Custom made canopy

[elk]

I bought a 29g bowfront with a matching stand in mint condition for 100.00
The only thing was it didnt come with a canopy,so I went to Bigals to buy one.
They had the aquarium in stock but the canopy was a special order item that takes 2 weeks and costs 50.00 and must be prepaid.
Why do they  keep the tank in stock without canopy`s,anyways I decicded to do some research on the net on making my own top.
There is a place in ottawa that can make the top for next to nothing.
If you want glass go to M AND T glass on cyrville rd.
If you want acrylic go to Canus plastics on lisgar st.
I decided to go with acrylic,unbreakable and comes in many colours.
It cost me 8.58 with tax and they made while I waited,only 10 minutes.

[pcole6765]

wow that's great to know
thanks for sharing

[fischkopp]

Do you mind posting a pic?

[Brine]

I decided to go with acrylic,unbreakable and comes in many colours.

Acrylic (Poly-Methyl-Meth-Acrylate) is NOT unbreakable. It is easy to break, easy to scratch and it will also sag over a pretty short period of time, especially if you add heat (lights).

Polycarbonate (Lexan) is much harder to break but scratches easier and sags worse.

Glass is a much better solution for this application. It is a bit more expensive but it resists scratches, and won't sag (well over a hundred years or more it will)

The problem of sag can be rectified with the proper design but I expect the lid you had made is a flat piece. If this is true it will sag in short order.

[elk]

The canopy is quarter inch thick and I dont think its going to break just sitting on top of the tank,and its been 2 weeks now and hasnt sagged yet,maybe its plexiglass.
I had a glass top on my 75 and one day I was cleaning it in tub and it slipped out of my hand and broke.
I think 8.50 is much better 50.00
I dont have a camera to post pics.

[Brine]

The canopy is quarter inch thick and I dont think its going to break just sitting on top of the tank,and its been 2 weeks now and hasnt sagged yet,maybe its plexiglass.
I had a glass top on my 75 and one day I was cleaning it in tub and it slipped out of my hand and broke.
I think 8.50 is much better 50.00
I dont have a camera to post pics.

For sure $8.50 is way better than $50.00
Plexiglass is just a brand name...its acrylic (polymethylmethacylate)
It won't break just sitting there any more than glass would.
1/4" thick will work but it will still sag. If the tank is small then it will sag less and take longer. The larger the span (footprint) the quicker it will sag.
If it is say a 50G tank with 1/4" acrylic and no heat on it, it will sag in a few months.