50 Gal Tank Cover support....need ideas!!

I need to pick some of your brains...any help is greatly appreciated.

I've had a glass cover, 4mm thick, and it worked great. The girlfriend is moving in with her cat and it will get up on top, so I would like to replace it with something that could stand the weight of a cat jumping up on it without breaking. The light sits on top of the tank frame.

I was thinking thicker glass, but would need to create a brace/support in the middle of the tank to hold the 4th side of the heavier glass.

Any ideas on how to create the support for the glass to sit on?

 

I shall answer your question with one of my own.

Do you need the glass top?

Most recommend running an open top (provides better oxygenation), or using an egg crate top.

 

I guess I don't need a glass top, but it looks nice with my setup. And a good solution to have the cat not jump on it would be to remove it and let her fall in once. Unfortunately I have a skittish puffer in there that gets scared easily and would end up flying out and on to the floor.

Egg crate would work, but the tank is a bit lower and would be very noticeable. I was hoping for a brace of some sort. Would aluminum and saltwater be okay together?

 

Absolutely NO Aluminum. Stainless or titanium. Only 2 metals you can use on a salt tank.

However, If you powdercoated some Aluminum, that might work. Not sure I would risk it on my tank though.

 

okay, no aluminum....hmm a very hard plasti brace, or stainless steel? I will need one that won't bend at all and it fairly thin.

 

You could always do a T post shape.

Side view ______________________
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End view ____
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Yes a picture would be easier to understand, but I'm lazy today.

Basically a flat piece that would stretch the distance and sit on top the lip. Then add a vertical piece that would brace that one underneath the length of it.

 

hmm, I like the T post shape...any idea where I could get something like that, that would cover 35" without bending? That could be the answer if I could find something like that. It would have to be very rigid.

 

Why don't you build a wood canopy? Would cost about 25 dollars. That would be your best bet.

 

The frame and the stand is black, I would have to paint the wood canopy black, and it wouldn't look as nice. If I could figure out a way to brace the glass, it would be ideal. It's nice being able to look in from the top and see the fish.

 

Some plexi stock would work nicely. A little bit of epoxy and your done.