glass WILL brake it’s a lot of work, WHEN the glass brakes there WILL be LOTS of broken glass on the floor and oh idk about 40 gallons of salt water flowing across the floor washing those broken pieces of glass throughout the room… not trying to be negative just don’t think it’s a good idea. The glass on a rimless is substantially thicker to support the pressure of the water pushing out. Also the silicone used in the rimless tanks is generally thought to be stronger bonding. Furthermore the process of taking off the bracing and getting a nice clean piece of glass with no residue on it to make it look clean like a rimless tank is a ton of work. Drill prior to and then skip removing the braces… just my opinion

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

The pros would be not having to buy a rimless tank the cons would be the glass WILL brake it’s a lot of work, WHEN the glass brakes there WILL be LOTS of broken glass on the floor and oh idk about 40 gallons of salt water flowing across the floor washing those broken pieces of glass throughout the room… not trying to be negative just don’t think it’s a good idea. The glass on a rimless is substantially thicker to support the pressure of the water pushing out. Also the silicone used in the rimless tanks is generally thought to be stronger bonding. Furthermore the process of taking off the bracing and getting a nice clean piece of glass with no residue on it to make it look clean like a rimless tank is a ton of work. Drill prior to and then skip removing the braces… just my opinion

WILL break, WHEN the glass breaks? ?

What is your actual experience with this?

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

What are the cons of de-bracing the bottom AND top of the Aqueon 40 Gallon Breeder? Note, ones removing both braces, resealing will be done prior to using it.

In addition, when is best time to drill for overflow and return, before removing both top and bottom braces? No Eurobrace will be added in the end.

Pro's... It's a fun project. You've got a rimless 40b once completed.

Cons... It's a time consuming, fun project. Less resistance to abuse. Every tank I've torn down to panels, the height of the glass is not uniform on, some varying up to 3/8 of an inch.

Drill everything when you have it torn down to panels, before reassembly. If you happen to break the glass while drilling, it's a lot worse if you have to tear the tank apart again.

A few tools that will come in handy or a heat gun ( Not a blow dryer, an actual heat gun), metal feeler gauges that can be purchased at any automotive store. Oscillating cut off tool ( I found the best way to de-rim is to cut straight down the center of the braces top and bottom and peel them away from the glass using the heat gun to soften the silicone.

 

[Pico bam]

So there's a couple small issues in doing this. Most of the time the glass under the trim is not very pritty. See Pictures, second is you should really use some sort of leveling mat on the bottom of the tank. There prone to cracking without. Also make sure your glass isn't temperd before you drill because it might not be drillable. (This is the glass under the trim of a 220. Its likely not this bad but you never know.)

This is from my lowboy frag tank:

 

[Filipino Reefer]

Anyone has an Aqueon 40 breeder with all braces removed top and bottom photos?

 

[Captmcfly]

I don’t personally because I won’t risk it.
but I’ve read some threads where people have had issues

www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2295776

Derimming a 40 gal breeder?

got a while ago from pet smarts gallon sales i dont know the brand of the tank but wondering can i remove and make it rimless?the center brace is on the bottom of the tank along with another trim i guessgood idea?http://imgur.com/a/agImh

www.nano-reef.com

My opinion stands as is. It’s out of my risk tolerance. I own my home it has nice floors and I don’t want salt water on them or under them or running under the trims and soaking into the studs. It’s a bad idea unless it’s going somewhere you don’t mind broken glass and water on the floor. But if you have such a place give it a shot and enjoy the hobby??