Acrylic Screened Lids Are Feasible

[ShakeyGizzard]

About 18 months ago I made a 2 part lid for a 40 breeder tank. The problem with using acrylic is that it bows and bends with time, gravity, and moisture. I am no pro with acrylic , but under the advice of an engineer at work, I was able to make a strong screened lid for about $36 in acrylic, $20 in screen and spline. My design was cut out with a CNC router, but the basic design can be cut out multiple ways. The top looked really good, but when the supports were added , my inexperience with acrylic effected the appearance of the top. Function of the supports was awesome, going on a year and no visible sagging or bending visible. These tops are very strong this way.
No additional purchase of acrylic was needed since the supports were made with the off cut pieces.

Before Supports

added vertical supports to the lid

appearance after supports

With more time under my belt with acrylic, the appearance of the lids would be much better. May redo it in the future just for the display tank. some minor mods were needed for the weir clearance, but it was easy. This can drastically cut the cost of DIY screened lids if you use acrylic .

 

[KochergenJ]

Looks good, might try making one for my tank.

 

[likemike99]

what is the hole for? what type f acrylic did you use? I tried some from Home Depot and it just shattered in tiny pieces with my router.

 

[Savage Henry]

Looks great! I have been planning on making a lids for over a year now and not gotten anywhere with it. But, I am current using a piece 1mm transparent sheet. I found it in the garbage bin. It doesn’t warp so I am assuming it’s polycarbonate. I would like to find that material in a hardware store.

 

[UncommonSense]

Looks great! I have been planning on making a lids for over a year now and not gotten anywhere with it. But, I am current using a piece 1mm transparent sheet. I found it in the garbage bin. It doesn’t warp so I am assuming it’s polycarbonate. I would like to find that material in a hardware store.

Check out a local plastic fabrication shop; they love working with polycarbonate!

 

[VintageReefer]

The hole is probably for feeding and has a lid

All my lids are polycarbonate, it’s what the mainstream companies use. It won’t bow or distort over time

 

[UncommonSense]

What are the dimensions of this lid? I made solid 3/8” acrylic lids (with perimeter, and center spines) which were roughly 18” X 24” long ago, and they warped severely… it looks like using acrylic for the perimeter only, plus the perimeter spines are the secret!