post #1 of 54 (permalink) Sliding Glass Top how-to Here is the thread that started the sliding glass top discovery. I posted DIY instructions for making sliding glass tops on another site and it got hacked, since it was not backed up it went to bit heaven. Having been asked several times how to do this I will attempt to repost the instructions. Read the above post first to understand why I got here. First you will need some outside corner moulding for tile. I found it at Lowes in the door/window section. The SKU is 1141511635; make sure you get this one as there were two sizes when I got it. Here is a cross section of the moulding. There are two ways to do sliding glass tops side-to-side Once you have decided which you want, cut the moulding to fit inside the top frame of the tank. Measure the distance from one side of the channel to the other. Take note the glass needs to sit inside the channel and on top of the molding. You will also need to compute the size openings you want, i.e., the lengths of the 2 pieces.

I recommend you go 50/50, for example if the opening is 24� wide and 13� deep you will need to get 2 pieces of glass cut 24� wide x 6 �� deep which will give you an overlap of around ��. This is what I mean by overlap. best fish tank water clarifierSee where the 2 pieces of glass overlap in the middle?top 10 community aquarium fish Go to Lowes and get some glass cut. fish tank ideas tumblrMeasure your tank carefully and double check the cut they make, it is a PITA to get home and find out you or they measured wrong. 55 gallon fish tank weight empty

I have made several sliding glass tops and believe me there are folks that can cut glass and folks that cannot. Put the front piece of the glass in the track and the back piece on top of the molding. I have tried both ways. 3 foot fish tank cabinetPutting the back piece on top keeps the two pieces of molding apart and out of the tank, putting the moving piece in the track keeps it from coming off the tank and breaking or falling in the tank.cheap co2 aquarium kit I got handles at my LFS for a buck, you can use whatever works for you. Here is a picture of my 55 gallon with side-to-side sliding glass tops: Here is a picture of a 20 gallon long with front-to-back sliding glass tops: One thing I did to the 20 gallon longs is to put a handle on each piece of glass; this allows me to move either piece gaining access to the whole tank.

Let me know if I left anything out or there are any questions��DC My show tanks are drilled with all equipment in the stand. Visit links below to see how I did it. Disclaimer: Do not try any of these w/o adult supervision.*37G Drilled/Plumbed*46G Drilled/Plumbed*55G Drilled/Plumbed*110G Drilled/Plumbed/Sumped*Sliding Glass Tops for Any Tank*Inline CO2 Reactors with and w/o CO2 Probe*Portable UV Sterilizer for Tank to Tank Use*PVC CO2 Multi Valve Manifold for Multiple Tanks*RO Water Filtration/Storage/Changers/Distribution for Large Tanks*Building My Fish Room*Share on Google+Share on FacebookPinit on PinterestShare on TwitterSubscribe to our YouTube ChannelAquarium dimensions and sizes may vary slightly by brand or by trim type and color. The aquarium dimensions of one brand of tank may be slightly larger (or smaller) than the aquarium dimensions for the same gallon tank of a different brand. Similarly, the aquarium dimensions of a tank with one color trim may be a slightly different aquarium size compared to the same gallon tank with a different color trim.

This slight difference in aquarium dimensions may not be a significant concern in most cases. But it’s something to keep in mind, especially if buying a tank of one brand and an aquarium hood, cover or an aquarium stand of another brand, for instance.It’s generally good practice to bring a tape measure to the local fish store and double check actual measurements notwithstanding what is printed on the outside of the box.Ask the clerk at the local fish store to measure the aquarium dimensions, and then measure the corresponding hood out of the box to see if it actually fits the tank being purchased. Go through the same procedure for the aquarium stand or cabinet as well. It’s a good idea to physically inspect products at the store before buying. Sometimes items are returned by customers, put into the wrong box and then resold. One may think they are getting an item according to the size written on the box only to find out that what they ended up with is it not what they expected. So measure and check before leaving the store It just saves the time and trouble of not getting it right and having to return the items later.

