View Full Version : DIY glass tops
lee914
01-14-2004, 7:42 PM
Anyone have any success making their own glass top for a tank? To me it just seems like cutting glass to fit and attaching some sort of way to lift it up. Any tips/feedback are appreciated.
blitzen25bm
01-14-2004, 7:48 PM
just get the measurements and bring that to a glass shop, they dont cost too much, let them know what its for so they can smooth out the edges, then get a handle and some doublesided tape. and they have the plastic hinge things at fish stores. i just leave it out for smaller tanks and just remove the entire pane.
lee914
01-14-2004, 8:20 PM
Cool! Thanks for confirming my idea. Must be able to save at least 50% doing that.
ticklemepunk473
01-14-2004, 9:54 PM
why would you have a single pane of glass as the top? do you have a suspended lighting system or did you build your own tank or something? maybe that was a stupid question oh well.
Aquarius0015
01-14-2004, 10:28 PM
Yesterday I went to Lowe's to get a simple cover for my new 5.5. I thought I wanted glass, but plastic wasn't much more expensive, so I went with that. Total cost: $4. And no sharp edges to boot! I don't have any lights as the only plants in there is some java moss.
blitzen25bm
01-14-2004, 11:37 PM
Originally posted by Aquarius0015
Yesterday I went to Lowe's to get a simple cover for my new 5.5. I thought I wanted glass, but plastic wasn't much more expensive, so I went with that. Total cost: $4. And no sharp edges to boot! I don't have any lights as the only plants in there is some java moss.
yea that would work well for you but with tanks bigger than 10 gallons the plastic starts to bow without support.
the tops on my 120gal are 1/4 inch lexan. i run a suspended lighting system over the tank so it works good for me and with the whole top removed i can clean easier. i just flit the tops over every week at water change so the bending is always canceling itself out. i also have a top made from the same material on a 10g. the way its made it cant be flipped over so every couple of months i'll place it on a upside down tupperware container in warm water so it bends back, once it cools its nice and straight.
ive broke a glass top before and never want to go through the hassel of cleanning it up again. its plastic or no cover at all for me
BK
lee914
01-15-2004, 8:41 AM
I just called my LFS and the glass top was only $38 getting 4 pieces cut to fit on a 75 are $41 and they are not connected and no handles. I am still going to build the light strip though.