Reptile & Amphibian Forums

A while back, I cut a piece of plexiglass to make a lid for a hexagon aquarium I picked up this summer ($5 $1.50 bottle of toilet bowl cleaner for an aquarium I later saw at Pet Supplies Plus for $90!).
I cut it, and let it sit on the aquarium for about a week, and now it looks like this.

Everyone says heat warp, but I don't see why, because there was no heat on it. The only heat was the fluctuation of air temperature.
So, anyway, is there any way to save this piece of plexiglass? Anyone know a way I could make a lid to fit my aquarium? I've made lids for other aquariums, but nothing other than a rectangle shape. I don't have the tools I'd need to cut the odd angles to build a frame for a hex. Anyone have any idea for what I could attach to the piece of plexiglass to make it into a lid?

Also-
I'm going to put a crested gecko in the tank for now, but next summer, I'm going to fill it with water, and put in Eastern newts, so whatever I make, it's gotta be able to hold up to humidity. That's why I thought plexiglass would work good.

It's probably a lower quality acrylic and the warping may also be due to a humdity differential.

Lids can be made from pretty much anything. At the size you need you should visit plastic and/or sign shops on a regular basis. I'm sure you could get a scrap piece for next to nothing of some sort of plastic or higher quality acrylic. Lexan would be a better clear choice.
-----
Current snakes:

0.0.1 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Java locale (green)

1.2 Gonyosoma oxycephala - Jave local (green)

2.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Seleyar locale (all black)

1.2 Gonyosoma janseni - Celebes locale (Black & Tan)

I did same thing you did yrs ago . It warped due to humidity as was already said Lexan would be better (not expensive for such small piece) however if you prefer acrylic than you need to get a piece that slightly overlaps your tank dimensions and light is simply laid ontop of that ( I assume your light extende from one end of rim to the other).

It seems by doing this the weight of the flourescent fixture though very light has kept the acrylic flat for me . Granted its not what you want but its only way I have found it from warping .

I actually thought of doing that, with the light. If I lay it across the middle, both in front & behind it warp up, and if I only lay it on the front or back, the opposite end warps.
I'd king like to scrap the piece I have, and just go to lexan, or maybe glass, but I've never used lexan, and have a few questions about it-
primarily, how would I cut it? The plexiglass wasn't terrible to cut into shape, but it wasn't super easy to keep from splitting, either. Could I cut lexan the same way, with a razor? Or would I need to use a table saw or something?
What would I be looking for a piece that would be.. Eh, to get a square piece, it'd have to start out at 17x17".
Also, what about air flow? Plexiglass can be drilled to make air holes, but what about lexan?

is thinking plexiglas warp easier then acrylic lexan etc, actuall what the MAIN difference is is the TYPE product. By this i mean all of it will warp to certain extents due to the properties of it , however extruded warps MUCH faster then cast the reason isthe heat treatment in the extrusion process of the acrylic cause its molecular makeup to change thus when heat and humidity are applied it can "CRAWL". Cast sheets are poured and and molded in sheets so the lack of heat extrusion lets it keep the structure together better on a molecular level and therefore when heat and humidtity are applied it doesnt move as much. Now this also dcepend on the thickness of the materil used thicker it is less it will inheriently warp/ move on you.

As chris mentioned check sign shops etc ask ifthey have any scrap CAST plexi or acrylic you could get MAKE sure to tell them its real small pc and if you make a template with paper etc they might even cutit real fast there for youas it is only 4 clips and can be done real fast or if anyone you know has a power miter saw that will cut it just move it to a 45 degree angle cut and make the pattern and cut away . good luck
-----
__The Revolution has begun ... www.junglehabitatsplastics.com_

signature file edited, contact an admin 6/12/06

One of the best tidbits of knowledge I received on these forums was the UniBit drill bit for drilling plastics. Thus far, I have successfully drilled holes in PVC, ABS, HDPS, HDPE, acrylic and what I think was lexan without cracks and without pronounced burring. Really an easy way to get good results for the layperson. Putting a little lubricant on the bit helps too, like PAM cooking spray.