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Lid options for scape tank

Hendre

Member
Joined
28 Aug 2018
Messages
144
Location
South Africa
Hey everyone,

My DSM is almost ready to go! My last major hurdle is the lid. Currently I am using glass panes to keep it humid which works great at the moment. Problem is I'll be using an aquaclear 20 filter for the tank, and I have kuhli loaches so open top is simply not an option.

My current idea is to make a wooden rim for the tank, seal it with teak oil then use a plastic mesh with small holes cut for the aquaclear parts in order to keep the kuhlis from escaping. Glass can then be stacked on top to keep most of the water from evaporating, and will allow me to feed the fish through the mesh without having to open it.
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Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks,
Hendre
 
Seems like overkill, why mess under the glass? I would just have an acylic or glass lid (you can split into two pieces) with a cut out for the aquaclear. Have a smaller section for lifting for feeding.
 
Acrylic is nice I agree, just flexes very easily under these lights. I can't cut glass to this accuracy unless I have new pieces cut at a store. Is there any way to strengthen it?
 
kuhli loaches so open top is simply not an option.
:confused:
I’ve never seen them leave ... do you have sand for them to burrow under?

Sorry not very helpful in answering your query but I really am surprised that you’ve had them jump ship

I’m a bit dubious of oiled wood as you may have some components entering the tank (humidity layer, drops etc)
I’d use glass for the main, then just add an acrylic piece around the filter cut out - easy to replace if warping occurs
 
:confused:
I’ve never seen them leave ... do you have sand for them to burrow under?

Sorry not very helpful in answering your query but I really am surprised that you’ve had them jump ship

I’m a bit dubious of oiled wood as you may have some components entering the tank (humidity layer, drops etc)
I’d use glass for the main, then just add an acrylic piece around the filter cut out - easy to replace if warping occurs
I just got that info from the person who gave them to me, rather safe than sorry!

Teak oil is food safe, I can also get non-toxic varnishes if won't work.
 
I usually recommend “food safe” as it tends to coincide with “fish safe” but this isn’t always the case - I’d do some thorough searching to confirm

Definitely confirm teak oil ingredients before using, it’s not unusual for “stabilizers” to sneak in
- at levels that remain human safe but may be (sensitive) aquatic life toxic in the longterm
 
Is there any way to strengthen it?

It depends on the temperature.. Acrylics plasticity starts at 80°C and placed horizontaly it starts to lose shape far lower if not sufficiently supported. Also depending on it's thicknes of course.

The other thing is, most regular hardware stores sell Extruded Acrylic that is a rather inferior diy product. If it warms up it becomes wonky.. You maybe would need Casted Acrylic this is much more consistent in keeping its shape. Still its plasticity temp. doesn't change.

What you could do is, buy some aluminium U profile that fits snuggly over the acrylic, example 6mm U profile, 4mm internaly and fits over 4mm acrylic.
Create an aluminium frame all the way around it and glue it to the acrylic sheet with a few dots of kit. Than if it ever bends it has only one way to go, down perfectly in the centre. Than you got what you need, if ever water condenses to it, it will run down to the centre dripping straight back into the tank. :thumbup:
 
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Adding braces to the acylic seems to help the bowing, just slices of the same but on edge so its _|_ or _| I've some 2' sections I'm experimenting with that seem to be avoiding bowing quite well. Another option would be to have a 2-3" acrylic strip down the edge with the filter with the cut out section you need and use glass for the rest. Would give you a more flexible cutout section you could redo if you wanted to reposition the filter or add other equipment.

If you wanted a lighter section for feeding, you could also add an acrylic strip to the middle or other end and use glass lid supports on the long edge so it was supported on all four sides to avoid bowing.
 
I bought some second hand 10mm Perspex on ebay to use as a top. The price was very reasonable reasonable (20 pounds for a 60cm x 60cm piece).

Even though the advert states that pieces may have marks or scratches on them my piece had only a few marks that could be cleaned off with a cloth

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10mm-x-600mm-x-600mm-Clear-Acrylic-Perspex-Plastic-Aquarium-Fish-Tank-Vivarium/183300524316?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

My tanks 60x70 so I used plastic tank clips (also bought from e-bay) to rest it on.

My plan is just to rotate it if it starts to bend, however, at 10mm it should be ok.

I haven't needed to cut it, however, I understand that it can be cut with an circular saw or jigsaw:



After writing this I noticed that you are in South Africa - so suggestion about buying perspex from the UK may not be particularly helpful!
 
Thanks for the suggestion! We can cut perspex with a table saw so that's no issue. My dad likes the idea of acrylic with the aluminium rim rim as @zozo suggested :)
 
You can order a sheet of acrylic for very little off of ebay or pick it up in a hardware store if you want a bigger piece. It's very easy to make cutouts for your equipment and drill holes for aeration. I built one for my tank and it turned out great. Will post pictures later.
 
Making the acrylic lid tomorrow! Will post pics when done, tank is filled with shrimp. Fish will join when the lid is ready
 
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