Plexiglass for Tank Lid?

[Ariel S 13]

Hi! 
Does anyone have  any experience using or helpful knowledge when it comes to using plexiglass for a tank lid? 

I have a big sheet left over from some COVID-19 partitions I put up and was thinking of cutting it and adding a hinge to use it instead of buying a new glass lid for my 40 breeder. 
 

will it be ok to get wet? Have algae on it? Withstand humidity?

 

thanks in advance! 

[DSH OUTDOORS 9]

I bought a 1/4 inch piece of plexi to cover my 5 gallon quarantine tank as i bought it used without a lid.

Its been 3 weeks and the sheet looks more like a rainbow than a flat piece of glass.

The partition sheets you have might be thicker or better quality but just wanted to share my experience.

Being it is leftover why not try it to see what happens.  I might try again and epoxy/glue two sheets together to keep it from warping so bad as i bought a 3 pack and have only used one sheet.

Best of luck to you!

 

[MickS77 1,169]

I've had it warp over time with the heat from lights and the tank.

[Ariel S 13]

Yes I was worried about the warping! Great! Thank you for your feedback 

[Struggle 152]

Mine have warped as well.

 

[Brandy 1,601]

maybe make tank dividers instead?

[Streetwise 2,040]

Lexan is a common window material in sailing, which stands up to UV, and can be polished. I don't know if it gets used in the aquarium hobby.

[CT_ 187]

I used acrylic on my 5g.  It cuts well with an 80t 10" saw blade (or you can buy special blades for plastic) and with a fine tooth "jig saw".  It has warped on me, but not so much that I care. 

As streetwise points out Lexan (AKA polycarbonate ) is probably a better choice.  but at least for me acrylic I use acrylic because its whats in my garage already 😉

Edited February 22 by CT_

[Harpsandfish 52]

I had one custom cut, with hinges and a little tab on front and back to make lifting it easier, by a company near me. The first one was acrylic because I didn’t know any better and it warped. The second one is polycarbonate and it’s great! One a tiny bit of warping at the corners, cleans easily. The company was fantastic to work with. I didn’t want a glass one because of the cat.

[Hobbit 606]

Pro tip: if you make the plexiglass lids symmetrical, you can flip them when they warp.  😎 That’s what I do because I couldn’t find the material I was looking for. The internet mostly recommends twinwall polycarbonate greenhouse siding. 

[Teakae 9]

I read polycarbonate was better than acrylic. This past weekend I cut some to put over my 29 gallon. I wanted to put the HOB on the side rims so I needed a new lid. 

[gardenman 363]

I use acrylic on my tank covers and it works fine for me. Mind you, it's glued into place, but no warping, no discoloration, and it handles moisture just fine. Here's a photo looking through the door of my thirty high cover up at the lights/acrylic. This is just the window glass replacement acrylic sold at Home Depot or Lowes. (Probably Lowe's but it's been a while since I bought it.)