Well, with most tanks, the top frame does serve a structural purpose, as in, the frame goes around the tank and across in the center forming a brace so the tank does not expand under pressure, this tank was designed differently, the frame just went around the tank and did not form a cross brace, since the brace is glass and glued to the aquarium. The frame that was on it was 4 pieces glued together poorly for purely aesthetic reasons. Removal of the 4 pieces took next to no effort and IMO looks better without them.
Basically, from what I saw when I got the tank, the trim served no purpose except for the bottom trim that kept the tank up off the stand, in it's absence the 1/2" foam board should be sufficient.
I hope I'm not wrong