It’s better to think twice and pay and pour once, as opposed to pay, pour and regret.Aquarium dimensions for a 10 gallon aquarium, and lower, are considered small tanks and have a limited bio-load capacity and a very thin margin for error. If keeping a small tank, be certain to have adequate filtration and avoid overstocking. Along these lines, as aquarium dimensions increase so does bio-load capacity as well as the need for greater filtration capacity. Either way, its important for hobbyists to proceed slowly and methodically. All measurements are in inches:2.5 Gallon Aquarium: 12 x 6 x 8 – 12 3/16 x 6 1/8 x 8 1/85.5 Gallon Aquarium: 16 x 8 x 10 – 16 3/16 x 8 3/8 x 10 1/210 Gallon Aquarium: 20 x 10 x 12 – 20 1/4 x 10 1/2 x 12 9/1615 Gallon Aquarium: 24 x 12 x 12 – 24 1/4 x 12 1/2 x 12 3/415 Gallon Aquarium: 20 x 10 x 18 – 20 1/4 x 10 1/2 x 18 3/4 (High)20 Gallon Aquarium: 30 x 12 x 12 (Long)20 Gallon Aquarium: 24 x 12 x 16 – 24 1/4 x 12 1/2 x 16 3/4 (High)20 Gallon Aquarium

: 20 x 10 x 24 (Extra High)25 Gallon Aquarium: 24 x 12 x 20 – 24 1/4 x 12 1/2 x 20 3/429 Gallon Aquarium: 30 x 12 x 18 – 30 1/4 x 12 1/2 x 18 3/430 Gallon Aquarium: 36 x 13 x 16 – 36 1/4 x 12 5/8 x 16 3/440 Gallon Aquarium: 36 x 13 x 20 (High)40 Gallon Aquarium: 48 x 13 x 16 – 48 1/4 x 12 3/4 x 16 7/8 (Long)45 Gallon Aquarium: 36 1/4 x 12 5/8 x 23 3/450 Gallon Aquarium: 36 3/8 x 18 3/8 x 1955 Gallon Aquarium: 48 x 13 x 21 – 48 1/4 x 12 3/4 x 2160 Gallon Aquarium: 48 x 13 x 2465 Gallon Aquarium: 36 x 18 x 24 – 36 3/8 x 18 3/8 x 2575 Gallon Aquarium: 48 x 18 x 21 – 48 1/2 x 18 1/2 x 21 1/890 Gallon Aquarium: 48 x 18 x 24 – 48 1/2 x 18 1/2 x 25 3/8110 Gallon Aquarium: 48 x 18 x 30120 Gallon Aquarium: 48 x 24 x 24 – 48 1/2 x 24 1/2 x 25 1/2125 Gallon Aquarium: 72 x 18 x 21150 Gallon Aquarium: 72 x 18 x 28180 Gallon Aquarium: 72 x 24 x 25 – 72 1/2 x 24 1/2 x 25 5/8210 Gallon Aquarium: 72 1/2 x 24 1/2 x 29 5/8In addition, there are types of specialty tanks with different aquarium dimensions.

Bow front tanks, tanks with round shapes, and hexagon shaped tanks to name a few. When considering purchasing a specialty tank, be mindful that these types of tanks have non-rectangular aquarium dimensions so measure and plan accordingly.10 Gallon Hexagon: 14 1/2 x 12 9/16 x 18 3/420 Gallon Hexagon: 18 3/4 x 16 1/4 x 20 5/835 Gallon Hexagon: 23 1/4 x 20 3/16 x 24 3/460 Gallon Hexagon: 27 1/4 x 24 1/8 x 29 1/2Also, there are other types of fish tanks used for breeding purposes. The aquarium dimensions of breeder tanks vary based on the gallon size and water volume, but they generally are deeper in terms of width. Just be aware that when one speaks of a 40 gallon tank for example, it may be 40 gallon long tank a 40 gallon breeder tank, each with different aquarium dimensions.It’s a good idea to think of aquarium size in terms of the aquarium setup as a whole. While that includes the number of gallons and water volume, it also includes size and area considerations including:The actual aquarium dimensions;

Room for the aquarium stand or cabinet; Space between the back of the aquarium and the wall; and The amount of free area around the front, sides and above the tank.Many years ago a friend had an aquarium size that was too large for the room it was in. On top of that, children would play in the area in front of the tank, and the area around the tank was really a high traffic pathway in the room. One day, someone was vacuuming the rug in front of the aquarium and the vacuum handle went right through the glass. Fortunately they were able to save the fish, but the whole scene was quite a mess.Along those lines, pay particular attention to any shelving or hanging items in the space above the tank. It’s possible that something may fall off the shelf or the wall, and hit the tank glass just right. The next thing you know you’re in buckets, towels and squeegee mode…not to mention it could be fatal to the fish.Another consideration is to make sure the aquarium size allows for enough room between the back of the tank and the wall.