Lid options

[Pekitivey]

So I've got this old tank that I got super cheap. I really like it, set it up with some plants and got a lovely Oscar. All is perfect but I'm not enjoying the lid. It's old and cracked and the light is pretty poor. What are my options on replacing the lid. Is it a case of getting glass to fit?

[gardenman]

If you're handy you can build your own cover. I do it for all of my tanks now. I use the 11.25" X 3/4" X 8' PVC trim boards from Lowes (around $45 when not on sale.) I cut them down to form a rectangle the size of the aquarium. glue the boards together using PVC cement (the same stuff used for PVC pipes.) I use some PVC quarter-round molding an inch or so down from the top and then glue on a piece of clear acrylic atop the quarter-round molding. I've lost fish (an Oscar and arowana) when they've jumped and injured themselves by hitting a solid glass top, so this gives fish about eight inches or so of jumping room between the top of the water and the glass/acrylic. I cut a door on the front (typically that lifts up but I have tried a side opening one also) and then just set whatever light I'm using on top of the acrylic. I have good access to the aquarium. The fish can jump and not get injured. Humidity is contained inside the cover. The PVC never rots or decays.  I just find it to be the best solution. Here's a couple of photos of one of mine. One with the door closed and one with it open.

 

[L.W. Wetarm]

I love my hinged glass lids on my two tanks.  Both Amazon and the big box pet stores sell them. Sizes vary...measure carefully. 

[Tanked]

A rimless tank is going to make it tough.  There are rimless lids available.  Some of the posters here talk about flat corrugated polycarbonate panels if you can find them.

If you aren't concerned about evaporation, a piece of egg crate used for light and ceiling panels combined with rimless tank clips from Amazon can be had for <$30.