Ok to make frameless?

[WeedCali]

at petsmart, they have small 2.5 gallon aquariums. theyre just regular rectangle ones with frames like larger ones. cant find em online but they haven them in the store.

anyways, i was planning on getting a couple to have around and i wanted to make a mini planted invert tank. but i wanted to make it frameless.

would this small amount of water stress this tank too much if i were to remove the rings?

 

[BoCoMo]

I think you will be fine. Only one way to find out though.

 

[Trigger1985]

I know a lot of people take the frames off, all though I think I've seen a few where people ran into the glass not being even on the bottom, and they had to remove the silicone, adjust the glass, and redo it.
http://www.azaquaticplants.com/community/showthread.php?t=10330 Here's someone who did it.

 

[XanAvaloni]

Can you hang on to the frame pieces and put them back in place any time you're doing something that might stress the tank? Picking up, moving, cleaning, etc? I'm wondering if it might not be okay (as mentioned above) while sitting perfectly still, but dangerously easy to come apart if subjected to movement.

You could test it: fill it with water and equivalent weight (rocks) of any substrate, equipment etc, and put it in one of those big plastic WalMart tubs. Then move it around in whatever ways you might do normally. Then let it set for however long to see if it can hold up over time.

My theory on anything manufactured is that they cut costs in any and every possible way, so you're lucky if things work even if used exactly as built. To remove any support or enclosure that was engineered into the design would be taking chances.

/worrywart Xan

 

[foolishfish]

Check out the frameless tanks that Glasman has made (probably hundreds by now). Might be better and cheaper in the long run to just buy some glass and silicone and build your own. His design is great for anything small up to about 18" in depth and as long as you want. Cheap too.

I was thinkin' of doing that very thing 'cuz I need a bunch of 5.5g. tanks and they charge as much for them as they do a 10g. at the LFS.

 

[shwank005]

I made a 2.5 gal rimless out of 3/32" glass, I think it was 10" tall. Yours is probably 1/8th inch, so I think it should work.

 

[WeedCali]

thanks for all the info

i think i would only end up removing the top ring(dont know why but i think that would look good) and if the glass is uneven, ill just put the ring back on (if i can get it off in one piece )

 

[halfmoonplakat]

lmao i just bought 2 of these tanks
they come with lids and cost just as much as those 10g's that dont come with anything else besides the tank, right?? 17.99 or something like that lol