Trim replacment ?

[big train]

Have any of u guys done a full trim replacement on a tank? I searched trim replacment in diy and got a lead on where to get the trim and yes glass cages stocks the trim so i can get it easy.However i did not find any info on how to get the old trim off i guess the trim is is silaconed on? I don't know for sure but i am thinking a rubber mall a wedge some laccer thinner will that melt silacone? I intend to replace the trim top and bottom on a 125 gal asap i know how to put it back but together but have never taken 1 apart.

The story is i bought a old used 125 cheap from a old dude it did fine for a few months then monday night the trim came apart at the top corner it has no center braces and the back glass pane pulled away from the side pane of glass I heard the sound of water i thought it was the washer running then it got louder and louder and it dawned on me that ain't no washer running BIG PROBLEM IN THE FISH ROOM AHHHHH SHiaaAT i see a half empty 125 and some pissed and confused dovii i see the problem i ran and got a bar clamp slapped it on the top of the tank and drew the glass back together it stopped the major leaking and allowed me to move the fish. So i managed to save my dovii pair thank the lord i was home when it happened the biggest damage done was some of the water went in my den and soaked some carpet.I spent all day yesterday moving furnature to pull out the soaked carpet padding now my down stairs smells of mold and mildew evan after a wash down with bleach i guess it will be a week or 2 til that smell leaves.

 

[at2]

glad you saved the dovii man. sorry about the rest of the mess.

 

[cichlid savage]

Good save for the fish. I am going to try the same thing soon on aa 55gal I got. I am thinking a razorblade between the glass and the trim may do the trick. Any solvent may melt the plastic trim and might leave residue harmful to the fish.

 

[Oni Angel-Hannya]

I think youre going to have to re-silicone the whole thing.With that panel puling off like that,you had to have broken alot of the original silicone bond.And we all know how silicone acts when the original,dried bond has been permeated.Never holds water right,so dont do over it,remove it.

 

[big train]

O.K i got the top trim off easy with alot of razor blade slicing on the silacone on the inside of the aquariums upper trim. Then i got the trim pryed up with a rubber maul pounding some cedar shims up under the trim on the outside of the tank .I forgot to take pics when i did the top but i will do the bottom tommarow and i will get some pics of the action.I suspect that the bottom trim will be much more difficult as there is alot more silacone down there.

 

[big train]

Well i got all the trim off with the tank still intact however i loaned my digital camera to my knuckle head brother for the holidays and it has not been returned so no pics .I started on the bottom trim with alot of pre cutting of silacone with a razor blade with tank is upside down bottom trim in the air. Then i used a carpenters chiesel and pounded through the seam at the corners at a 45 degree angle it went fast.Then i tried to pound in the cedar shims up into the trim it failed the shims broke the trim on the bottom is well secured with a ton of silacone. So i tried with the carpenters chiesel gently and it got the trim lose enough to start a cedar shim in. I went down the length of the tank losening the trim with the big carpenters chiesel and shoving in a shim as soon as it had enough give to get 1 shim in. Once i had about 1 shim every foot down the length of the 6' tank i could actualy hear the silacone tearing and poping and pulling from the glass with all the wedges and pressure aginst it i gave the trim a good tug at the corner where i could get a finger under it a it pealed right off. The hardest part is over now i think or hope i will try and get some pics when i put it all back together with new trim from glass cages.