New Lid for 55gal Tank - Aquarium Advice

arliss · 02-24-2006, 03:36 PM

I'm in the process of converting my old 55gal tank from fresh water to salt water. The tank is over 15 years old but there is nothing wrong with it other than the lid needs to be replaced. Because of its age they don't make them anymore. I bought a piece of clear acrylic 1/4" thick. They cut the sheet to the size of the tank but would not make the other cuts I need for doors etc. Everything I try to use heats up and the acrylic sticks to it. Any ideas what I can use to do this? Or should I switch to glass? I don't have any experience cutting either choice.

**QTOFFER** · 02-24-2006, 06:08 PM

Strait cuts in acrylic are easily made by scoring repeatedly with a really sharp utility knife and then snapping the two pieces apart. To do curved inside cuts, I used my hand-held jigsaw and a fine tooth blade intended for cutting plastic pipe. You have to go slow, or the heat causes the stuff to melt. Wetting the area around the blade helps, but you have to be very careful not to zap yourself.

I'm not sure that 1/4 inch will not bow from the heat of the tank and the lights. I found 1/8 inch acrylic to be completely useless as a cover for a 10 gal. Hope you have better luck with the thicker material. Otherwise, you might have to go to an auto glass shop to have something made for you.

02-24-2006, 03:36 PM	#1
arliss Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 14	New Lid for 55gal Tank I'm in the process of converting my old 55gal tank from fresh water to salt water. The tank is over 15 years old but there is nothing wrong with it other than the lid needs to be replaced. Because of its age they don't make them anymore. I bought a piece of clear acrylic 1/4" thick. They cut the sheet to the size of the tank but would not make the other cuts I need for doors etc. Everything I try to use heats up and the acrylic sticks to it. Any ideas what I can use to do this? Or should I switch to glass? I don't have any experience cutting either choice.

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02-24-2006, 06:08 PM	#2
QTOFFER Aquarium Advice Addict Community Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Kew Gardens, NY Posts: 3,697 Images: 30	Strait cuts in acrylic are easily made by scoring repeatedly with a really sharp utility knife and then snapping the two pieces apart. To do curved inside cuts, I used my hand-held jigsaw and a fine tooth blade intended for cutting plastic pipe. You have to go slow, or the heat causes the stuff to melt. Wetting the area around the blade helps, but you have to be very careful not to zap yourself. I'm not sure that 1/4 inch will not bow from the heat of the tank and the lights. I found 1/8 inch acrylic to be completely useless as a cover for a 10 gal. Hope you have better luck with the thicker material. Otherwise, you might have to go to an auto glass shop to have something made for you.