IM 25 SPS bombie lagoon

[BertsReef34786]

So this is my caveat with IM tanks. They are really nice tanks, the glass is great, the finish is impeccable, and the look is just sleek. But those chambers suck. If you like AIO’s they are really good though and well constructed, so I really can’t say anything bad. I wish the ext model was available when I bought this one because it’s the dimensions that sold me. I don’t think I will ever buy a 20”+ tall tank again.
Taking out the filter box is time consuming and you need to be patient. I didn’t have a cheese cutter wire, which where I live is impossible to find, so I used x-acto knives and then a painters Knife. The x-acto knife is what cut the gouge in the glass. So what I learned was the painters knife was really good at getting the silicone separated from the box and braces. Once the box was removed i then used a wide flat blade scrapper to then remove the silicone from the glass sides. This part was for me the scariest but in reality it was the easiest part and zero scratches or even close to scratching it. Once the silicone was removed I used varathane to remove the residual grease from the silicone and then finished it off with a 70% alcohol rinse. I also cut and peeled off the outside plastic wrap to have full view from the sides, this part was very easy to do.
If you plan on cutting yours out, time is your friend and go slow, but it can definitely be done.

I’m planning on doing the same to my 25 lagoon and I’m nervous about it. Do you have any pics?