Heating an acrylic plexiglass tank.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 12:06 pm

I have a question concerning heating our home built habitat. My wife was able to aquire several sheets of 1/8 inch acrylic plexiglass which she intends to use to build a new habitat for our crabs. The new tank will be 2 foot long by two foot deep and only 1 foot high. We want to give our crabs plenty of surface area to explore! But we arent sure how to best heat the tank. We are afraid that too powerful of a heating pad may melt or warp the acrylic, but that a low heat one might not provide enough heat. Any suggestions?

Ren1216 · Post by **Ren1216** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 5:13 pm

Sorry, I dont have any suggestions regarding using plexiglass and how to heat your new tanks. But just wanted to ask, will you also be making custom covers for the tanks?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 3:45 am

Yes we will.The cover will also be made of plexiglass to trap humidity with holes drilled for air. The lid will have a hinged center so that it can be opened for either side.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 4:04 am

have you thought of using glass? you can get it cut and it is cheaper too. then you could use a plexi top. 1/4 inch glass would work well. You could build a wood support and use aquarium silicone to put it together. I may try to build one in the summer.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 4:58 am

The reason we are undergoing this project at all is because my wife can get the plexiglass for free at her work. She can even get it cut for free. We are just wondering how to best go about heating it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:08 am

Have you considered heat lamps?

tnyfootprntz · Post by **tnyfootprntz** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:54 am

For what it's worth, the 1/4" plexi we made our tank covers out of warps slightly, just sittin' on top of the tank with no heat source at all. I just flip them over every now and then to make them warp back into shape. So I hope you're not going to have any problems with the thinner plexiglass. Sorry, not trying to be all negative, but if the thicker plexiglass is available, I'd go for that instead. The thinner will be more likely to split when tooling, so be careful and good luck! (I know, you didn't ask for any building advice, but I couldn't help putting in my 2 cents.)As far as heat I would also suggest some sort of lamp which you can experiment with different wattage and distance from the crabitat.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:59 am

Lamps are starting to look like the way to go, but we may experiment with some low wattage heat pads as well. As for the lights, what is best to use and where is the best place to find them. Do I need special bulbs?Unfortunately, the 1/8 inch is all that is available for her, but on the plus side, her work has a laser cutter to do all the cutting, so percise smooth edges are no problem!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 1:32 pm

I would start with a 15-25 watt moonglo bulb in a fish hood. Prop each end up of the hood up with a paperback book so the lights don't sit on the plexiglass. It's a pain to get into the tank but your lid might not warp. I did this last winter and will do it this winter when I down size my little guys to a 20L tank.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 1:47 pm

More building advice- you might consider using some thin, flat wood molding to help support your top and keep it from warping out of shape. One or two pieces across the width, going all the way across, should give enough support to keep it from sagging too much. Attach it with aquarium sealant. You might also consider making your crabitat 18" tall instead of just 12", if that's possible, that gives your crabbies room for climbing toys.

PSUPrncess10 · Post by **PSUPrncess10** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 3:04 pm

I use a plain old 60W light bulb in a regular fixture on top of my tank... I have a mesh reptile lid which I covered with plastic page protectors to keep the humidity in... the bulb sits pretty much directly on the plastic - no warping or burning of the plastic and keeps my 20L at a great temperature (light on during the day and off at night).... hope you find something that works, thought I'd give you another option!