DIY Rimless Betta Tank & Filter

Last week my fiance said that she wanted a Betta. I jumped all over this because I want more aquariums. We were originally going to purchase a Waterbox Clear 6 Gallon (I have another post about this) which are beautiful and fairly priced but I realized that Petco was having their dollar per gallon sale. I watched a few Youtube videos on DIY rimless aquariums which left me with two options. I could call a local glass company and have them cut glass to proper dimensions and then I would silicone and build a tank from there or I could purchase a 10 Gallon from Petco and remove the rims. I purchased two 10 gallon tanks from Petco. One would be the guinea pig and the other would remain rimmed if I failed.

So now we start.

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So I started with a box cutter, paint scraper, and a heat gun that I used on high air flow but low-medium heat. I was a bit worried that the glass would crack if it became too hot while I was pulling on the rim. I focused the heat gun on the side closest to me including the corners where the silicone is built up more. From there I took the paint scraper and pushed it beneath the top rim to break up the silicone. I repeated this step for each side. From there I used my box cutter to cut the silicone seem on the inside of the rim just under the lip that holds the cover. Sorry I couldn't get a photo of that step!



The top rim is off! Unfortunately that took me about 45 minutes. About a half hour into it I turned the heat up on the heat gun which made a huge difference. It just went a lot smoother. To begin the removal after cutting, I focused on one corner and about 2 inches out both ways with the heat gun. With one hand pushing on the bottom glass and the other pulling up on the rim, it came off.....Well not very smoothly....



I thought that this was the worst part...We'll get to that. Onto the bottom rim!

The bottom rim took about 10 minutes. I used the paint scraper to dig into the rim from the sides just like the top rim and I also used it to loosen the silicone on the bottom glass. I did not have to use the heat gun for the bottom rim. After you loosen the silicone it pretty much pulls right off.


That is definitely an artificial Christmas Tree stuffed under my bed.



Bottom rim came off in one piece!

So this is where it goes South. I thought well hey, I purchased a tank for $10 and it only took me about an hour to make it rimless. I did not realize how much work it was to remove the silicone from the rim areas. You know...you watch those YouTube videos and they remove the rims and silicone in 20 minutes. I'm naive.

Now this probably took me a lot longer than it should have because I was using razors that I use for my straight edge beard blade. I only had those and my box cutter. I feel that If I had a proper tool it would of went a lot quicker. Taking the big chunks of silicone off was easy, it was just the residue that almost ended me. In this photo you can see the residue along the top rim.




I used about 5 blades to take the big chunks of silicone off and about 20 blades for the residue. They go dull real quick. I went around the entire tank to take the excess silicone off and to get it to look as much like a proper rimless as I could. I was scraping away for 3 hours. I used a dry green brillo pad with 99.9% isopropyl alcohol to try and get rid of most of the gunk but it did not work that well. I was pretty much scratching at the residue while contemplating my life.

The corners...the silicone job in the corners is terrible but I trimmed them up a bit for a more finished look. At this point I realized some faults in the build and some issues caused by me. On two sides of the tank the glass overhangs. You would never notice because of the rims, but now I'm wondering if this is structurally sound without rims. I put a few scratches in the glass while I was cutting under the lip of the top rim with my box cutter. This is unfortunate and a bit unsightly but maybe I won't notice when water is in? I also slightly chipped the glass on a side panel while I was using the paint scraper to loosen the silicone. Things you can't see until the rims are off. For this chipped glass and to smooth out the top of the tank I used very fine sandpaper and wet sanded it. Feels nice and not noticeable.

So here is the tank after scraping for hours.



I am going to do a leak test tomorrow. If there is a leak, I have silicone...love hate sorta thing.

What do you think? Is the time and effort worth it? a Waterbox Clear 10 Gallon is $79.99. I spent $10 to make a rimless that took 4 hours to de-rim and clean up. I still have to leak test. If there is a leak I have to put more time into it. If it were not for a life of quarantine, I probably would have just spent the $79.99. I love DIY projects, but that residue man.....

 

Hi mrjohn,
I worked with glass in my working days and have cut the top glass from a couple of second hand Fluval tanks , perhaps I have some idea of the work involved?
My first tank was rimless so I have some sympathy with your aspirations however I have had several fish jump out of tanks . Other species most endlers but betta are renowned jumpers.

You may need to talk to your fiancé about a different species or consider a DIY lid?
just saying fish jump.

 

Hi mrjohn,
I worked with glass in my working days and have cut the top glass from a couple of second hand Fluval tanks , perhaps I have some idea of the work involved?
My first tank was rimless so I have some sympathy with your aspirations however I have had several fish jump out of tanks . Other species most endlers but betta are renowned jumpers.

