DragonNeko Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 I recently got another tank for a great price, but the top and light that came with it are no good, so I thought I'd try getting a glass top. Problem is, I don't even know where to start. Where would I get a glass top? and could I just go to a place that cuts glass and make my own, or is difficult to get the glass to fit properly? Also, how could I make it easier to feed the fish. Even if I have 2 pieces of glass on top, I'd still have to move over 15'' of glass. I guess it would need parts cut out to fit filters and such too. What kind of lights should I be looking at getting? Or rather light mounts. The actual light is easy to figure out, I just don't know what would work best with a glass top. I'm also going to re-silicone it. That should be interesting. Thanks to a few searches on here I've got a good idea how to do it...but I do have one question. When I take the silicone off, will the pieces of glass come completely separate from each other? I'd assume that they do, but I'd just like to know for sure, so I know if I'll need a helper. Any advice is greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewels Posted May 2, 2012 Report Share Posted May 2, 2012 If you are brave a glass cutting tool is less than five bucks. Scrap glass is - well, scrap priced. Less than five bucks. There are glass hinges available. You could go with two full width panes. You could go full width and stop 2-3 inches from the back. That will give space for gear and feeding. Getting a good fit is inconsequential. You could cut to fit/nestle into the rim if you chose. I just cut 1/2 inch over full width and plop it on. You may need to do this if you are de-rimming the tank. There are two way to re-silicone. One is superficial; you are just cleaning up the appearance. This involves leaving the joints intact. If you are resealing the joints you must first dismantle the entire tank into its seperate panes. On a smaller ( read thinner glass ) tank you stand a great chance of breaking a pane during dismantling. Once you have the five panes seperated then you are left with the ingredients to build your own tank. This reassembly may require a bottom pan. If the tank is not leaking, I don't dismantle it. Don't get me wrong - if your into it I say go for it! As for mounting the light - I do not bother. You have a nice new glass top. Sit the light on there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epiphany Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 If it's a standard tank size you can go down to a fish store and get a glass top. The top for my 35g was $15-$20 if I remember correctly, it's 2 pieces of glass with a plastic hinge between them that run the length of the tank, and a piece of plastic that's about 3 inches wide that goes across the back and attaches to the glass which allows you to cut out holes for filters/etc. Then comes with a handle and some double sided tape to lift up the front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishTankBoy Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 Normally you don't have a glass a top on the tank if you have a planted or reef tank as it blocks out too much light. But i'm assuming that you are concerned about humidity or fish jumping out? You can make a screen mesh in that case. I would either hang the light or mount some legs for them. Depends on what brand of lighting you have. Most fish stores have replacement glass lids in stock. I would just use the plastic hinge it comes with. If you flip it upside so that the flat part is facing up, you can fold it back ontop of itself which makes it easy for doing maintenance. But then again, that will depend on whether your light is sitting directly on top of the glass tops or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonNeko Posted May 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 If you are brave a glass cutting tool is less than five bucks. Scrap glass is - well, scrap priced. Less than five bucks. There are two way to re-silicone. One is superficial; you are just cleaning up the appearance. This involves leaving the joints intact. If you are resealing the joints you must first dismantle the entire tank into its seperate panes. On a smaller ( read thinner glass ) tank you stand a great chance of breaking a pane during dismantling. Once you have the five panes seperated then you are left with the ingredients to build your own tank. This reassembly may require a bottom pan. If the tank is not leaking, I don't dismantle it. I'll look into cutting my own glass, thanks. I was worried about that. I'll see if it holds water, and then maybe I'll try adding more silicone instead. Hopefully that works, cause if not then I may have to find someone to help me reseal the whole thing. If it's a standard tank size you can go down to a fish store and get a glass top. The top for my 35g was $15-$20 if I remember correctly That's all it cost? Wow, I thought it would be more. What I have is a 35g, so I'll look into that, thanks! Normally you don't have a glass a top on the tank if you have