Any advice on finding a glass top that half opens?

[Pencapchew95]

Running a top fin starter kit 29 gallon aquarium. Love the whole tank but I’d like a hood I can see through and also don’t have to remove everytime I want to do things in the tank. I’d like a tank I can open half way. I found the top fin brand glass top and it doesn’t even fit their own tank lol. I wanna say it’s about a half of an inch too big. Any suggestions on finding something that would fit ? Thanks ahead of time! 

Edited September 1, 2022 by Pencapchew95

[CJs Aquatics]

Greenhouse paneling from the hardware store cut to whatever size you want would be one suggestion, never tried on a 29 but some of my smaller tanks use craft mesh lol it’s not glass but it’s cheap, works and allows light in, doesn’t really help with evaporation though, perhaps floating plants and no top is an option depending on the species you keep, I’ve seen some pretty creative tank tops done nicely as well as affordable 

[Streetwise]

Glass shops can do custom cuts and chamfers. I got a custom piece for a 16G for about $15 in 20 minutes. I spent more time looking at LPS.

[nabokovfan87]

On 8/31/2022 at 8:36 PM, Pencapchew95 said:

I found the top fin brand glass top and it doesn’t even fit their own tank lol.

YEP.  I ended up buying the correct piece (it fits thicker glass, 40B trim, basically, and then gluing that to my lid to make it fit with silicone (my aqueon).  It's totally dumb that people don't realize what dimensions are for a product designed for this tank.  I've bought 4 of them, none fit. 🙂

If you have a glass shop, buy the correct rear piece, buy the hinge, get it cut with thicker glass and off ya go.  It's a real weird situation, especially considering how often 29G tanks are sold.  I even called aqueon to get the right piece and they said "no, it's right".

SO..... there's no hope.

 

[Pencapchew95]

@nabokovfan87 wow that’s super depressing . I’m gunna just re buy the top fin one and cut a bit off the end …. If I don’t end up just breaking it lol. Thanks for the response ! 

[nabokovfan87]

On 8/31/2022 at 10:38 PM, Pencapchew95 said:

@nabokovfan87 wow that’s super depressing . I’m gunna just re buy the top fin one and cut a bit off the end …. If I don’t end up just breaking it lol. Thanks for the response !

If you want to send me photos so I can see what you're having issues with. All of mine have been too short (front to back).

Amazon lid: bows because the glass is so thin on a 30" span and the rear trim is a joke. Had to buy adhesive for the handle

Top fin lid: not great, but works fine, cheap and you can tell. Too short front to back.

Aqueon: "fine" in terms of quality. The issue I had was that the hinge plastic deteriorated after 2-3 months and wasn't a lid anymore. Also, wrong trim piece was with it. Too short.

Marineland: not available, same dims as top fin not aqueon

Custom lid: cost / not available

Make it yourself: last resort.

[Cinnebuns]

On 9/1/2022 at 12:38 AM, Pencapchew95 said:

@nabokovfan87 wow that’s super depressing . I’m gunna just re buy the top fin one and cut a bit off the end …. If I don’t end up just breaking it lol. Thanks for the response ! 

The aqeuon one should fit. Dimensions are standard. It is exactly how you describe. Clear and opens in half. Can get it at petco

On 8/31/2022 at 10:36 PM, Pencapchew95 said:

I found the top fin brand glass top and it doesn’t even fit their own tank lol.

Yet another reason to not like top fin. More and more over time I do not like them lol

[Pencapchew95]

@nabokovfan87 So I ended up getting the top fin again lol but this time I bought a glass cutter and trimmed around a half inch from the one end. It totally worked ! The plastic part isn’t mounted at the moment as I’m waiting to transition from that HOB to a sponge filter in the tank right now. Thanks again everyone for the suggestions !!! 

[Guppysnail]

Seapora/aquarium masters has glass tops that are shorter. My aqueon glass lid is to long for my Seapora tank. The middle strip on the Seapora/ aquarium masters is also clear. 
here are exact measurements for Seapora 20long vs aqueon 20long so you can see the difference and figure out what that would be compared to topfin in your size tank 

Seapora 29 1/16

awuein Versa 29 1/8

Edited September 1, 2022 by Guppysnail

[rockfisher]

On 9/1/2022 at 12:30 AM, Streetwise said:

Glass shops can do custom cuts and chamfers. I got a custom piece for a 16G for about $15 in 20 minutes. I spent more time looking at LPS.

They sell the hinge on Amazon if you need a hinge. Lowes cuts glass as were but not Home Depot.

[Streetwise]

Before I tried the local glass shop, I got pieces from a local hardware store like Aubachon, but they didn’t chamfer the edges, so they were too sharp. I didn’t try Home Depot or Lowes.

I measured for no hinge, and was fine without it, but I’m glad that it is an option.

[rockfisher]

On 9/1/2022 at 4:52 PM, Streetwise said:

Before I tried the local glass shop, I got pieces from a local hardware store like Aubachon, but they didn’t chamfer the edges, so they were too sharp. I didn’t try Home Depot or Lowes.

I measured for no hinge, and was fine without it, but I’m glad that it is an option.

I have not used Lowes but looked it up a few months  ago when I was planning on building a tank. I just checked with my friend and he said most Lowes do cut glass and can cut shapes and things. I didn’t ask if they could bevel edges. Home Depot say that don’t cut glass but sell the glass cutting tool. There are tons of glass shops in my area that would do it but some are crazy about a single cut or not buying the glass from them and others are great. 
Clear PVC Living Hinge with Bottom Groove, Fits 3/16" Material - Pick: Length 36" Long (2 Pack) https://a.co/d/0BSqSy5

they have different sizes