You may need to talk to your fiancé about a different species or consider a DIY lid?
just saying fish jump.

Thanks for responding! No idea why I am still awake! Do they not make lids for rimless tanks? I'm new! If not, I will definitely find a DIY lid. My fiance brought that up tonight while In was working on the tank.

 

I don’t know what you can get in Massachusetts? I doubt you will get a glass lid already cut to size? I guess getting one cut and have the edges polished will cost lots? You can buy some nice chrome brackets as in this photo. Perspex is not any good with heat and water it bends. This skylight material is commonly used on U tube.

 

Sorta using this as my own little journal. It'll be great to look back on. Maybe I'll start one for my 20 gallon.



Alright. First tank passed a leak test. I thought it had a leak because of the watermark underneath but I spilled some water while pouring. After emptying the tank I filled it up again another 6 inches to double check.

I just finished up the second one as well and will start a leak test on that tomorrow. The second attempt at this only took 2 hours. I purchased a proper scraper with #20 heavy duty blades. This started out with me thinking that one tank would break during the process but now we have two rimless 10 gallons and I get to scape one of them!

Everything that we need to start the Betta tank is here except the filter. The one we picked up is too bulky so now we are looking into a corner sponge filter. Oh and the stand...That should be here Monday.

I'll most likely purchase the same equipment for both tanks. I am loving what we have for my fiances so far.

Here are a few photos of where and how the tanks will be set up. We purchased a 55 gallon stand to put both on and I am thinking of putting a house plant in between the tanks.




Room lights on



room lights off.

 

..it took so long to get everything, but at this exact moment we are putting the Betta 10 gallon together. Just finished the filter. Pictures tomorrow.

Filter: I was going to grab a corner sponge filter(thank you to responders in previous thread) but I wanted the filter to be seeded with media. I found some diy articles and videos for a filter. I think technically this would by a sort of sponge/canister hybrid.

Items: Small ball jar, thin wall plastic tube, Polyfil, aquarium sponge, biomax, PETG tube cutter, airline hose, check valve, air stone, and air pump.






Cutting little triangles in the tube to allow water to flow through.



I took about 10 established pieces of biomax from the 20 Gallon to help establish this filter. I replaced those with 10 new pieces of biomax. Polyfil for the second layer and the sponge for the third layer.



This happened to be my first water change of the month for the 20 Gallon which meant cleaning the filter and rinsing the media. With tank water of course. I decided to further seed this filter with a piece of sponge that I cut from the 20 Gallon. I also filled it with tank water from the 20.




And there it is. We'll have to see how well this works.



Future Betta home that my fiance set up. We are going to add some Java Fern from the 20 Gallon and either some Indian Almond Leaves or some sort of floating plant. Silk plants are staying




Almost a final product. The 10 gallon on the right is next. I had to use shims to level the stand and I added self leveling mats to both tanks. Next update will be when the tank is cycled and the Betta arrives.

 

We were 3 weeks in and still were not reading Nitrites or Nitrates with seeded media. The Ammonia was stuck at the 2ppm that we initially dosed, so I decided to try TSS. I didn't use it in the 20 Gallon, but I felt that the cycle in this 10 was not moving forward especially with seeded media. The next day we tested the water. Ammonia dropped to 1ppm, nitrite still 0, but Nitrate hit 5ppm. I think the combination of seeded media and the TSS will bypass Nitrite readings altogether. Let's see what happens!

 

Betta tank cycled a few days after my last update. We removed the house decoration from the tank because I felt that some edges would be too rough for the Betta. We have Red Floaters on the way and Catappa leaves. Having the typical diatom bloom because of the cycle. Waiting on some Nerite snails to be back in stock.

A big thanks to philam ! Our Betta arrived today and he is currently exploring his new home. He is beautiful! I'll snap some better photos when he settles but here are a few.

 

He looks like he’s enjoying his new home! I’m glad everything went smooth with shipping! He’s a cool betta! It won’t take him long to start making a nest if the current isn’t too strong.

 

Just found this thread! I love it. I have a 10g laying around I got for free so I may give it a try.

And about lids: they do sell them but they are fairly pricy. You can buy these little clips on amazon or eBay (I’ll link one) and then just place a piece of replacement glass from Home Depot on top. Will cost you only about $10. You can also add some clear handles on the lid to make it easier to remove!

Amazon.com : Innovative Marine Screen Cover Lid Clips (10 mm) : Pet Supplies

Edit: I see you have a lid, didn’t see that at first, but I’ll keep the link if anyone else is looking for one

 

Just found this thread! I love it. I have a 10g laying around I got for free so I may give it a try.

