FergusDaFish
- #1
My grandma gave me a 20G aquarium a few weeks ago and I have moved Fergus into it but it didn't have a hood or anything to keep water from evaporating out of it or my cat from getting into it so I've been looking around for solutions. I've heard recommendations for using acrylic or plexI sheets but the couple that I bought just bowed down into the tank and a few times actually bowed so much they fell in.
Then I found this DIY that was pretty cool: A glass, sliding hood/lid that I could use with my Finnex Planted LED Light!
The "fixed" bottom panel sits below the movable top panel which slides along a track made from vinyl molding from Home Depot.
Total cost was about $23, less if you already have the material or you find it at Good Will or something
Materials:
- Glass ~$12 from Home Depot, or free stolen from an unused picture frame
- Outside Corner Molding (an upside down F shape) ~$2.75
- 220 grit Sandpaper
- Glass cutter ~$2-$12 depending on if you buy just the tool or a kit
- Tape Measure
- Utility knife or fine-toothed saw
- Pencil or marker to mark your measurements
- Heavy leather gloves, no measly latex or nitrile, heavy ones!
- Eye protection
*** You will be working with glass so gloves and eye protection are a must!***
NOTES:
1) This will only work on tanks with frames.
2) I have a sponge filter in this tank; I don't know how it would work with other filter types.
3) The hood sits on the little lip of the frame so all dimensions should be of the inside of the frame above the lip.
(4) Fit the pieces as you go so you can adjust measurements as needed.
Step 1
Cut (4) pieces of molding using the knife/saw to the following dimensions:
(2) The short dimension of the frame (assuming a front-to-back slide)
(1) The long dimension of the frame minus the width of the (2) molding pieces above or ~1 1/2"
(1) About 2" wide for a handle
My frame measured 11 1/2" the short dimension by 23" the long dimension so I cut (2) pieces a smidgen shy 11 1/2" and (1) a smidgen shy of 21 1/2". And the 2" piece.
Step 2
Measure for your glass. You'll need two pieces the long dimension of your frame minus an allowance for the molding (between 1/8" and 3/16" depending on how tight a fit you want). For the short dimension, take the short dimension of your frame, divide by 2 and then add back about 1/2" for a center overlap.
My frame is 23" the long dimension minus about 1/8" for the molding means I cut my glass to be about 22 7/8" the long dimension. My frame is 11 1/2" front-to-back, divided by 2 and plus 1/2" means I cut two pieces of glass about 6 3/4".
Step 3
Put on your gloves and glasses.
Step 4
Seriously, put them on.
Step 5
For realz, y'all, I cut myself unwrapping my glass. Put the stankin' gloves on.
Step 6
Cut two pieces the dimensions you measured in Step 2. I cut two pieces 22 7/8" by 6 3/4".
Step 7
Use the sandpaper to sand down the edges of the glass until they are smooth. Pay special attention to the corners. Clean the glass.
Step 8
Slide the two side pieces of molding onto the short ends of one of the pieces of glass and the third piece on the long edge and fit into the frame of your tank. If you have hoses or electrical cords coming out the back of your tank this "fixed" piece of glass will not so all the way to the frame to allow space for the hoses and cords to come out. Put the 2" piece of molding on the front edge of the second piece of glass and set that piece on top of the molding edges and voila! You're done!
Here is a texty diagram of how the molding and glass goes together:
| |
| | ------------------------------ <-- Sliding piece of glass
| |___________
| | ------------------------------ <-- "fixed" piece of glass
| |_______ <-- Molding
|______ <--Tank frame
OPTIONAL
If you don't want the molding to be white you can spray paint it whatever color you want.
This is the side piece of molding sitting on the lip of the tank frame.
***Note the band aid on my finger***
***WEAR GLOVES!!!!*
The 2" piece of moulding used as a handle to slide the top piece of glass.
The top piece of glass sits on top of the moulding and slides freely.
Then I found this DIY that was pretty cool: A glass, sliding hood/lid that I could use with my Finnex Planted LED Light!
The "fixed" bottom panel sits below the movable top panel which slides along a track made from vinyl molding from Home Depot.
Total cost was about $23, less if you already have the material or you find it at Good Will or something
Materials:
- Glass ~$12 from Home Depot, or free stolen from an unused picture frame
- Outside Corner Molding (an upside down F shape) ~$2.75
- 220 grit Sandpaper
- Glass cutter ~$2-$12 depending on if you buy just the tool or a kit
- Tape Measure
- Utility knife or fine-toothed saw
- Pencil or marker to mark your measurements
- Heavy leather gloves, no measly latex or nitrile, heavy ones!
- Eye protection
*** You will be working with glass so gloves and eye protection are a must!***
NOTES:
1) This will only work on tanks with frames.
2) I have a sponge filter in this tank; I don't know how it would work with other filter types.
3) The hood sits on the little lip of the frame so all dimensions should be of the inside of the frame above the lip.
(4) Fit the pieces as you go so you can adjust measurements as needed.
Step 1
Cut (4) pieces of molding using the knife/saw to the following dimensions:
(2) The short dimension of the frame (assuming a front-to-back slide)
(1) The long dimension of the frame minus the width of the (2) molding pieces above or ~1 1/2"
(1) About 2" wide for a handle
My frame measured 11 1/2" the short dimension by 23" the long dimension so I cut (2) pieces a smidgen shy 11 1/2" and (1) a smidgen shy of 21 1/2". And the 2" piece.
Step 2
Measure for your glass. You'll need two pieces the long dimension of your frame minus an allowance for the molding (between 1/8" and 3/16" depending on how tight a fit you want). For the short dimension, take the short dimension of your frame, divide by 2 and then add back about 1/2" for a center overlap.
My frame is 23" the long dimension minus about 1/8" for the molding means I cut my glass to be about 22 7/8" the long dimension. My frame is 11 1/2" front-to-back, divided by 2 and plus 1/2" means I cut two pieces of glass about 6 3/4".
Step 3
Put on your gloves and glasses.
Step 4
Seriously, put them on.
Step 5
For realz, y'all, I cut myself unwrapping my glass. Put the stankin' gloves on.
Step 6
Cut two pieces the dimensions you measured in Step 2. I cut two pieces 22 7/8" by 6 3/4".
Step 7
Use the sandpaper to sand down the edges of the glass until they are smooth. Pay special attention to the corners. Clean the glass.
Step 8
Slide the two side pieces of molding onto the short ends of one of the pieces of glass and the third piece on the long edge and fit into the frame of your tank. If you have hoses or electrical cords coming out the back of your tank this "fixed" piece of glass will not so all the way to the frame to allow space for the hoses and cords to come out. Put the 2" piece of molding on the front edge of the second piece of glass and set that piece on top of the molding edges and voila! You're done!
Here is a texty diagram of how the molding and glass goes together:
| |
| | ------------------------------ <-- Sliding piece of glass
| |___________
| | ------------------------------ <-- "fixed" piece of glass
| |_______ <-- Molding
|______ <--Tank frame
OPTIONAL
If you don't want the molding to be white you can spray paint it whatever color you want.
This is the side piece of molding sitting on the lip of the tank frame.
***Note the band aid on my finger***
***WEAR GLOVES!!!!*
The 2" piece of moulding used as a handle to slide the top piece of glass.
The top piece of glass sits on top of the moulding and slides freely.