a planted or reef tank as it blocks out too much light. But i'm assuming that you are concerned about humidity or fish jumping out? You can make a screen mesh in that case. I haven't thought too much about what I want for the tank, but I will probably plant it. I want to put my Scarlet Kribs in it, along with a divider in the middle so I can put my Apisto on the other side in hopes of getting a few more and getting a pair to breed. Does glass really block that much light? It's clear...so wouldn't the light just go through the glass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewels Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 Normally you don't have a glass a top on the tank if you have a planted or reef tank as it blocks out too much light. ,,,,,,,,,, You can make a screen mesh in that case. . Sorry, I am not one who seeks confrontation, but, this statement is blatantly untrue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishTankBoy Posted May 3, 2012 Report Share Posted May 3, 2012 Oh? How come? I"ve seen many par readings on other forums and people typically don't have glass tops due to how much par gets blocked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewels Posted May 4, 2012 Report Share Posted May 4, 2012 Cannot speak for them; although I can share this ,,, Here is a unencumbered measurement I made . It is showing 10.5 PAR With the 4mm tempered glass in place atop the mugs, in order to reduce the value whatsoever I had to shift the light souce about 25 degrees off of perpendicular. Still measured 10 PAR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewels Posted May 4, 2012 Report Share Posted May 4, 2012 , this statement is blatantly untrue. I needed to log back on to correct this. Not to go back and edit out what I had posted; but rather self audit my behavior. My flagrant vocabulary was not productive, nor kind, or helpfull. FishTBoy, I regret being condescending. I do have piles of measurements revealing contributing factors to light delivery failure. I will share them in a new thread. Dragon, hopefully you'll have all access to the info you need right here in this thread. I apologise for taking it off track. Glass tops are nice because it gives you flexibilty. Like you said the light source is easy. With a secure glass top you have a multitude of lighting choices., , , and none of your investments end up getting "bumped" in to the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcgd Posted May 4, 2012 Report Share Posted May 4, 2012 I've heard, not measured personally, that dirty glass tops will block around 20% of the light. Window screen is commonly used to block the light on purpose if you have a bit too much and don't want to swap or raise the fixture. Jewels, that was big of you ^. But you are right... misinformation spreads like the plague online. Numbers don't lie though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekbottom Posted May 4, 2012 Report Share Posted May 4, 2012 And this is why I much prefer this forum over others. Jewels, that info was very helpful. Looking forward to your thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonNeko Posted May 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2012 Dragon, hopefully you'll have all access to the info you need right here in this thread. I apologise for taking it off track. Glass tops are nice because it gives you flexibilty. Like you said the light source is easy. With a secure glass top you have a multitude of lighting choices., , , and none of your investments end up getting "bumped" in to the tank. I don't think you took it off track at all, I wanted info and I got plenty of it Thank you! I can't wait to start looking for some glass to cut! Figured I'd give that a try, and if I fail horribly, I'll just buy one lol I've heard, not measured personally, that dirty glass tops will block around 20% of the light. That makes sense...and also makes me think that I should clean the glass part of the hood on my 20g. I've never thought to do that. I bet the plants will grow a bit faster in there after I do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Little_One Posted May 4, 2012 Report Share Posted May 4, 2012 Make sure you wear protective eyewear when you're cutting the glass. I've got shards of glass lodged my tear ducts before. Not a pretty sight. Even worse a feeling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted May 4, 2012 Report Share Posted May 4, 2012 And don't forget to sand down the edges as they are razor sharp after cutting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonNeko Posted May 4, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2012 Make sure you wear protective eyewear when you're cutting the glass. I've got shards of glass lodged my tear ducts before. Not a pretty sight. Even worse a feeling. And don't forget to sand down the edges as they are razor sharp after cutting. I wouldn't have thought of either of those, and me being such a klutz I'd hurt myself for sure lol Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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