Rimless Tank Lifespan...

[hoover86]

So I've been in the hobby for many years and always thought the idea of a rimless tank was crazy. It seems the lifespan would be short and the price of such a tank is much inflated to a standard euro-braced one that typically comes with a lifetime warranty. There is someone local looking to sell a 155G rimless so I've decided to give them some more thought but have a couple questions -

Does anyone know the typical lifespan of a rimless tank? I've searched this topic but don't really come up with much online. I also don't see any tank manufacturers quoting warranties of any sort either.

With the controlled pumps these days does this add more stress with wavemaker effects etc that may hinder the lifespan?

I've always loved the clean lines of a rimless tank but it will probably take some talking to the Mrs. to assure her she won't come home to an empty tank a full floor :blown:

 

[Ron Reefman]

What is the life span of any tank?

They are all a crap shoot. IMHO any tank that is well made will last for many years if cared for properly rimless, eurobraced or regular frame. But if it isn't well made, or has a defect, or isn't maintained properly, it's life span can be considerably shorter. How long or how short... do you really think anybody has a definitive answer?

 

[LXXero]

I agree, there's no fixed answer. Two tanks made right after each other on a production line could fail at 2 different times. All it takes is a minor defect or whatnot.

another thing to factor in - what if the tank was sitting on an unlevel surface for years, and now you, as a new owner, do your due-diligence and sit it on a perfectly level surface. Now all the silicone that was stretched out in one direction from being unlevel, now stretches back out in the opposite direction? Surely this can't be good for it, but how do you measure or quantify that? there really isn't a good way to do so....

all of these things are built around tolerances and safety margins, including building a rimless tank - there are various margins for glass thickness and what not to make such a tank safe. If you trust the physics of the silicone ability to hold glass together, and the correct glass thickness and all the measurements, then there is no reason not to trust a properly built rimless tank over any other type of properly built tank.

 

[ca1ore]

Assuming properly built, I see no reason that a rimless tank would have less longevity than one with trim. Thicker glass is used to obviate the need for a brace. Reduced lifetimes of tanks due to variable speed pumps was a red herring.

 

[Ou8me2]

I have a few tanks that are over 20 years old and still going strong. It's really hard to say how long a tank can or will last. The plastic trim really isn't structurally holding the tank together from what I researched. If there was a lot of force then the plastic trim would break before it held it together.

I actually bought a brand new 40 breeder a while back to break down and use to make glass baffles for a sump since it was cheaper using one from the petco 1.00 per gallon sale vs buying it from a glass shop. I'll tell you what even after I got the trim off the tank was very, very strong and was a pain in the butt to get apart.

The Silicone/Sealant they use on the tanks is what provides most the support of a tank and not the trim.

 

[alton]

I would say it would last longer than a tank that has a plastic center brace like most tanks today? My Brother-in-law has an original Oceanic built in Texas at 24 years old, my boss has an original Oceanic 158 with no center brace that is 16 years old. Interesting story while filling the 158 the stand which was built by a furniture company gave way. After removing all the water there was a 3/4" gap on the left side between the tank and stand. And yet it is still not leaked.

 

[hoover86]

Good to hear these things. Makes me feel a little easier with the possibility of owning one. I'm going to check this used one out Friday so we'll see how it goes!

 

[homerclease]

I've owned both for many years... I was like you and questioned the rimless idea. My tank held up great but since I have upgrade and lost my rimless.. good luck with the buy

 

[Ou8me2]

The bad thing about the plastic center braces is they dry out over time and can crack very easily with older tanks. A friend of mine had an 18 yr old tank and the center brace cracked barely touching it moving the tank onto the stand. I repaired it 6 months ago with a waterproof marine epoxy and so far it has worked out well.

 

[Willyboz1]

What to look out for if a rimless tank is going bad?

 

[rhinonm]

2 things: 1) Look at the top corners. Typically if the acrylic/glass is too thin (not enough bonding surface) you will see the corners separating. 2) With the tank filled, look down the long side and look for a bow in the acrylic/glass. Another indication a stress and built with too thin of material.

 

[Dennco2000]

Good info, I am looking at upgrading to a AGA 125 RR, not a huge investment since some equipment from my 65 will carry over but still Ill be investing around $1500. One reason I am going with Aqueon they have a low failure rate and this will be my last tank..... maybe? Any feed back will be appreciated.