And about lids: they do sell them but they are fairly pricy. You can buy these little clips on amazon or eBay (I’ll link one) and then just place a piece of replacement glass from Home Depot on top. Will cost you only about $10. You can also add some clear handles on the lid to make it easier to remove!

Amazon.com : Innovative Marine Screen Cover Lid Clips (10 mm) : Pet Supplies

Edit: I see you have a lid, didn’t see that at first, but I’ll keep the link if anyone else is looking for one

Thanks! Yeah, I ended up finding a glass canopy soon after, but thank you! We are adding some live plants soon so I'll definitely update again once they arrive.

 

Another quick update. We added a marimo moss ball, a catappa leaf, and some scarlet temple to the tank. Also moved some of the silk plants around. Just waiting on those red floaters now!

 

Quick update on this one. The Scarlet Temple completely died but the red floaters came in and I am starting to see some more red coloring in them. I've been dosing Easy Iron and Easy Green.

We added two red racer Nerite snails and Harlequin Rasbora's. The rasbora's are in there temporarily. My fiance liked the way the fake green silk plants looked in my nieces tank so we grabbed a few more for this tank. Also added a fake root decoration. We might get some moss and cover the root decoration with it.

Water is a bit cloudy. Just did a water change. That's it for now.

 

Hey mrjohn,
I have a couple of comments to make.Please be open to hearing them in the spirit of a helpful suggestion that is my intention?
In post #7 I see the check valve in the air line. From personal experience they have a way of disconnecting over time as the hose swells.
The location is incorrect the valve is better place at the very top of the air line as it curves over the top of the tank. This way when it falls off or the check valve falls in two there won’t be a hose in the shape of a siphon. That will empty the water on the floor. Using super glue on both ends of the check valve is also a good idea. However the plastic unit has failed on me and fallen into two pieces.( something to inspect )
Now another way to run an air pump is above the height of the tank.On the shelf above. No need for a 99 cent check valve that WILL fail with time and stay open, rendering them useless.

A second comment is perhaps for the next incarnation of the tank? Next time you reset the tank consider the gravel in this video? At 6 mm / 1/4 inch it is just the right weight to travel up and down the vacuum hose. Note the shortcut on starting a siphon and the two handed technique used with 6 mm / 1/4 gravel.

Thanks for sharing this journey .

 

Hey mrjohn,
I have a couple of comments to make.Please be open to hearing them in the spirit of a helpful suggestion that is my intention?
In post #7 I see the check valve in the air line. From personal experience they have a way of disconnecting over time as the hose swells.
The location is incorrect the valve is better place at the very top of the air line as it curves over the top of the tank. This way when it falls off or the check valve falls in two there won’t be a hose in the shape of a siphon. That will empty the water on the floor. Using super glue on both ends of the check valve is also a good idea. However the plastic unit has failed on me and fallen into two pieces.( something to inspect )
Now another way to run an air pump is above the height of the tank.On the shelf above. No need for a 99 cent check valve that WILL fail with time and stay open, rendering them useless.

A second comment is perhaps for the next incarnation of the tank? Next time you reset the tank consider the gravel in this video? At 6 mm / 1/4 inch it is just the right weight to travel up and down the vacuum hose. Note the shortcut on starting a siphon and the two handed technique used with 6 mm / 1/4 gravel.

Thanks for sharing this journey .

Thanks for the tips! I'll relocate the check valve tomorrow. I didn't want to put the pump above and on the shelf because I can't stand dangling cords. I have to hide them as much as possible. As for the substrate, my fiance really likes these and I doubt that she'll want to jump down in size.

Much appreciated!

 

I took the Nerite snails out of the 20 and moved them here. This guy is just cleaning up the Betta log.

 

Ended up with some free plants today. Not sure what these are, but they are floaters. Also added a Wendtii Red and the two moss balls from the 20 gallon.

 

Love it

 

Welp. Getting all my updates done in one sitting. Remember how this was a build for my fiance? Turns out she's just not that into fish. Lol. I inherited the Betta. I did all the maintenance anyway (if you ever see this, I love you).

The unfortunate news is that we'll be moving by November. Because of this I downsized this guy to a 6 gallon Aqueon frameless cube and moved him to the Kitchen. He gets to hang out with us a lot now. I mean 10 gallons are easy to break down and such but this will be even easier when the move happens.

I kept three silk plants but the tank still has the Java fern, moss balls, floaters, red wendtii, and I added extra pearlweed and spike moss. I may remove the silk plants and put the water wisteria from the 20 in there. I also nixed the river rock gravel and added some leftover Eco-Complete. Didn't go too deep because ya know...the move.

Guess it's not really a DIY rimless thread anymore!

