Topless rimmed tank

jcjrogers · 02/10/2017, 12:44 PM

I kept reef tanks in the past and am getting back into the hobby after about a 15 year hiatus. The nicest tank I had was a 75 gal that was built into the wall of my living room, which sat in a closet/tank room under my staircase. That tank was rimmed and topless (e.g. no canopy), which worked great for hiding the waterline and the rim. I'm about to get a 72"x24"x18" (l x w x h) tank that will sit on a traditional stand. I now have a physical handicap, which significantly hampers my ability to walk or even stand for very long so I'll most often access the tank via my wheelchair that has an elevating seat (hence the 18" tall tank height requirement). A traditional canopy would limit my access too much in that the front door would be heavy and difficult for me to open, and I would have no access on the sides.

My dilemma is that I'm strongly leaning toward a rimmed tank. My issues with rimless are: 1) Leaving 1.5"-2" of empty tank reduces the water level in an already shallow tank, 2) I don't know if I like the look of the water line, and 3) I would still need netting over the top to protect fish, which would somewhat reduce the aesthetics, at least when looking down on the tank. The obvious issue with a rimmed tank is that the top rim looks awkward and ugly, especially when compared to a rimless. I'm trying to figure out how I can hide the top rim or integrate the top rim such that it appears to be part of the lighting structure more so than part of the tank. I also want this done in a way that I have access to the front and both sides of the tank without having to deal with a heavy door. Any advice or pics would be greatly appreciated.

Hentz · 02/10/2017, 01:30 PM

1) Rim or Rimless, you're usually about 1"-2" from the top of the tank. Any tank you ever have, you will never utilize the full height of the aquarium. If you were to, you'd literally have to have the water at the very top.

2) You'll never really get rid of the look of the water line unless you have a canopy covering just enough of the top of the tank or a brace. I think you're always going to see just a smudge of the water line unless you have the canopy covering it.

3) Out of the few years I've been in the hobby, the only time I've had fish jump out were when I had a canopy. Minus the one incident of the rimless I had where a clown got chased out by another fish.. Beside the point lol. It will happen eventually I'm sure. Though thats the risk you take with any tank with no netting over top. It's a lot less common in my opinion than you'd think.

Rimless is the trend these days I've noticed. People want clean and simple. That is exactly what Rimless is going for.
There are ways you can include a netting while still looking good. You can always get little clips that hang over the glass with a small lip, allowing you to place a netted frame. This would let it sit flush with the top of the tank.

Or, just taking the small risk and leaving it an open top.

Mageau11 · 02/10/2017, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcjrogers

I kept reef tanks in the past and am getting back into the hobby after about a 15 year hiatus. The nicest tank I had was a 75 gal that was built into the wall of my living room, which sat in a closet/tank room under my staircase. That tank was rimmed and topless (e.g. no canopy), which worked great for hiding the waterline and the rim. I'm about to get a 72"x24"x18" (l x w x h) tank that will sit on a traditional stand. I now have a physical handicap, which significantly hampers my ability to walk or even stand for very long so I'll most often access the tank via my wheelchair that has an elevating seat (hence the 18" tall tank height requirement). A traditional canopy would limit my access too much in that the front door would be heavy and difficult for me to open, and I would have no access on the sides.

My dilemma is that I'm strongly leaning toward a rimmed tank. My issues with rimless are: 1) Leaving 1.5"-2" of empty tank reduces the water level in an already shallow tank, 2) I don't know if I like the look of the water line, and 3) I would still need netting over the top to protect fish, which would somewhat reduce the aesthetics, at least when looking down on the tank. The obvious issue with a rimmed tank is that the top rim looks awkward and ugly, especially when compared to a rimless. I'm trying to figure out how I can hide the top rim or integrate the top rim such that it appears to be part of the lighting structure more so than part of the tank. I also want this done in a way that I have access to the front and both sides of the tank without having to deal with a heavy door. Any advice or pics would be greatly appreciated.

I just had a custom netted top made for my 54 gallon corner bowfront. It was not plumbed so I'm not running a sump. I was able to have Artfully Acrylic cut out all the spaces to mount my hang on back refugium, skimmer, and canister filter intake and return. They matched my measurements perfectly and it looks very clean.

I have a juvenile snowflake moray eel and melanarus wrasse in my tank, so didn't want either ending up on the floor. I'm very pleased with the lid and added the optional feed door which works nicely.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

jcjrogers · 02/10/2017, 03:28 PM

Nice top, Mageau11!

As long as the water line is above the base of the rim, you won't see it. This was exactly the case with my 75g I described. The front rim was painted the same color as the wood trim that surrounded the tank. The rim was visible, but just looked like part of the trim. The water line was never visible. I don't remember ever measuring, but I would estimate my water line was maybe .75" below the top of the rim. Traditional rims also protrude inward, helping to keep waves at bay. I never had an issue with sloshing.

