Glass thickness for DIY sliding tops?

I think 3/32" is too thin. I just did glass tops for 6 tanks with those dimensions and the glass shop recommended 1/8" thick because of the span.

I also did the sliding tops using FRP outside corner trim cut to fit, that rest on the existing plastic trim lip of the tank. I love them!!! BTW, I had them cut so there is a 1" overlap at the center of the tank to reduce water splashing out of the tank. Mine are 34 7/8" long x 9" wide with 2 clipped corners for the rear section to allow the heater cord and airlines (sponge filters) and 34 7/8"L x 9"W for the front section.

Sorry they want to charge you so much. I guess I got a good deal at $16 per set.

I had considered making them slide left to right but that made it harder to install the equipment with the set up I have.

Are there any other glass shops available? I got different prices from a couple shops when I was searching. I ended up with a small family run shop that completed the job in 3 days.

I do want to mention that you don't want the glass to fit too snugly because it will bind when you try to slide it on the FRP. As long as the glass will fit in the 'slots' of the FRP, it is OK to cut it up to 1/8" narrower than the 'normal' dimension the stock aquarium lid is. This gives you a little bit of play when you slide the front half glass back and forth.

I plan on adding something to use as handles to make it easier to slide the glass open and closed. I find when my hands are wet, I can't get a grip on the glass.

I also used some Krylon Fusion for plastic spray paint on the FRP so that it isn't so noticeable. It blends in much better with the black tank trim though I have noticed it does wear off a bit from sliding the top open and closed.

Good luck on trimming the glass. I'm really lousy trying to cut glass. I'm never sure if I press too hard or not. Be sure to use a stone or sandpaper to smooth the edges on the glass.

My local glass shop seamed all the glass edges for me. I'm assuming that means they just knocked off any sharpness from the cutting procedure.

Also you want to keep an air gap between the two pieces of glass. If there are any areas of overlap water will seep between them and eventually stick the two pieces of glass together.

It's for this reason that bulk glass often has a paper layer or a layer of grit between each panel when stacked and shipped to prevent it from getting wet and sticking.

You can glue a thin strip of plastic (even a layer of tape will do) to separate the two pieces so they don't stick on top of one another when they are overlapped.

Andy

I did find that I was getting a bit of water building up between the overlapped panes because of the water flow from the airlift piping. I slightly lifted the FRP molding in the rear and this gives a slight incline to the glass and allows the water to run out of the gap and back into the tank, problem fixed!

I used 3/8 I think


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