My long awaited questions has been answered by professional factory aquarium builders.
Fact. the decorative trim on the aquarium has no benefit whatsoever in strength or structure but invented purely as a manufacturing aid to hold the panels in place during the gluing process. It is the silicone that does all the supporting between the panels not the decorative or assembling plastic framing. If you took it off it would make absolutely no difference other then to hold new panels in place for the gluing process.
Fact. Added bracing comes in the form of the center top glass strap where aquariums are longer then 48 inches and hold more then 100 gallons. The alternative is Euro bracing.
Fact. The bottom glass in manufacturing is never tempered unless special ordered due to its catastrophic failure nature (explodes when fails). Non-tempered is used because when it fails it cracks and the leak is usually a controlled spill.
Fact. The cutoff between using the "capped method" of bottom glass placement (all side panels sit on perimeter of of bottom glass) or "free floating method" (bottom glass is recessed inside and even with all 4 vertical panels) is when 1 inch glass is used.
Because of the sheer weight of 1" or larger glass vertical panels and the amounts of water they designed to hold would be too much weight to be sitting on top of the perimeter of the bottom glass using the "capped method", the "free floating method" is use instead which is a more difficult assembly process but no more stronger then the "capped method" in so far as bonding strength is concerned.
Fact. aquarium manufactures recommend stand be made of solid wood with flat strong supported surfaces to support the entire bottom glass as most new decorative framing is only 1/32 inch thick on the bottom. Perimeter support is not recommended.
*Incidentally, please do not construed this posting as any kind of slam on opinions we have all given including myself and which have help greatly in perusing the whole answer. These particular and crucial questions I sought out from the factory so that they would help us all have a solid foundation as to WHY these method are used and preferred by manufacturers.
Fact. the decorative trim on the aquarium has no benefit whatsoever in strength or structure but invented purely as a manufacturing aid to hold the panels in place during the gluing process. It is the silicone that does all the supporting between the panels not the decorative or assembling plastic framing. If you took it off it would make absolutely no difference other then to hold new panels in place for the gluing process.
Fact. Added bracing comes in the form of the center top glass strap where aquariums are longer then 48 inches and hold more then 100 gallons. The alternative is Euro bracing.
Fact. The bottom glass in manufacturing is never tempered unless special ordered due to its catastrophic failure nature (explodes when fails). Non-tempered is used because when it fails it cracks and the leak is usually a controlled spill.
Fact. The cutoff between using the "capped method" of bottom glass placement (all side panels sit on perimeter of of bottom glass) or "free floating method" (bottom glass is recessed inside and even with all 4 vertical panels) is when 1 inch glass is used.
Because of the sheer weight of 1" or larger glass vertical panels and the amounts of water they designed to hold would be too much weight to be sitting on top of the perimeter of the bottom glass using the "capped method", the "free floating method" is use instead which is a more difficult assembly process but no more stronger then the "capped method" in so far as bonding strength is concerned.
Fact. aquarium manufactures recommend stand be made of solid wood with flat strong supported surfaces to support the entire bottom glass as most new decorative framing is only 1/32 inch thick on the bottom. Perimeter support is not recommended.
*Incidentally, please do not construed this posting as any kind of slam on opinions we have all given including myself and which have help greatly in perusing the whole answer. These particular and crucial questions I sought out from the factory so that they would help us all have a solid foundation as to WHY these method are used and preferred by manufacturers.
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