mister crabs Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Ok so i ripped the top off my biocube 29 a few weeks back and threw some eggcrate over it. Well i am now deciding against the eggcrate b/c of the amount of dust and dog hair floating about in the air and eventually in my water. DOH! So I decided to get some glass to make a top over the front (display) part of the tank and will leave the back chamber section open to allow for gas exchange. My question is can I use regular plate glass (non-tempered of course) to make a top? (scratch) I dont have access to any aquarium type glass and buying it is too spendy. any problem with reg. glass? its 3/8" thick and im going to cut the square and then grind the rounded corners with my dremel. will this glass shatter or anything wierd like that under my MH? its 175w and its about 8" off the water. Thanks for your help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 I would use a pyrex or a pyro-ceram glass top, not plate glass. For exactly the reasons you state. Heat+glass+water = CRACK!!! dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
defigart Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 I use regular glass with Power Compacts for FW, and with T5's for marine. But the heat energy produced by MH's is much higher, I would be concerned about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mister crabs Posted February 17, 2008 Author Share Posted February 17, 2008 yeah....thats what I was thinking. actually I think i am going to go buy a perfectly good 10 gallon for $10 and just cut the silicone off of it. then i can use two pieces of glass instead of one. sound better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 ??? huh ??? Do you mean having a double layer of glass on the top of your tank? I don't see how that can be any better than just having a single layer. Both would get hot from the light, even at 8" up. You need to get some high temperature glass. There is a place here in Vancouver that sells 1/8" pyroceram glass. I got a piece cut for the window in my woodstove for like $25. I am sure that a top for a nano can't be much more expensive. Then you don't have to worry about the heat issues. I learned about the place in Vancouver from this site. Last summer there was a person looking for high temperature glass, and someone posted a link to their website. I may even be able to find it again. Edit- I found the old thread... Here it is http://www.pnwmas.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4053&highlight=high+temperature+glass+pyroceram Here is the website to the glass shop that sells the pyroceram. http://www.onedayglass.com/faq.php They said that they do most of their business shipping the glass all over the country, and when I walked into the shop that I was the exception, not the rule. Let your fingers do the walking, and find a local glass shop and find out if they carry PYRO-CERAM (or NEO-CERAM) in 1/8". dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectra Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Regular plate glass should be fine. I used plate glass for the overflow on the tank that light you have now came off of and it was only 1/8th inch. If you are using 3/8s then you should be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mister crabs Posted February 18, 2008 Author Share Posted February 18, 2008 when I said 2 pieces i meant side by side. I cut them today and they look ok. not great but functional. I may just get some from a glass shop so it will be cut perfectly. I will just get them a paper or cardboard template. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted February 18, 2008 Share Posted February 18, 2008 Why not throw a sheet of acrylic on there instead? Its clearer than regular class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mister crabs Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 regular acrylic like from HD? how thick would i need it to be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I would get it from envision up there, but that may work, down here there is a local place I get all mine, 1/4" is acceptable but you may go 3/8" if the light is really close to dissipate heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mister crabs Posted February 19, 2008 Author Share Posted February 19, 2008 no envision down here. theres a place called ATM or Aquarium Tank Manufacturing who makes all the big tanks at the casinos (shark reef) but they charge a fortune. i will check the phonebook for something smaller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted February 19, 2008 Share Posted February 19, 2008 I would do the 1/4" if you can get it at HD do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acrylics Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Personally, I'd just use plain ol' float glass. Don't use acrylic, it will warp or "cup" due to moisture absorption. If you want something else, use polycarbonate (like Lexan) as it doesn't seem to warp like acrylic. HTH, James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mister crabs Posted February 22, 2008 Author Share Posted February 22, 2008 well as of right now i have ditched the top altogether. too much heat trapped in the tank with it on. I will just get some eggcrate again i guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 What if you made an acrylic top with some small 'feet' on it. This way the lid would sit just above the top of the tank and allow air to cirrculate and heat to vent. Hope you follow my thinking. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mister crabs Posted February 23, 2008 Author Share Posted February 23, 2008 not a bad idea. that would cut down on the condensation and fogging i get now with it on. I can just use some bits of acrylic or maybe i will get those little rubber/silicone nubs that you put on glass for end tables and such to keep it from resting against a hard surface. or maybe just some squirts of silicone at four corners? hmmmm......possibilities.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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