http://www.planetcatfish.com/forum/view ... f=4&t=2808
This riparium setup will include a pendant light fixture, an open top and plants growing up into the space above the tank. The rimless aquarium will create a much more appealing display with unobstructed views of the emersed foliage and the water's surface.
I recently of a smart way to remove the top plastic aquarium rim. Here is the list of the items that I used:
- 50-gallon Aqueon aquarium
- block plane
- snap-blade cutter
- safety glasses
This rusty old plane had a dull and chipped blade, but it functioned well enough for removal of the soft rim plastic.
I shaved away plastic all around the top outside edge of the rim until reaching the silicone sealant occupying the void between the rim and the top edges of the glass panels. I was careful to not proceed any deeper, as the plane would have easily chipped the edges of the glass.
After separating the rim into two pieces I was able to pull it away from the glass in several spots. Silicone sealant adheres very well to glass, but makes a very weak bond with most kinds of plastic. Nevertheless, I found the rim to be holding tight at each of the corners, so I used a snap-blade cutter to slice between the silicone and the glass. This is not a recommended use for for this kind of cutter--the blade can snap and send sections flying through the air--but I worked slowly and with extra care. It is a good idea to wear eye protection when doing any kind of cutting work.
The outside piece of the rim just came right off. It took some additional slicing with the cutter and careful pulling, but I was able to coax the inside piece off in just a couple of minutes.
Here is the tank with rim removed. Much of the painted background came off with the rim. It had occurred to me to try to save the background and patch it up with some more paint, but it will look better if I just remove the old paint and apply again.
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