I've lost fish due to jumping and just don't like the idea of leaving that to chance. However with a light screen that is easy to put on and take off, I would have no issues taking off sometimes while I'm in the room.

jcjrogers · 02/12/2017, 04:16 PM

Shameless bump... folks haven't dealt with this?

enveetie · 02/13/2017, 12:57 AM

I'm a pretty big fan of seeing the water level, tbh. I really enjoy seeing the strength and patterns of the waves as it fits the overall picture of whats happening under the water level also. I run a rimless and prefer it over any trim. Just my 2 cents.

greaps · 02/13/2017, 06:00 AM

Hope you share pictures of the tank setup when it comes, I was also looking into that dimension 72X24X18, as an option, the next option is 72X24X20.

jcjrogers · 02/13/2017, 11:25 AM

I've never had a rimless and appreciate seeing the wave movements as well as the top-down look. My biggest issue is simply water depth. If my water level is 2" from the top, and I have 1.5" of sand (I want to go a little thick on the sand), that really leaves me just 14.5" of water depth. A rim adds a small amount of height, and I think I can run the water line around .75" from the top of the glass (excluding rim). This gives me 15.75" of water depth, with it appearing to be slightly more than 16.5" deep since the water line is hidden and the rim adds a small amount of height. On a side note, I also fear the strength of a rimless doesn't quite match that of a rimmed. I'm not trying to start an argument in that regard, this is just my feeling, especially when looking at tank suppliers that don't have the word "Savvy" or "Miracles" in their name.

I was also thinking about 72x24x20, but I'm trying to stay around 48" total height with stand. I might be able to shave 2" off a stand, but it makes it that much more difficult to get inside the stand. It is too hard for me to get up and down off the ground so my sump access will be from a wheelchair or scooter. I know I won't be able to access everything in the sump but have to be able to access filter socks, skimmer cup, probes, main pump, refugium section for algae removal, and so forth. Past that, I will have a maintenance guy come out once per month, mainly for routine preventative maintenance and a larger water change (larger than my weekly changes), and my wife can help in a pinch. If it weren't for the stand access issues, I would love to have the extra 2" of tank height.

first29gallon · 05/07/2018, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcjrogers

I've never had a rimless and appreciate seeing the wave movements as well as the top-down look. My biggest issue is simply water depth. If my water level is 2" from the top, and I have 1.5" of sand (I want to go a little thick on the sand), that really leaves me just 14.5" of water depth. A rim adds a small amount of height, and I think I can run the water line around .75" from the top of the glass (excluding rim). This gives me 15.75" of water depth, with it appearing to be slightly more than 16.5" deep since the water line is hidden and the rim adds a small amount of height. On a side note, I also fear the strength of a rimless doesn't quite match that of a rimmed. I'm not trying to start an argument in that regard, this is just my feeling, especially when looking at tank suppliers that don't have the word "Savvy" or "Miracles" in their name.

I was also thinking about 72x24x20, but I'm trying to stay around 48" total height with stand. I might be able to shave 2" off a stand, but it makes it that much more difficult to get inside the stand. It is too hard for me to get up and down off the ground so my sump access will be from a wheelchair or scooter. I know I won't be able to access everything in the sump but have to be able to access filter socks, skimmer cup, probes, main pump, refugium section for algae removal, and so forth. Past that, I will have a maintenance guy come out once per month, mainly for routine preventative maintenance and a larger water change (larger than my weekly changes), and my wife can help in a pinch. If it weren't for the stand access issues, I would love to have the extra 2" of tank height.

What did you end up with. I have the same two options

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

jcjrogers · 05/09/2018, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by first29gallon

What did you end up with. I have the same two options

I went with a 19" tall rimmed and glad I did.

02/10/2017, 12:44 PM	#1
jcjrogers Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Memphis, TN area Posts: 61	Topless rimmed tank I kept reef tanks in the past and am getting back into the hobby after about a 15 year hiatus. The nicest tank I had was a 75 gal that was built into the wall of my living room, which sat in a closet/tank room under my staircase. That tank was rimmed and topless (e.g. no canopy), which worked great for hiding the waterline and the rim. I'm about to get a 72"x24"x18" (l x w x h) tank that will sit on a traditional stand. I now have a physical handicap, which significantly hampers my ability to walk or even stand for very long so I'll most often access the tank via my wheelchair that has an elevating seat (hence the 18" tall tank height requirement). A traditional canopy would limit my access too much in that the front door would be heavy and difficult for me to open, and I would have no access on the sides. My dilemma is that I'm strongly leaning toward a rimmed tank. My issues with rimless are: 1) Leaving 1.5"-2" of empty tank reduces the water level in an already shallow tank, 2) I don't know if I like the look of the water line, and 3) I would still need netting over the top to protect fish, which would somewhat reduce the aesthetics, at least when looking down on the tank. The obvious issue with a rimmed tank is that the top rim looks awkward and ugly, especially when compared to a rimless. I'm trying to figure out how I can hide the top rim or integrate the top rim such that it appears to be part of the lighting structure more so than part of the tank. I also want this done in a way that I have access to the front and both sides of the tank without having to deal with a heavy door. Any advice or pics would be greatly appreciated.

