75g acrylic lid

[Rafini]

Howdy guys,
I have a 75g aquarium that currently has a hood that had an LED fixture built into it That became water damaged.

Instead of attaching my LED light bar to the existing hood and potentially wrecking the fixture, I’d like a transparent Lid. This will help with evaporation also. (I was running lidless for a while)

This tank is unusual as it has euro brace on the front and back and no Center stile of any kind.
Any glass lids I can find online or locally come in a two pack for 48” wide tanks, they have nowhere to rest and essentially are useless.
Custom cut lids would run me close to 100 bucks, I have checked around. Plexiglass sheet would cost half of that.

Every way that I look at it, the cheapest option for me would be to get a 48x18 sheet of acrylic and cut it into two panels that slide over one another. There I can post my light on the tank frame and fully light the tank up. This is similar to the lid that came with my sump.
I am running a low output LED light, nothing fancy.

Any advice or considerations before I start the project?
I have never done a diy lid before so I want to make sure i avoid any mistakes.

Thanks,
Rafini

 

[tlindsey]

Howdy guys,
I have a 75g aquarium that currently has a hood that had an LED fixture built into it That became water damaged.

Instead of attaching my LED light bar to the existing hood and potentially wrecking the fixture, I’d like a transparent Lid. This will help with evaporation also. (I was running lidless for a while)

This tank is unusual as it has euro brace on the front and back and no Center stile of any kind.
Any glass lids I can find online or locally come in a two pack for 48” wide tanks, they have nowhere to rest and essentially are useless.
Custom cut lids would run me close to 100 bucks, I have checked around. Plexiglass sheet would cost half of that.

Every way that I look at it, the cheapest option for me would be to get a 48x18 sheet of acrylic and cut it into two panels that slide over one another. There I can post my light on the tank frame and fully light the tank up. This is similar to the lid that came with my sump.
I am running a low output LED light, nothing fancy.

Any advice or considerations before I start the project?
I have never done a diy lid before so I want to make sure i avoid any mistakes.

Thanks,
Rafini

If LED light fixture doesn't produce heat like a regular aquarium light flourescent bulb then you won't have to worry about bowing. That would be my only concern.

 

[fishhead0103666]

I’m not sure if the petco’s do the dollar per gallon sale up there but if they do then you could buy a 55 and take it apart for the glass. Instant hood and you have another one to spare.

 

[Rafini]

I’m not sure if the petco’s do the dollar per gallon sale up there but if they do then you could buy a 55 and take it apart for the glass. Instant hood and you have another one to spare.

I've never seen a petco, It's possible there is one here somewhere though.
The cheapest one I could find was around $30 but like I say it was the two pieces and I have no center stile.
I could make a center stile, but then by the time I do that I'm at the same cost as making my own sliding lid that is fully transparent.

I had the same thought about the Heat not being an issue, I guess it doesnt really matter how thick the acrylic is either as there will be nothing sitting directly on the lid itself.

 

[Gourami Swami]

acrylic will bow unless you build a frame of reinforced acrylic around it. I've using a piece of acrylic for a top for a 15 gallon, half inch thick, and even that bows.

 

[Ulu]

I Don't use glass lids anymore. I've fished too much broken glass out of the tanks in the last 45 years.

I won't use acrylic for lids, except on my little 5gal betta tank.
They just sag and warp a lot. For years I would flip my lids over every week to control this.

A Lexan polycarbonate lid half as thick will not warp. I went from .2" acrylic (Plexiglas) lids to .1" thick Lexan, and the Lexan has UV resistance both sides too. It costs 4x as much by volume, but you need half as much.

They don't warp.

My new custom 75g acrylic tank came with .1" Lexan lids from the factory.

I sit custom LED light bars right above the lid without issue. The lamps are less than 1" from the Lexan.
My Aqueon LED lightbar sits right on the Lexan.

BTW, my custom acrylic aquarium is warping along the top edge. The edge is overstressed.
It was my first and I will probably never buy another acrylic tank.