Neither glass nor acrylic will reduce the light enough to be concerned about, unless you let them get very dirty or covered with hard water deposits.
Plexi Glass vs Glass
I just smashed my glass lid whilst doing a water change and it got me wondering when figuring out how to replace it. Would plexi glass be better for light to penetrate through rather than glass ? I cant have a open top tank due to jumpers but if more light will get through plexi then ill get a piece cut to size.
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Ok great thank you. I think i may change all the glass lids on that tank then. Cant believe how many shards of glass came off that piece when it hit the ground. I wish they made it tempered !
Unless you get expensive plexi that is scratch resistant it will scratch easily even wiping with a dry towel. That will reduce light intensity. It is definitely nice not having to worry about glass breaking though.
It absorbs a lot of water which makes it swell and warp so it might not be a very good support for light fixtures or even fit around things well. Some flip the covers over every so often, no idea if that helps or not. Sometimes my cheap covers are warped and sometimes they aren't, no idea what is going on. Perhaps the thicker the plexi the less it will warp, don't know about that but there is plexi that doesn't absorb as much water in the first place for sure.
It absorbs a lot of water which makes it swell and warp so it might not be a very good support for light fixtures or even fit around things well. Some flip the covers over every so often, no idea if that helps or not. Sometimes my cheap covers are warped and sometimes they aren't, no idea what is going on. Perhaps the thicker the plexi the less it will warp, don't know about that but there is plexi that doesn't absorb as much water in the first place for sure.
Like kathyy said, cheap plexi scratches easy and the thin hardware store stuff tends to sag and ends up looking terrible.
If you get glass, getting a little thicker than the window pane stuff at hardware stores will make it more durable. Of course it makes it a little heavier and a little more expensive.
I find that 1/4 inch glass works really nice, though it is more expensive than the 1/8 you find at your average ace hardware or whatever. I use super glue and glue wooden drawer pulls onto them to give them easy handles. I put a couple on each.
What I like about glass is that when it gets mucked up(for instance here we have liquid rock tap water and hard water stains are a fact of life) I can use a razor blade and clr to clean it up. Acrylic ends up foggy and scratched to hell when I do that to it. I've only used cheap acryllic doing that though.
If you get glass, getting a little thicker than the window pane stuff at hardware stores will make it more durable. Of course it makes it a little heavier and a little more expensive.
I find that 1/4 inch glass works really nice, though it is more expensive than the 1/8 you find at your average ace hardware or whatever. I use super glue and glue wooden drawer pulls onto them to give them easy handles. I put a couple on each.
What I like about glass is that when it gets mucked up(for instance here we have liquid rock tap water and hard water stains are a fact of life) I can use a razor blade and clr to clean it up. Acrylic ends up foggy and scratched to hell when I do that to it. I've only used cheap acryllic doing that though.
My vote goes to glass. You could also do egg-crate as an alternative. It gives an open top feel but keeps fish from getting out. Not to mention, it's cheaper than glass and plexiglass!
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.......I find that 1/4 inch glass works really nice, though it is more expensive than the 1/8 you find at your average ace hardware or whatever. I use super glue and glue wooden drawer pulls onto them to give them easy handles. I put a couple on each.
roud:I like the handle idea!
Being all about recycling, I'm using glass from an old Aquarium I scavenged and dismantled. I'm getting good light through 3/8" glass using a CFL in a hang light fixture over a 10gl. tank. So obviously 1/4" will work better.
If you should be able to get free glass like that, give cutting it a try. Edges can be cleaned up with 100, 150 and 220gt. sand paper in that progression.
The reason it fell from my hand was the small manufacturers handle that was siliconed/glued onto the glass......i know i shouldnt be carrying it around with that but i just cleaned the glass the day before so didnt want to get fingerprints on it ha ha wish i had now ! Im still finding bits of glass in the carpet ! AArghhhh
Interesting idea! I'm going to try that on one of my 10gl tanks if I can find a free pc. Right now 2x4' Eggcrate is $14 a panel so it's right up there with glass....You could also do egg-crate as an alternative. It gives an open top feel....
Hi to all aquarists out there, I,m Dave, as you see from my user name I live in Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, been here nearly 16yrs, sounds lovely, but it is an ISLAND and aquarium resources are very limited and expensive.
