[Dendroguy]

has anyone used plexiglass tanks before,will they warp?

 

[Scott Richardson]

has anyone used plexiglass tanks before,will they warp?

There is a really good chance it will warp, yes.
Plexiglass is the least stable plastic sheet goods.
Acrylic is better
Lexan polycarbonite is the best. Lexan is VERY heat and humidity stable. And is not as brittle so drilling it is easy as pie.

On a side note, I shot a .22 at a scrap of Lexan from 20 yards. Blew a hole straight thru it without cracking around the hole. It won't shatter.

They are priced accordingly. Plexi being the cheapest.

A 4 x 8 sheet of Lexan runs about $150 but well worth it.

 

[LookinRound]

There is a really good chance it will warp, yes.
Plexiglass is the least stable plastic sheet goods.
Acrylic is better
Lexan polycarbonite is the best. Lexan is VERY heat and humidity stable. And is not as brittle so drilling it is easy as pie.

Plexiglass and acrylic are the same thing. Lexan is different.

I can't comment about either from experience, though I had been thinking of using them before discussing it with people here, after which I decided to go with glass for my tank. That isn't to say I won't try another setup in the future with plexi or lexan, but that'll be a while out for me due to time/money.

 

[Mapp]

There is a really good chance it will warp, yes.
Plexiglass is the least stable plastic sheet goods.
Acrylic is better
Lexan polycarbonite is the best. Lexan is VERY heat and humidity stable. And is not as brittle so drilling it is easy as pie.

On a side note, I shot a .22 at a scrap of Lexan from 20 yards. Blew a hole straight thru it without cracking around the hole. It won't shatter.

They are priced accordingly. Plexi being the cheapest.

A 4 x 8 sheet of Lexan runs about $150 but well worth it.

Not sure about lexan, but I think plexiglass is just a brand name of acrylic. I could be wrong though.
*Edit* Whoops, didn't see Lookinround's post

 

[Scott Richardson]

Plexiglass and acrylic are the same thing. Lexan is different.

I can't comment about either from experience, though I had been thinking of using them before discussing it with people here, after which I decided to go with glass for my tank. That isn't to say I won't try another setup in the future with plexi or lexan, but that'll be a while out for me due to time/money.

Almost. Plexiglass is a brand name for acrylic sheet. However, there are different types and qualities of acrylic, and Plexiglass is at the low end of the spectrum.(cheap)



When I built my big tank, I contacted Dow and a couple of other manufacturers and good info from them. All plastic sheets have enviromental data, if you ask for it. Maximum temp without deformation, max humidity before deformation. Etc.

Cast acrylic is the most stable of the acrylics and is available in sheets.