Diy glass top help/suggestions

[Trevor W]

I am currently resealing an old 80gal tank (48x16x24) it at one point had your typical plastic trim on the top with a really small inner lip that only really held the designed plastic top. Well this top trim is garbage and was broken when I got the tank. I have been trying to think of ways to implement glass tops on this tank either hinged or sliding. So I am looking for some examples or suggestions on how you guys have or would put glass tops on. This is not going to be a show tank just need to cut down on humidity while keeping cats and kids out and fish in.

[Trevor W]

The glass is 3/8

http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u603/Trevor_de_W/20150220_094604_zps8ky9xakl.jpg (http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/Trevor_de_W/media/20150220_094604_zps8ky9xakl.jpg.html)

[nc0gnet0]

The glass is 3/8

http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums/u603/Trevor_de_W/20150220_094604_zps8ky9xakl.jpg (http://s1324.photobucket.com/user/Trevor_de_W/media/20150220_094604_zps8ky9xakl.jpg.html)

Are you sure that is intended to hold water and not a mammal or reptile cage?

[Trevor W]

Are you sure that is intended to hold water and not a mammal or reptile cage?

Yes I am sure. Its an old Hagen aquarium. Why do you think its not meant to hold water? It was used as an aquarium for years and the glass is 3/8" thick. The only reason I am re-sealing it is because it is old not due to any form of leak.

[limige]

well two things come to mind

either contact a current tank manufacture and order a new top trim piece or just cut two pieces of glass an inch or two wide and silicone them to the ends. install them 1/2" or so down from the top to leave a ledge for your glass tops

[pitdogg2]

you will need something to support the top glass or you will come home to bad bad mojo. Seen a 55 let loose after the guy took off the cracked plastic trim because the center brace cracked. Two months later she let go big time.

[limige]

a piece of glass silicone in the center would work for that as well. being a 48" long tank youll probably want your tops split to 24" anyhow

[Discus-n00b]

If the glass is indeed 3/8" I personally wouldn't worry about bracing it to be honest, should be fine assuming your seams are still good. My rimless is 1/2" and rock solid. I'd feel fairly secure trusting 3/8" glass.

[alron2]

Look at these pictures for ideas.https://www.google.com/search?q=DIY+AQUARIUM+HOOD&rlz=1C1LEND_enUS514US514&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=598&tbm=isch&imgil=JqHvBYZtnafTbM%253A%253B5MSaOq5-Ix_ynM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Ffishjec.blogsp ot.com%25252F2013%25252F10%25252Ffish-tank-hoods.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=JqHvBYZtnafTbM%253A%252C5MSaOq5-Ix_ynM%252C_&usg=__7ZMXZFdlok0AKlAX78v5M-MMQBg%3D&dpr=1.5&ved=0CCkQyjc&ei=2NjnVKe3EY-eyATYqICwCg#imgdii=_&imgrc=JqHvBYZtnafTbM%253A%3B5MSaOq5-Ix_ynM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fimg.zah-ra.com%252Fimages%252F6%252F%252520Fish%252520Tank %252520Hoods%252520.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ffishj ec.blogspot.com%252F2013%252F10%252Ffish-tank-hoods.html%3B600%3B485

It it were me I would build a wooden frame around the top with a center brace to replace the missing plastic frame. I built a 100 gallon tank(72X18X18) 40 years ago with 1/4 inch glass. It still holds water today. The top frame has 5 braces on it.

Good Luck
Ron

[Trevor W]

Thanks everyone for the input. I do however agree with Matt, back in the day Hagen made all their tanks without a center brace hence the excessive glass thickness. If it was a newer style aqueon or all glass tank I would be worried forsure because it is such thin glass. I have had several custom built rimless saltwater tanks with 3/8" glass and no worries. But I do thank you for the concern. I just started the thread to get ideas on how to make a glass lid for it.
I do think that I may be forced to use a small center brace due to wanting 2 lids like mention previously. But I am still open to hearing anyones ideas on how to make some lids without having to put a center brace in.

[Discus-n00b]

I'm not sure if you could adapt it or not but you could use some 90 degree glass clips and kind of float a piece of acrylic or even glass above the water. I'd do a rigid acrylic, easier to lift on and off. You could also take a sheet of acrylic and just heat and bend the edges so they form a 90 degree angle and sit over the tank sides. Easy to cut holes in for tubes, heaters, filters whatever easy to lift off and will stay on the tank.

I understand your dilemma. Theres no use building some giant top for the tank if you go rimless. You lose all qualities of a rimless/braceless tank then.

These are the little glass clips I was mentioning.
https://www.google.com/search?q=90+degree+glass+clips&biw=1920&bih=979&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=B-TnVP6GG8GANrmzhIAO&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg

Of course my solutions don't really give you 2 lids, however with acrylic again its easy to cut, cut two holes in that single sheet and use hinges. See the door in the image below, that's what I mean.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/fewskillz/picolid02.jpg

[Trevor W]

Very cool thanks Matt. I never even thought of acrylic honestly. I have some of the acrylic clips that i bought from ebay to support a mesh top for my nano but the biggest ones they sell are 8mm. But maybe i can cut the part that clips over the tanks off and silicone it to the inside. Hmmmmm

[Discus-n00b]

If you go acrylic I'd go on the thicker side, make sure it won't warp....or warp as fast with the humidity from a tank.

[jawfish]

Trevor that looks like an old Marina tank by the bottom moulding ( Hagen more expensive line). Those old Hagen tank are real panzers :o

If you know an aquarium shop that carry Hagen products they maybe be able to order a replacement top molding or order a non structural moulding that you can cut and silicon around the top. This would create a border where you can rest your glass top.

[alron2]

Matt,

Good design. Where did you find the acrylic hinge?

Ron

[rickztahone]

I can't find the link now but I remember a lot of the ADA guys buying little clips that hang on the wall and are clear. You simply use all those clips (probably 8 or so for your tank) and use any form of cover, be it acrylic, plexi(I would probably avoid plexi), or glass. I'll keep searching but I can't remember what the key words were.

found one:
similar to this:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?235053-New-rimless-tank-makes-me-nervous

[Discus-n00b]

Matt,

Good design. Where did you find the acrylic hinge?

Ron

That was an image pulled from google. Though you might find something here http://www.usplastic.com/search/?q=hinge&view=g or possibly on http://www.mcmaster.com/ they have tons of great stuff for DIY.

[daffyfish]

Here is a DIY aquarium trim idea, that I recently viewed. Haven't tried it yet. But, looks like it would work. HTH

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-E2eo-dx-qk

[neonmkr]

I would suggest using lexan (polycarbonate) instead of acrylic (plexiglass). You can bend the lexan to create a cap. I use lexan for my tank lids because of the fact they don't warp and they are easier to drill and cut holes in without them breaking.

[MaviYesil]

.