+SChrisEV Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 So I have been going topless for a while, and for the most part I'm good with that. I'm doing this mostly for heat, and oxygen exchange, but I have a couple jumpers that I'd like to keep, so I have some netting over the top. Right now it is basically just loosely secured (at best), and I don't really like the way it looks or dealing with it to feed. My tank is not an easy tank to cover, with only 1 - 90 degree corner, and a bowed front it provides some challenges, so the kits you see from BRS and others will not really work. I'm thinking about getting a sheet of acrylic, and cutting it to fit as a lid, so it will have the same bow as the tank etc. Then cut a large portion of the center out, leaving maybe an inch or so on the sides. I'd also leave some or all of the bowed portion alone, but cut it straight, if that makes since, think of a rectangle and then the bowed part separate. That way I could pull off (or open) the bowed portion to feed etc. Then in the open area glue, or somehow secure the netting over the open portions to keep the jumpers in and have a (I hope) tight clean look. Couple general questions, how much light refraction will I have with acrylic and the cut edges, should I get a certain type of acrylic, what thickness would you recommend? Do I need to worry about the acrylic discoloring, or warping? I have LEDs that would be about 3" off the surface of the acrylic. If I go this route, ideas on how to best secure the netting to the acrylic, so it is "tight" and clean looking? Overall, good idea or bad? If bad do you have any other ideas for me? Thanks in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 Keep an eye out in the DIY section. I'm going to be posting a thread tonight about my top build using acrylic rods. You may be able to do something like that because they seem to be quite flexible. I'm using 1/4" square rods and they even have a lot of play in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SChrisEV Posted April 10, 2014 Author Share Posted April 10, 2014 I will keep an eye on your post, not seeing how it will apply to my needs, but interested none the less! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I'm basically building a frame out of the rods that the clear screen will attach to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I have beaucoup 1/8" acrylic 2' x 4' sheets. You are welcome to what you need. By itself, it would be too flexible and sag but you could use the 1/4" acrylic rods that Jim mentioned. I am somewhat skeptical as to how much they would sag. Check out the inexpensive reflectors mounted on 3/8" fiberglass rods. I found them pretty strong. Consider eggcrate as the supporting frame and lay your screen over it. I say this because the water air interface is critical for gas exchange and evaporative cooling if you desire it. Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Planeden Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I would consider doing it a little differently. not sure how to handle a hatch in front in my way, exactly. have you ever seen the screen doors that are just made with sandwiching a screen between two pieces of wood? basically you build two would frames, put the screen in between them and fasten the frames together trapping the screen. of course, with this way you have nails or staples supporting the net between the two. perhaps for acrylic if you got black instead of clear, you can glue the two pieces together with acrylic glue and it would melt around the screen and hold it in place. the dark color would just kinda hide all the glue which would probably look unsightly in a clear acrylic. with a 1" to 1/2" strip around the perimeter i doubt that refraction of light blocking would be a big issue (if you follow the bow front shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted April 10, 2014 Share Posted April 10, 2014 I would consider doing it a little differently. not sure how to handle a hatch in front in my way, exactly. have you ever seen the screen doors that are just made with sandwiching a screen between two pieces of wood? basically you build two would frames, put the screen in between them and fasten the frames together trapping the screen. of course, with this way you have nails or staples supporting the net between the two. perhaps for acrylic if you got black instead of clear, you can glue the two pieces together with acrylic glue and it would melt around the screen and hold it in place. the dark color would just kinda hide all the glue which would probably look unsightly in a clear acrylic. with a 1" to 1/2" strip around the perimeter i doubt that refraction of light blocking would be a big issue (if you follow the bow front shape. I have an acrylic lid for a pico tank that is cut from a solid sheet of 1/2" material. It has an acrylic hinge with a feed door, so I know that acrylic hinges exist. It was made by a member of another forum a few years ago, so that also indicates that they are available to hobbyists. In fact, if you google for "acrylic hinge" you'll get a ton of hits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathan.titulaer Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I have had an issue with acrylic tops being to thin they will bow as they get wet. The evaporation from the tank causes it. I then went with 3/4" thick cell cast that did not bow but was not worth the price for me. If you make it out of thin sheet that is cut I would suggest making it so when it starts to bow you can flip it over and let it bend back to flat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+SChrisEV Posted April 11, 2014 Author Share Posted April 11, 2014 Thanks for the input on the bowing! I had not thought about making it do I can flip it, but that should not doable. I was thinking 1/2 thick. I was looking on Regal Plastic's site, I was thinking about using cast acrylic, this is directly from their site: Cast acrylic sheet is optically transparent, unaffected by moisture, and offers a high strength-to-weight ratio, and high light transmittance. Cast acrylic sheets can be easily heat-formed without loss of optical clarity. Prolonged exposure to moisture, or even total immersion in water, does not significantly effect the mechanical or optical properties of this material. I'm not sure the cost, it's kinda annoying that they do not show the prices on their site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHALAKO Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 I saw that you were worried about the bow in the front of the tank and acrylic rods. I used the rods to stack rocks and build shelves. The acrylic can be heated with a blow torch and shaped into any curve you need for fittment on your tank. I also welded the rods together with the torch... Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramsey Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 There's a way to bend the aluminum frame for a bow front, but I'm not sure how it was done. I saw someone do it on another forum. I imagine that he heated it and made a "guide" out of wood and nails to get the right curve. Acrylic would work, but it'd need to be thick and would be costly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Covering it in acryllic will increase the temp. Fix one problem and create another. IMO get a sheet of egg crate, some glue or silicone, a few zip ties at the dollar store and some gutter guard. Cut the egg crate to fit the largest part of your top and then another to fit the bow. Glue or silicone them together with a zip tie or two for good measure. Next, take your netting, gutter guards, or vinyl tree netting and cover the egg crate. The egg crate will keep the structure sturdy and the netting will keep everything in the tank. If you want it to be more solid, you can take a piece of aluminum and reinforce the egg crate. You'll find it in the nail and screw isle of HD. I imagine you can also use PVC if you wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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