Pros vs Cons: Rimless Aquariums vs Traditional Braced Aquariums

Pros vs Cons: Which type of aquarium do you prefer?

  • Rimless Aquarium

    Votes: 239 72.0%
  • Traditional Braced Aquarium

    Votes: 93 28.0%

  • Total voters
    332

Giancarlo

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
208
Reaction score
3
Location
caledon
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I love the rimless tank, and I love top down view of corals and especially clams, so it's a no brainer for me!
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1337122033.198192.jpg
 

Steelerfan747

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 7, 2011
Messages
1,901
Reaction score
28
Location
Miami
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have had both and love the pros of both but braced tanks really require a canopy to complete the set up while a rimless tends to look cleaner and allows for easier access into the tank.
 

myzislow

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 2, 2008
Messages
1,528
Reaction score
265
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Even the slightest work in the tank on my rimless cube causes water to slosh out of the tank. I hate it, and will never own another rimless tank. Just cleaning algae becomes a surgical chore...
I just turn my return off and this isn't an issue...Dont think I'll ever own another style tank, rimless just looks clean...
 

cdness

2006 - Present
View Badges
Joined
Jul 15, 2009
Messages
3,988
Reaction score
165
Location
West Fargo, ND
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
While I do like the look of a rimless tank in some scenarios, they just aren't for me...

1. I like being able to hide my DIY lighting in a canopy
2. I think the tank looks more integrated into the room when it is built like furniture
3. I like fish that jump... hence the canopy...
4. I don't like to see the water line in the tank. The rim and canopy do a good job at covering that
5. I have kids... They have small tows which they sometimes like to throw... I don't want to come home to a penny wishing well when they decide they want to throw money or other random stuff into the tank...

Some are personal preference while other reasons are functional. Maybe someday I'll have a rimless, just not at this point for sure.
 

SDguy

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 14, 2009
Messages
2,414
Reaction score
264
Location
San Diego
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
4. I don't like to see the water line in the tank. The rim and canopy do a good job at covering that

That's my only aesthetic issue with them. To me it no longer looks like a window/snap shot into a reef, but more like a tidal pool. Which is great if that's the look you are going for.
 

Aquaph8

Love The Fish
View Badges
Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
8,920
Reaction score
400
Location
Tucson, AZ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I love the rimless look but wanted the piece of mind of some bracing and a place to set stuff while working on the tank so I went with euro bracing.
 

secretreefer

**MAD PHANTOM SCIENTIST**
View Badges
Joined
Aug 7, 2009
Messages
3,618
Reaction score
16
Location
Pitcairn Island
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'll be going into my first rimless very soon. decided to go with an ADA 120-P instead of an acrylic build i was looking at. Will do a build thread and update. I currently have my 180g acrylic with bracing and i don't care for it (old wide bracing) since i run halides and it gets pretty hot on top. also scratching acrylic is a PAIN...
 

dedubya

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 1, 2011
Messages
273
Reaction score
0
Location
Columbus,Ohio
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a 48x48x12 rimless it's beautiful for sure, but the sloshing, and my dam cleanup crew always crawls out and my cat finds them on the floor. Jumpers is another issue even if you put a screen on top which I do there is no way to truly secure the screen so it wont move around easily, thus still allowing jumpers to easily escape R.I.P. my poor yellow coris wrasse. And my female clown has jumped out trying to attack my hand as I put it in to move a coral, luckily I saw where she landed before the cat did.
 

bsagea

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
May 5, 2011
Messages
957
Reaction score
610
Location
New Bern
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I prefer a rimmed tank as long as it does not require a center brace for stability. I love the shallow cubes (18") as you still have a very clean look with or without the light on it.
bsa
 

Rick

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Messages
519
Reaction score
65
Location
Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Rimless/ euro braced looks way better than a big plastic rim
 

Ron Reefman

Lets Go Snorkeling!
View Badges
Joined
Aug 12, 2012
Messages
9,264
Reaction score
20,824
Location
SW Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have 3 tanks with rims (made by tank manufacturers) and I just recently finished a DIY 24 x 18 x 10 rimless frag tank. I LOVE the look. Here it is being water tested:

P7100020R1e.jpg



And here it is set up next to my 55g QT:

P7280013.jpg


Now I need to fill it with frags. And I want to build a bigger rimless. Maybe a 40-60g, but the wife says 4 tanks is enough... :hail:
 

MrG

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
28
Reaction score
2
Location
In The Sea
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I thought most Acrylic tanks were rimless? WebRep


Overall rating


This site has no rating
(not enough votes)
 
Back
Top