 

I sort of revamped this tank. I felt that Captain deserved better. I tried to keep décor that my fiancé chose to honor her 1 month of fish keeping (lol) but this tank became too noisy because of the smaller footprint. Silk plants, live plants, random rocks, random wood and plastic décor. This needed to happen.

Unfortunately the water wisteria and pearlweed all but melted which caused my kitchen to smell like a swamp. I removed all of that and well pretty much everything else. I tossed that plastic root decoration because I glued spikey moss to it and it began to die which then caused hair algae. I tossed the java fern and removed the silk plants and floating log. Captain never really used that log. He prefers to rest on plants. This is where your suggestions will come in. I only have the Aqueon clip on LED but I'm going to return it and get the Aqueon Planted clip on light.

What floaters would allow Captain to sort of lay on?

Anyhow, today is water change day and I wasn't planning on a re-scape but I then realized that I had unused lava rock, unused driftwood, and some new plant growth from the 20 gallon. With an almost empty tank, I went to work. I had three fairly large black Lava rocks and I wanted to break one of them up because it didn't have any real character to it. It was pretty much a square. I tried using a hammer. I then tried drilling holes in it to weaken it. The drill bit went through but this rock would not break. I then tried a chisel method....that still had no effect. I took this as a defeat and worked with what I had.

I initially started with the two good pieces of lava rock but it just looked too centered and odd. So! I added that black swan piece and after quite a bit of movement I settled on placement. That aquascape rule of 3 or odd numbered items really does wonders. I was happy now and the younger, gothic me would have been even more happy because everything was black. Black gravel, black rocks, and a black background. The only plants that I saved from this was the moss balls and the red wendtii. I unrolled the moss balls and sort of stuck them to random spots on the lava rock. I didn't want to glue them because I'm not sure if it looks "right."

The moss was looking good against all the black so I decided that more green was needed. I grabbed two small S.Repens plants and two anubias nana from the 20 and put them in this 6 gallon. I am hoping the repens thrive when I get the new light and sort of outline the bottom of the lava rocks. I haven't glued the anubias either. The one on the right will be fine but the one on the left is just sort of held in place by the lava rock and glass because I'm not sure where to put it.

I do have an issue. The background is empty. Well, besides the heater. I could put some Vals back there but I also want to keep that nano scape look. The rocks should probably be the largest thing in there. Then again, if I get floaters with long roots it could fix my issue.

I also decided against driftwood because of the nano issue. I could have used some of the manzanita that I have but I want my tanks to look different and the manzanita makes the Snow Scape. Poor Captain has been through a lot of changes lately. Anyhow, here are a few cloudy photos. suggestions are always welcome and appreciated.

Side Note: my power strip usually stands up but this is maintenance day. no one wants to get shocked. Also, the left rock looks like a face.

 

I like how the moss looks! A dwarf lily would look great and allow him to rest near the surface but you would have to trim it. Myrio green is another one that I’ve had a ton of success with. It’s growing like a weed in my walstad bowl.

 

I like how the moss looks! A dwarf lily would look great and allow him to rest near the surface but you would have to trim it. Myrio green is another one that I’ve had a ton of success with. It’s growing like a weed in my walstad bowl.

Thanks! I'm going to mess with it a bit more tonight. I picked up two more lava rocks as well. I like the dwarf lily's but they might be too large for this tank. They look like they get pretty wide at the base. Do you just cut all that away and only keep the amount that you want at the surface?

 

Thanks! I'm going to mess with it a bit more tonight. I picked up two more lava rocks as well. I like the dwarf lily's but they might be too large for this tank. They look like they get pretty wide at the base. Do you just cut all that away and only keep the amount that you want at the surface?

I think so? Right now mine is very small so I haven’t had the need to yet.

 

Regarding your Sep 20 update, I know the feeling of plants dying. "Beginner" plants they say, "super easy," my butt. Super easy for beginners to kill more like it lol. Anubias and Java fern are the only indestructible plants. Hornwort=giant mess by the way, ask me how I know haha!

 

Regarding your Sep 20 update, I know the feeling of plants dying. "Beginner" plants they say, "super easy," my butt. Super easy for beginners to kill more like it lol. Anubias and Java fern are the only indestructible plants. Hornwort=giant mess by the way, ask me how I know haha!

Hornwort really is horrible at first when it loses most of its leaves. Have you tried jungal vals or crypts? Once they get established they’re pretty hardy.

 

Regarding your Sep 20 update, I know the feeling of plants dying. "Beginner" plants they say, "super easy," my butt. Super easy for beginners to kill more like it lol. Anubias and Java fern are the only indestructible plants. Hornwort=giant mess by the way, ask me how I know haha!

Tell me about the mess, lol.