[Guest]

I have been hearing diffrent openions on using plexi glass from home depo to build a vivarium. Some say it will work with 1/4" plexi; others say that it is a hassle to clean, will become foggy and will warp. Whats up? can i use the stuff or would I have to use special acrilic or glass?

 

[Guest]

I made a 40 gallon tank from the acrylic from home depot and am perfectly happy with it.

 

[Ryan]

I made it from the 1/8 plexiglass and hasnt warped because inside and out is room tempature, and used glass for the lid though since it is closer to the lights, if lights are close to the acrylic it will warp for sure.

Ryan

 

[Guest]

so..

why have I heard the bad report on plexi glass before? has anyone had a bad experience? Are there any tips or warnings anyone can offer?

 

[tkavan01]

i originally made the lids for my tank out of 1/4 lucite from loew's,
i didn't think heat would be a problem bc the lights are about 10 inches
above the lid, but it warped pretty good bc of the heat...
also any pressure you add to thestuff will bend it over time,
i found that it was easier to cut 1/4inch glass and grind the edges
then to worry about the warping plexi-glass, i found really good
deals on thick glass >3/16 at a furniture consignment store,
you just have to make sure its not tempered... usually you can
get a 24x24 inch sheet for about five bucks, and bargain down from
that if the edges are chipped.
what application are you using the plexiglass for?

 

[Guest]

i want

to build a vivarium over the summer and am trying to find out where to start. The reason I dont want to buy one is that 175$ is too expenseive. The problem is that I can't cut glass or plexi glass myself. I want to use glass but am not sure if it will be an accident waiting to happen. I like the models built by understory enterprise, with the door on the side.

 

[tkavan01]

glass is defn the way to go, just buy a decent scoring tool(not the kind you get from home depot) and find some cheap glass, there are tons
of good places, furniture consignment stores, even ikea had cheap
glass shelves just make sure that its not tempered glass and your golden,
its not an accident waiting to happen if you wear goggles, gloves, somekinda respiratory mask if your gonna grind it, it only takes a few practice tries before your confidence will go up...
i originally tried to cut 1/8 inch glass but that was hard, but then i got
some 3/16 stuff and it snapped right on the line after 1 try...
yes i still cut a bad piece here and there, but most of the 25-30 cuts i've
made in the last few weeks have come out great.

 

[Guest]

Is there anything wrong with tempered glass besides being hard to cut?

`dj

 

[Guest]

glass is defn the way to go, just buy a decent scoring tool(not the kind you get from home depot) and find some cheap glass, there are tons
of good places, furniture consignment stores, even ikea had cheap
glass shelves just make sure that its not tempered glass and your golden,
its not an accident waiting to happen if you wear goggles, gloves, somekinda respiratory mask if your gonna grind it, it only takes a few practice tries before your confidence will go up...
i originally tried to cut 1/8 inch glass but that was hard, but then i got
some 3/16 stuff and it snapped right on the line after 1 try...
yes i still cut a bad piece here and there, but most of the 25-30 cuts i've
made in the last few weeks have come out great.

I agree, cutting glass is easy and the way to go. After you make your first cut you will think yourself silly for being afraid of it....especially since 95% of your cuts will be straight. I have an extra Toyo cutter you can buy if you like. It is a professional grade tool...I make stained glass windows sometimes. You can have it for 15 bucks and pass it on to your grandkids after you die. I also have a book you could have to teach you how to cut although it isn't really necessary....just score and snap. Let me know if you are interested or if you just need advice on cutting.

 

[Arklier]

Is there anything wrong with tempered glass besides being hard to cut?

`dj

It also can't be drilled. I'm sure you've gone by the scene of a wreck and seen the little glass peanuts all over the road. That's what tempered glass is. If it shatters it doesn't turn into deadly knives.

 

[tkavan01]

tempered glass is not hard to cut, its impossible to cut...
you have to hit it up to release the surface tension that makes it
tempered... i forget the name of the cycle it has to go through...
but if you call around cut tempered glass is much more expensive
bc of the process used to cut it, plus it takes a long time to do it.

MBMcEwen - if ortega is not interested in the cutter I am,
just pm or email me, thanks...

 

[Guest]

i am not intrested in the cutter, its all yours tkavan01. I am considering making my viv out of glass, but don't know if it worth all the hassle. I like the idea of a door and better shape, but an aquarium does not seem a bad idea to avoid all the work...

buy the glass; cut the glass; file the edges; silicone everything, all the hassle with the door; dealing with ventalation. Mabey I could just buy a tank with a glass lid and thats it. Although a custom tank would ideal. I have one site with instructions on how to build a vivarium, but it is very general and i am not to comfortable with it. Does anyone here know a good site with vivarium construction instructions? Or does anybody have pictures of their own custom vivariums?