My question is or 2 in 1 haha if plexiglas/acyrilic bends/bows or warps why is my brothers 200 acrylic bow fronted tank of 7yrs old still like brand new in shape/condition and he is not the best of aquarists in maintenance? That’s just a thought,
Right here we do not have carpets just good old tiled floors ( ask my wife, I am forever buying glasses and find shards everywhere)
Hence my freshwater 300 ltr rimless non templed tank has a plastic top with fluorescent tube lights ( which has many scars from sliding on the tiles while maintenance Is carried out).
I have bought and had delivered a sheet of top notch acrylic (clear) oversized of my tank dimensions to work with to make a clear inside tank lid it is 10mm thick and 10X10mm acrylic bars to make reinforcements.
My tank has no inside glass reinforcement and has bowed very slightly, hopefully when I strip the tank down for changing room layout and finally being allowed to install another 300lt
Tank, I will try to straighten and brace the tank, any advice on this will also be appreciated.
As far as the acrylic top I intend to make any fellow members think 10mm with 10x10mm bars will bow, (going to use overhead led panel light), from unpacking and lifting the panel on to my bench personally I feel I do not need to reinforce the panel,weighs a ton, but will not shatter on the floor, also acrylic can be sanded using 1500g 2000g grade discs on orbital sander with water and then polished back to as new condition, cannot do that to glass.
Any thoughts will be appreciated on this as well. Truly I do not have much choice with the other small pieces of acrylic much thinner has cost me nearly 200 euros including delivery, could have made a wooden one cheaper but I want a clean finish to the top of the tank also going to drill and bulkhead overflow and return to my sump to rid the tank of the siphon overflow tubes and over the top returns which will clearly be visible with the clean cut no top appearance.
So very sorry it is a long question(s), but it is my first time using a forum, by the way can I put the acrylic exactly at water level so avoiding condensation droplets collecting inside or would that stop gassing off or what it’s called.
Thanks for reading this and please anybody advises Neg or Positive will be more than highly appreciated.
That’s me done for now😁
Regards
DC-Fuerteventura
My question is or 2 in 1 haha if plexiglas/acyrilic bends/bows or warps why is my brothers 200 acrylic bow fronted tank of 7yrs old still like brand new in shape/condition and he is not the best of aquarists in maintenance? That’s just a thought,
Right here we do not have carpets just good old tiled floors ( ask my wife, I am forever buying glasses and find shards everywhere)
Hence my freshwater 300 ltr rimless non templed tank has a plastic top with fluorescent tube lights ( which has many scars from sliding on the tiles while maintenance Is carried out).
I have bought and had delivered a sheet of top notch acrylic (clear) oversized of my tank dimensions to work with to make a clear inside tank lid it is 10mm thick and 10X10mm acrylic bars to make reinforcements.
My tank has no inside glass reinforcement and has bowed very slightly, hopefully when I strip the tank down for changing room layout and finally being allowed to install another 300lt
Tank, I will try to straighten and brace the tank, any advice on this will also be appreciated.
As far as the acrylic top I intend to make any fellow members think 10mm with 10x10mm bars will bow, (going to use overhead led panel light), from unpacking and lifting the panel on to my bench personally I feel I do not need to reinforce the panel,weighs a ton, but will not shatter on the floor, also acrylic can be sanded using 1500g 2000g grade discs on orbital sander with water and then polished back to as new condition, cannot do that to glass.
Any thoughts will be appreciated on this as well. Truly I do not have much choice with the other small pieces of acrylic much thinner has cost me nearly 200 euros including delivery, could have made a wooden one cheaper but I want a clean finish to the top of the tank also going to drill and bulkhead overflow and return to my sump to rid the tank of the siphon overflow tubes and over the top returns which will clearly be visible with the clean cut no top appearance.
So very sorry it is a long question(s), but it is my first time using a forum, by the way can I put the acrylic exactly at water level so avoiding condensation droplets collecting inside or would that stop gassing off or what it’s called.
Thanks for reading this and please anybody advises Neg or Positive will be more than highly appreciated.
That’s me done for now😁
Regards
DC-Fuerteventura
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