40G Marineland Breeder Glass Tops ~ Where to Find?

[PewPewChris]

Setup my new 40G Breeder yesterday...the top the guy at the LFS sold me was for an aquarium with a middle brace. I honestly would have made the two piece glass work and have to openings on either end of the tank...but with my Fluvall Plant light running the length of the tank I'd have to remove the light for every change.

Went to Petco just now to get a replacement, got the 36" x 18" Aqueon thinking it would work...got home...nope, it's like a 1/4 inch too wide.

A quick google search didn't bring up something specific for Marineland...help, thoughts, recommendations?

 

[Uberhoust]

I have two marine land tanks and the topfin glass tops from petsmart have fit my tanks, the originals got broken. My tanks are 60 and 75 gallons so they use different sizes than the 40 gallon breeders but it might be worth a look. https://www.petsmart.ca/fish/heatin...-aquarium-glass-top-27534.html?fmethod=Search

Now I also have a top fin aquarium and the top fin glass covers do not fit the top fin tank... In that case I cut 1/4" off the length of the glass using the score and break method. It wasn't perfect but I got it to work in the end, cutting a 1/4" using that method is not very easy. Some people have used a diamond grit saw to cut the glass, that would be the best just make sure you do it wet otherwise you risk making Silca dust which is very unhealthy to breath in.

 

[Back in the fold]

Measure your opening and order your glass from a glass shop. You can buy hinges and back strips off the internet.

 

[PewPewChris]

Measure your opening and order your glass from a glass shop. You can buy hinges and back strips off the internet.

Good call, never even thought about that...

 

[FranciscoB]

Setup my new 40G Breeder yesterday...the top the guy at the LFS sold me was for an aquarium with a middle brace. I honestly would have made the two piece glass work and have to openings on either end of the tank...but with my Fluvall Plant light running the length of the tank I'd have to remove the light for every change.

Went to Petco just now to get a replacement, got the 36" x 18" Aqueon thinking it would work...got home...nope, it's like a 1/4 inch too wide.

A quick google search didn't bring up something specific for Marineland...help, thoughts, recommendations?

I just bought a TopFin glass top for one of my oldish 40b (no center brace). Bought it at PetSmart. Fits perfectly.
Even thought it does not require a center brace, I glued a piece of glass as a 'center brace', simply to avoid that occasional falling-of-the-whole-top-thing into the tank, when not paying attention while servicing something in the tank. Yeah, I have done that before.

 

[PewPewChris]

I just bought a TopFin glass top for one of my oldish 40b (no center brace). Bought it at PetSmart. Fits perfectly.
Even thought it does not require a center brace, I glued a piece of glass as a 'center brace', simply to avoid that occasional falling-of-the-whole-top-thing into the tank, when not paying attention while servicing something in the tank. Yeah, I have done that before.

What size was it? Everything I am seeing is not the 36" I would need (or slightly less, thus the issue). The Aqueon is the only one the interwebs keep taking me too and that's the one that doesn't fit.

 

[Uberhoust]

I am not seeing the TopFin 36" either, though I am pretty sure I have seen them in the past.

 

[PewPewChris]

Welp...$30 down...no solution. The wife and I attempted to cut off the literally 1/4" of glass from the Aqueon lid I got at Petco. We broke it pretty quickly trying to score and chip off that little amount of glass.

I guess I'm going to try and find a glass cutter, or get some glass at Home Depot and have them cut it to size. I'd assume window glass is fine, right?

 

[FranciscoB]

Sorry for the glass too blues. At least at my local Home Depot, what they carry on glass is pitiful nowadays, with only very thin glass. You are better off going to a glass place. However, I believe your best option is to make a center brace (cut glass and silicone), and purchase a 2 piece versa top (various brands would now be suitable) and call it the day. You would have a hinge, handle, and plastic strip for the back.

 

[PewPewChris]

Sorry for the glass too blues. At least at my local Home Depot, what they carry on glass is pitiful nowadays, with only very thin glass. You are better off going to a glass place. However, I believe your best option is to make a center brace (cut glass and silicone), and purchase a 2 piece versa top (various brands would now be suitable) and call it the day. You would have a hinge, handle, and plastic strip for the back.

I actually already have a 2 piece top that would work, if I had the brace. I'm just not exactly sure how best to go about doing that install. There is a thick plastic rim around the entire lid of the aquarium for the glass top to rest in. Are you saying simple cut a piece of glass to width/length and "gluing" it into the rim with silicone for the other pieces of glass to rest on?

 

[FranciscoB]

Yes. Just have a piece of glass cut and glued it to the frame; you can do it on top, or underneath. Underneath is better because that way the glass top sits perfectly on the top of the tank, instead of not sitting flush. If you prefer, it does not need to be glued; it can just sit n top, but you need to be careful.(Photo 1 - TopFin cover with glass center brace).
Photo 2 - The box of the TopFin glass cover I bought.
Photo 3 - An older center brace I used in same tank, for years. Still fully functional. A piece of black plexiglass that sits in the middle of the tank (not glued) in the same way as the glass as in photo one. On top of the plexiglass I attached a small length of wood, to eliminate plexiglass bowing.
Many options, some better looking than others, depending of what is the purpose of the tank.
Apologize for quality of pictures but I literally just went and did them for you, and did not worry about reflections or cropping.

 

[PewPewChris]

Thanks for sharing. I'm still debating several options, both short-term and long term...my wife thinks I'm nuts.

I'm thinking short-term about getting some 8mm polycarbonate from Home Depot. Seems easy to cut to size and I think I could make it work.

Long-term I think I want to get two nice pieces of glass...one that kind of rests permanently on the back half of the tank and the second piece I will use either a nice clear acrylic or something non-breakable to be able to lift on and off.

 

[FranciscoB]

Good luck! You may need a provision for plexiglass/polycarbonate bowing, which is always always the case.

 

[PewPewChris]

Good luck! You may need a provision for plexiglass/polycarbonate bowing, which is always always the case.

The small cut piece of glass or a cut down yardstick is my plan for the short-term if that is the case lol

 

[PewPewChris]

Not bad for a short-term fix. I may cut another piece as I kind of jacked up the back left corner. Once I determine the "final" short term piece I will 3M some handles on it.