Type of acrylic

reefsquared · Mar 7, 2017

can I used any type of acrylic for an overflow cover or do I need to use a certain type?

cromag27 · Mar 7, 2017

You can use any type, but acrylic will warp and you'll have to keep flipping it over.

jeff williams · Mar 8, 2017

cromag08 said:
You can use any type, but acrylic will warp and you'll have to keep flipping it over.

+1 acrylic for a lid is a pain in the butt. Cell cast is what's usually used for aquariums. Extruded is a little cheaper and Lexon is more expensive bit is way more scratch resistant than the others and way tougher

cromag27 · Mar 8, 2017

lexan is a band name of polycarbonate. polycarbonate is way MORE prone to scratching than acrylic.

jeff williams said:
+1 acrylic for a lid is a pain in the butt. Cell cast is what's usually used for aquariums. Extruded is a little cheaper and Lexon is more expensive bit is way more scratch resistant than the others and way tougher

jeff williams · Mar 8, 2017

cromag08 said:
lexan is a band name of polycarbonate. polycarbonate is way MORE prone to scratching than acrylic.

Yes it is a name brand but it is what poly wind shields are made of due to it much hid her scratch resistance and a lot tougher than cast or extruded

cromag27 · Mar 8, 2017

no, windshields (and such) are sometimes made out of polycarbonate because of how impact resistant they are. not because they scratch less easily. there are certain types of polycarbonate that have scratch resistant coatings, but the the sheets are costly. so simply saying polycarbonate is less prone to scratch compared to acrylic is not a true statement. besides, polycarbonate isn't used as often as acrylic in this industry.

jeff williams said:
Yes it is a name brand but it is what poly wind shields are made of due to it much hid her scratch resistance and a lot tougher than cast or extruded

jeff williams · Mar 8, 2017

Sorry op apparently Lexon poly isn't as scratch resistant as acrylic however we were talking about building an overflow cover not an entire tank so my thought was you might be able to pick up a scrap piece from an acrylic supplier maybe Cromag08 has a suggestion

cromag27 · Mar 8, 2017

yeah for an overflow cover, scratching isn't really a big concern and polycarbonate would be a better choice than acrylic.

jeff williams said:
Sorry op apparently Lexon poly isn't as scratch resistant as acrylic however we were talking about building an overflow cover not an entire tank so my thought was you might be able to pick up a scrap piece from an acrylic supplier maybe Cromag08 has a suggestion