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Re: [APD] Re: Best glass for replacement lid



What Bill says about glass is true but I would recommend
ordinary plate glass. 

Imo, tempered glass tops are an extravagance and special
heat resistant glass (not that anyone has recommended it
iirc) is beyond luxury. Ordinary plate glass is very cheap
and will work fine in most circumstances. If you want
stronger, then get a little bit thicker but 3/16" to 1/4"
should be fine. For long narrow piece you might consier
5/16"- 3/8" but you need also to consider heft and
managability. What's likely to break from normal use? Check
out what the tank manufacturers sell and you can see what
strength they are willing to accept liabilities for ;-)

If a piece of plate glass does break, it's cheaply replaced
from any glass shop. The light transmission properties of
the top glass won't have anywhere near as much effect on
light transmission as will the water and mineral build up
and chemical etching that develops over time. Which is
another reason, imo, to get the cheaper stuff -- you can
cheaply replace it if it becomes too "used."

Personally, if a glass top breaks, I'd rather have it be in
large pieces (non-tempered) than thousands of small bits
(tempered). I don't think I'd never be able to get all
those small shards out of the aquarium. And while tempered
glass is stronger in certain ways, it more easily shatters
if one of the surfaces becomes scratched.  thi sis why you
can kick a car window with all your might and not break the
window but you can push hard against it with something
pointed in your hand and the whole thing turns to a
"million" pieces.

Scott H.

--- Bill Wichers <billw at waveform_net> wrote:

> >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 . . .

> 
> 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 . . .

=====
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