Plexiglass in water?

[Rudy_627]

if i make some little houses out of black plexiglass will that kill my fish?

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Should be fine.
What are you planning on using as an adhesive?
How are you going to decorate them?

 

[lyquidphyre]

Acrylic tanks are made of plexiglass so its all good =o)

you have to be careful with what you use to "glue" things together and what you "glue" on the houses

Some people make caves with PVC pipe and adhere gravel to it.. they make neat looking caves

 

[Rudy_627]

i am going to cut the decorations on them with my scroll saw and i dont know how to put it together what do you guys reccomend?

 

[Rudy_627]

i dont get what you mean lyquidphyre

 

[xray]

Make sure you use 100% silicone. With no additives i.e. color, or fungicide ect...
Or just get some aquarium sealant.

 

[Rudy_627]

ok sweet

 

[QTOFFER]

Plexiglas is just the trade name for acrylic, so you need to use a cement that bonds acrylic to acrylic - it's actually a solvent that melts the two pieces together. You should be able to get it in a hardware or craft store. Just follow the directions, and allow it to set completely, and it will be aquarium safe. Because the glue is thin and non-sticky, you have to clamp or hold the pieces together until the bond sets.

If you search this site for DIY caves, you might find some good ideas on how to decorate your houses. Good luck with this project - be sure to post pics!

 

[Rudy_627]

i will take many pics although can i use a hot glue gun for this or use a lighter to melt them together?

 

[bound_for_obx]

I wouldn't recommend using a lighter. You will just cause the acrylic to blister and let off toxic fumes. Check the yellow pages and see if you have a plastics distributer near you. They should have a product called weld-on. It is an acrylic solvent that will chemically weld the two pieces together. Silicone will not bond to acrylic. You might want to check out the DIY Forum. Sumphead wrote a nice tutorial about working with acrylic. I think it is a sticky.

 

[xray]

sorry for the miss-info. 8O

 

[QTOFFER]

I've successfully used hot glue with plexiglas, but not for a tank-related project. I would be concerned about the risk of the hardened glue leaching chemicals into the tank. And the problem with using a lighter with plexiglas is that it seems to burn as it melts.

The acrylic cement is the best way to glue the pieces together. You apply it with a toothpick and hold/clamp the pieces together for a few minutes. The excess solvent evaporates, so there is no chance of poisoning the water. Do this in a ventilated room, so you don't get all loopy from the fumes!

 

[Rudy_627]

ok and x-ray its no problem that you gave me wrong info and i am sure that i can get some plexiglass from lowes or home depot my friend uses plexiglass on his scroll saw and i can get tips from him and by holding the pieces together cant i just do that with my hands?

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Since it won't really be anything structural, you should be able to get away with just holding it with your hand, if not you can easily clamp it together beween a few boards.

Also, make sure you sand your edges so you don't get any torn fins.

 

[Rudy_627]

ok and if i cant hold it together with my hands ill just borrow some clamps from my friend thanks for the help guys

 

[Rudy_627]

is it safe to use acrylic paint on plexiglass and put it in water????

 

[Rudy_627]

so will that work?

 

[Rudy_627]

just wondering if anyone knows

 

[Rudy_627]

WILL ANYONE ANSWER?

 

[RogerMcAllen]

Easy on the bumps, eh? From my gut I would say no, but I am not really sure. How to color/decorate the clear plexi was one of my concerns from the begining of this thread.