DIY Acrylic & Mesh Screen Top

truetricia · Aug 21, 2019

Good afternoon R2R

Has anyone made their own acrylic and mesh screen top? I'm thinking something similar to what I know Clearvue is making now, but DIY. Post pictures if you have! Let's see them!

My tank is rimmed, and I'm thinking of cutting acrylic sheets to span the depth of the tank (24"). There will be one on each end, plus one across the middle support, framed by long pieces running down the length on the sides as well to create a framed square. Then clear mesh spanning the gap between them. I'll make some cut-outs for feeders, cords, etc. I hate the look of splined pieces, but also don't want to drop $250+ on a custom one from the Clearvue or another retailer.

I'm sure someone has made one before. Thoughts?

Sierra_Bravo · Aug 21, 2019

truetricia said:
Good afternoon R2R

Has anyone made their own acrylic and mesh screen top? I'm thinking something similar to what I know Clearvue is making now, but DIY. Post pictures if you have! Let's see them!

My tank is rimmed, and I'm thinking of cutting acrylic sheets to span the depth of the tank (24"). There will be one on each end, plus one across the middle support, framed by long pieces running down the length on the sides as well to create a framed square. Then clear mesh spanning the gap between them. I'll make some cut-outs for feeders, cords, etc. I hate the look of splined pieces, but also don't want to drop $250+ on a custom one from the Clearvue or another retailer.

I'm sure someone has made one before. Thoughts?

Not acrylic, but you can make a nice fitting DIY top out of screen spline. Here's mine:

X-37B · Aug 21, 2019

I use egg crate on my rimless nano and my rimmed 120. Works great, inexpensive, and easy to remove.

Wayne1712 · Aug 22, 2019

I built this one from polycarbonate and mesh i had left over from the jump guard kit for my other tank.

truetricia · Aug 22, 2019

Sierra_Bravo said:
Not acrylic, but you can make a nice fitting DIY top out of screen spline. Here's mine:

Wayne1712 said:
I built this one from polycarbonate and mesh i had left over from the jump guard kit for my other tank.

Ohhh! Very nice and sleek. I love the look of both of these.
@Wayne1712 , how did you attach your mesh?
@Sierra_Bravo which kit did you use? I used one for my QT tank and I absolutely hated the way it came out. Yours looks much cleaner.
@90's reefer Eggcrate doesn't give the look I'm going for, but thank you for the suggestion.

Sierra_Bravo · Aug 22, 2019

truetricia said:
Ohhh! Very nice and sleek. I love the look of both of these.
@Wayne1712 , how did you attach your mesh?
@Sierra_Bravo which kit did you use? I used one for my QT tank and I absolutely hated the way it came out. Yours looks much cleaner.
@90's reefer Eggcrate doesn't give the look I'm going for, but thank you for the suggestion.

Three tricks: 1) Use internal aluminum screen corners instead of the plastic ones. They allow you to butt the joints and create both inside and outside corners. 2) Use an adhesive when you assemble the corners to keep the joint rigid and strong. 3) Use 3-d printed cutouts for the small openings, such as the wire access. I found mine through a local fish store who had a contact, but I've also seen them on eBay.