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[APD] Re: Best glass for replacement lid




I'm pretty sure this has been discussed before, but darned if I can find it
in the archives.

Probably has, but it could have been many years ago. More recent discussions seem to relate to either lighting, water chemistry, or livestock issues. Even the time-honored heating cable debates seem to have faded away...


I have a 6-foot long 125-gallon All-Glass aquarium purchased back in '91.
Over time the lid has become very fogged and etched. This is the old-style
without a center brace, and All-Glass no longer sells replacement lids. I'm
therefore looking to have a glass shop cut replacements for me.

What would be the best kind of glass to ask for? I'm looking for something
reasonably priced, but with good transparency, especially since I only have
100W of NO fluorescents on the tank.

Best would probably be tempered glass in the 3/16"-1/4" range. You want it heavy enough to self-seal around the edges a bit from its own weight, but be light enough to work with. Tempered glass will be a bit less likely to break from things like water hitting a hot piece of glass, or dropping something on the lid. You could also use the usual plate glass, but it isn't as resistant to breakage, and it will make much sharper-edged pieces if it does break.


For a thin piece of glass like that used on a glass-top for a tank you don't really need to worry about transparency. Usually the expensive glasses like Starfire are used for tank construction where a thickness of over 1/2" is required.

Also, you should consider having 3-4 pieces made that will together cover the top of your tank. It will make it much easier to work on the tank than if you used one large piece.

-Bill


***************************** Waveform Technology UNIX Systems Administrator

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