02/10/2017, 01:30 PM	#2
Hentz Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Las Vegas, Nevada Posts: 2,016	1) Rim or Rimless, you're usually about 1"-2" from the top of the tank. Any tank you ever have, you will never utilize the full height of the aquarium. If you were to, you'd literally have to have the water at the very top. 2) You'll never really get rid of the look of the water line unless you have a canopy covering just enough of the top of the tank or a brace. I think you're always going to see just a smudge of the water line unless you have the canopy covering it. 3) Out of the few years I've been in the hobby, the only time I've had fish jump out were when I had a canopy. Minus the one incident of the rimless I had where a clown got chased out by another fish.. Beside the point lol. It will happen eventually I'm sure. Though thats the risk you take with any tank with no netting over top. It's a lot less common in my opinion than you'd think. Rimless is the trend these days I've noticed. People want clean and simple. That is exactly what Rimless is going for. There are ways you can include a netting while still looking good. You can always get little clips that hang over the glass with a small lip, allowing you to place a netted frame. This would let it sit flush with the top of the tank. Or, just taking the small risk and leaving it an open top. __________________ A Reef in the Desert: 120 Gallon (4x2x2) - MP40 x2 - Gyre 130 - ATI Sunpower - Simplicity Pump/Skimmer - Controlled by Apex

02/13/2017, 06:00 AM	#7
greaps Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 500	Hope you share pictures of the tank setup when it comes, I was also looking into that dimension 72X24X18, as an option, the next option is 72X24X20. __________________ 50g SCA Aquarium, build in progress.

02/10/2017, 03:28 PM	#4
jcjrogers Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Memphis, TN area Posts: 61	Nice top, Mageau11! As long as the water line is above the base of the rim, you won't see it. This was exactly the case with my 75g I described. The front rim was painted the same color as the wood trim that surrounded the tank. The rim was visible, but just looked like part of the trim. The water line was never visible. I don't remember ever measuring, but I would estimate my water line was maybe .75" below the top of the rim. Traditional rims also protrude inward, helping to keep waves at bay. I never had an issue with sloshing. I've lost fish due to jumping and just don't like the idea of leaving that to chance. However with a light screen that is easy to put on and take off, I would have no issues taking off sometimes while I'm in the room.

02/12/2017, 04:16 PM	#5
jcjrogers Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Memphis, TN area Posts: 61	Shameless bump... folks haven't dealt with this?

02/13/2017, 12:57 AM	#6
enveetie Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Posts: 84	I'm a pretty big fan of seeing the water level, tbh. I really enjoy seeing the strength and patterns of the waves as it fits the overall picture of whats happening under the water level also. I run a rimless and prefer it over any trim. Just my 2 cents.

02/13/2017, 11:25 AM	#8
jcjrogers Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2016 Location: Memphis, TN area Posts: 61	I've never had a rimless and appreciate seeing the wave movements as well as the top-down look. My biggest issue is simply water depth. If my water level is 2" from the top, and I have 1.5" of sand (I want to go a little thick on the sand), that really leaves me just 14.5" of water depth. A rim adds a small amount of height, and I think I can run the water line around .75" from the top of the glass (excluding rim). This gives me 15.75" of water depth, with it appearing to be slightly more than 16.5" deep since the water line is hidden and the rim adds a small amount of height. On a side note, I also fear the strength of a rimless doesn't quite match that of a rimmed. I'm not trying to start an argument in that regard, this is just my feeling, especially when looking at tank suppliers that don't have the word "Savvy" or "Miracles" in their name. I was also thinking about 72x24x20, but I'm trying to stay around 48" total height with stand. I might be able to shave 2" off a stand, but it makes it that much more difficult to get inside the stand. It is too hard for me to get up and down off the ground so my sump access will be from a wheelchair or scooter. I know I won't be able to access everything in the sump but have to be able to access filter socks, skimmer cup, probes, main pump, refugium section for algae removal, and so forth. Past that, I will have a maintenance guy come out once per month, mainly for routine preventative maintenance and a larger water change (larger than my weekly changes), and my wife can help in a pinch. If it weren't for the stand access issues, I would love to have the extra 2" of tank height.