Glass lid for Aqueon 210?

[Caperguy99]

I’m waiting on the delivery of an Aqueon 210 in July, but my LFS cannot get the Aqueon Versatop lids - they say they’ve been out of stock for a long time. They are suggesting that I go to a local glass dealer and have them cut me glass panels to use as lids.

Googling around, I see a lot of DIY polycarbonate lid builds - but very little in the way of custom-ordered glass lids. I’m not really sure what to ask for - would you just measure the gaps and give them those measurements? Is there a particular width or type of glass I should ask for?

Ideally, I’m looking for something that looks pretty good and that is easy to maneuvre for feeding and water changes. I don’t want to risk chipping glass or anything.

Any insight is appreciated. Also, if anyone has DIY glass lids on an Aqueon 210 or 180 I’d love to see a picture.

 

[Cal Amari]

I think the first question is what type of hinges are you going to use. If you get the kind you wedge over each glass panel then you need to know the gap thickness on the hinges first. If you use something like self stick acrylic hinges, then the glass thickness doesnt matter because you're going to stick on the top surface. I replaced a glass lid on one side of my 90 gallon tank, and I just measured the panels on the other one so i don't remember exactly what it was but i left an inch and a half or 2 inches at the back for return hoses, planter basket, other stuff I wanted back there, and i think the front panel was 1/3 the remaining distance and the back panel was 2/3. But you can really do wahtever you like. I got an adhesive lid handle off amazon as well as the stick on hinges.

 

[Caperguy99]

I think the first question is what type of hinges are you going to use. If you get the kind you wedge over each glass panel then you need to know the gap thickness on the hinges first. If you use something like self stick acrylic hinges, then the glass thickness doesnt matter because you're going to stick on the top surface. I replaced a glass lid on one side of my 90 gallon tank, and I just measured the panels on the other one so i don't remember exactly what it was but i left an inch and a half or 2 inches at the back for return hoses, planter basket, other stuff I wanted back there, and i think the front panel was 1/3 the remaining distance and the back panel was 2/3. But you can really do wahtever you like. I got an adhesive lid handle off amazon as well as the stick on hinges.

I hadn’t even thought of what hinges - thanks for raising that -

Do you have a link or something to the ones you used?

 

[Cal Amari]

It's been awhile and all the amazon results look the same so I can't really tell, but it was something like this.

Amazon.com

 

[Cal Amari]

And maybe something like this for the handle

Amazon.com

 

[FJB]

The hinges are not necessary. They are nice when they come with ready -made versatops. But if one is making lids from glass from the glass store, dispense the issue of hinges.
I have made several lids for 125g tanks. No hinges. Measure well the length (what you called gap). Your tank probably has either two gaps (single brace on middle), or three gaps (2 braces defining three sections). On each section you need two pieces of glass cut: A front and a back. The front should be no less that 8 inches wide. That width allows you to remove it for tank maintenance or feeding, or adding ornaments, as it is wide enough for your arms to work on the tank without having to remove all lids completely. If your tank is 18” wide (as mines), the back sections should be ~7-8” wide, which will leave an open gap on the back, so you can place HOB fileters or other devices. If your tank is 24” inches wide, then the back needs to be wider, but still would want a gap to hang filters or other things. Part of that back can afterwards be covered with the removable, cutable sliding plastic pieces, which you can buy cheaply online by themselves. Do that for the 2 or 3 sections of the top of your tank, and you will be golden.
The glass thickness does not have to be much. The thicker the more expensive. Done this way you will have excellent lids, for substantially less money. Handles to lift the front glass do not have to be purchased either, but they are available. One can make them oneself from various materials for ~free.
I would stay away from any plastic, acrílico or the like lids. They will always be bowing, particular under the heat of lights.
One way to get the glass cheaper is to ask the shop not to polish the edges. You can sand them yourself with sand paper.
Good luck!

 

[FJB]

The 8” wide front sections also allow to flip them open (resting momentarily on lights) for feeding. No need to remove them. Wider or narrower are not as good for resting in a stable manner.

 

[Something Fishy Here]

If you can find a local hardware store that's not a national chain they may cut glass pieces there much cheaper than a glass company or window repair shop. That's where i get mine.

 

[fishdance]

Why don't you opt for sliding lids? Google should have images.

I usually place a 35mm hole in centre of front lid well away from the edges. This provides a feeding hole, stops climbing fish escapes and a secure handle but still let's you stack lids if you have lots of tanks

 

[Caperguy99]

The hinges are not necessary. They are nice when they come with ready -made versatops. But if one is making lids from glass from the glass store, dispense the issue of hinges.
I have made several lids for 125g tanks. No hinges. Measure well the length (what you called gap). Your tank probably has either two gaps (single brace on middle), or three gaps (2 braces defining three sections). On each section you need two pieces of glass cut: A front and a back. The front should be no less that 8 inches wide. That width allows you to remove it for tank maintenance or feeding, or adding ornaments, as it is wide enough for your arms to work on the tank without having to remove all lids completely. If your tank is 18” wide (as mines), the back sections should be ~7-8” wide, which will leave an open gap on the back, so you can place HOB fileters or other devices. If your tank is 24” inches wide, then the back needs to be wider, but still would want a gap to hang filters or other things. Part of that back can afterwards be covered with the removable, cutable sliding plastic pieces, which you can buy cheaply online by themselves. Do that for the 2 or 3 sections of the top of your tank, and you will be golden.
The glass thickness does not have to be much. The thicker the more expensive. Done this way you will have excellent lids, for substantially less money. Handles to lift the front glass do not have to be purchased either, but they are available. One can make them oneself from various materials for ~free.
I would stay away from any plastic, acrílico or the like lids. They will always be bowing, particular under the heat of lights.
One way to get the glass cheaper is to ask the shop not to polish the edges. You can sand them yourself with sand paper.
Good luck!

Thank you for the very clearly written and informative response. I think that this is what I will do, as I do have a local glass company that I’ve used for other projects in the past for a reasonable price.

Do you happen to have any photos of any setups you have that use the proposed lid system? Just to get a sense of what it looks like?