places to buy cut glass for cheap in Bay Area

[pandamonium]

I'm looking to get a glass cover for a tank as a replacement. Does anyone know of a place in the Bay Area that does this for cheap? I would like the edges to be sanded as well.

Was also thinking about making my own rimless tanks as well. Does anyone know of a good place to get rimless tanks/get glass to make rimless tanks?

Thanks so much

[Wayne Dwops]

Neptune Aquatics in Milpitas does custom glass tanks and they might be able to do a cover for you or know someone that can. Getting an acrylic cover would be much cheaper than glass though and you can have a piece cut at Tap Plastics for $10-$20.

[wheatiesl337]

I went to TAP Plastics in Sacramento, and they refused to cut acrylic for me after I told them it was for an aquarium cover. They insisted the heat and humidty from an aquarium would ruin the acrylic. I asked about thickness and bracing it, and still no go.

I, too, am looking to have glass or acrylic cut for a custom cover.

[prestonplantedtanks]

Any glass place will do it. Here in Berkeley, I've been to UC Glass or Berkeley Glass, and both do it. Might want to sand it on your own though... I think they charge 10 bucks extra just to sand it, which is almost the price of the cover to begin with.

Best of luck!

[pandamonium]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I like the Tap Plastics one, but if they give me problems with acrylic then I guess I can't do that.

Does the heat from the lighting and the humidity from the tank really cause that much damage to acrylic?

[wheatiesl337]

The employees insisted the heat and humidty would, though I have heard others say it's fine if braced. I'm not sure whether I should get glass or acrylic cut yet, and I would be interested in hearing from some other nor-cal people.

[prestonplantedtanks]

My friend used an acrylic cover for her tank. The heat and humidity bowed the acrylic quite a bit. They accounted for this at tap plastics by giving her a longer piece than necessary, but it looks really ghetto. I'd just go with glass.

[wheatiesl337]

I am guessing the acrylic wasn't braced in anyway though?

[prestonplantedtanks]

Not sure what you mean by bracing the acrylic if it's just literally a sheet that's used for the cover.

I'd just go with glass regardless.

[pandamonium]

I called up 2 places in the south bay. When I get back from school, I'm gonna check them out. Glass cutting was about 10-15 dollars.

[dtang21]

I went down this path before. Making your own rimless tank is not an easy thing to do. It requires experience. Mr. Aqua makes an affordable solution!

[l8nite]

There's a glass-cutting place on Blossom Hill Rd. just past the Monterey Rd. overpass... (Been about 7 years since I lived down that way, so it might not be there still...).

[Moot]

I called Ken's Glass on Senter Road in San Jose for a 36" x 16" piece of glass cut for the cover of my 40gb. He quoted me $30 for the cut and sanding. I believe Ken's Glass is on Yelp.

[turdb0]

I'm looking at making my own acrylic covers. I don't think they'll bow or warp is you brace them. I've seen my friend glue them together using acrylic cement.

[Diana]

I have one tank I use a sheet of acrylic (or similar material) as a cover. It warps. This is just a 10 gallon tank, and a very thin sheet of acrylic.
Yup! Looks pretty bad.
On the other hand, if I drip any water on it, it runs right back into the tank!

It does not help to turn the sheet over, either. It just warps again the other way.

I have used much thicker pieces of acrylic for a slightly different use, over an aquarium, and the thicker material does not warp. It may be as much as 1/4" thick.

I have used some over a much smaller tank, and the small sheet was OK. This was just a 1 gallon tank, the cover was maybe 4" x 8", maybe smaller.