To retain heat and humidity better - instead of using the shirt,
I want to silicone either plexiglass or acrylic on there except for the opening
for the heat lamp.
I was just wondering what would be better to use.
Acrylic or Plexiglass? For reptile enclosure top to retain heat and humidity
- Thread starter i pee in the sea
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To retain heat and humidity better - instead of using the shirt,
I want to silicone either plexiglass or acrylic on there except for the opening
for the heat lamp.
I was just wondering what would be better to use.
I thought Plexiglass is a type of acrylic. From what I understand, Plexiglass is a brand of acrylic.
And silicone is a poor bonding sealant for acrylic, you should use a solvent that is made for plastic and there are safe ones to use but I can't remember the name off the top of my head. You can simply screw a hinge on the acrylic rather than bonding it.
And silicone is a poor bonding sealant for acrylic, you should use a solvent that is made for plastic and there are safe ones to use but I can't remember the name off the top of my head. You can simply screw a hinge on the acrylic rather than bonding it.
I thought Plexiglass is a type of acrylic. From what I understand, Plexiglass is a brand of acrylic.
And silicone is a poor bonding sealant for acrylic, you should use a solvent that is made for plastic and there are safe ones to use but I can't remember the name off the top of my head. You can simply screw a hinge on the acrylic rather than bonding it.
And silicone is a poor bonding sealant for acrylic, you should use a solvent that is made for plastic and there are safe ones to use but I can't remember the name off the top of my head. You can simply screw a hinge on the acrylic rather than bonding it.
I think you are right too!
The place I'm trying to order from is giving me an option of Acrylic and Plexiglass Acrylic.
I'm opting to silicone it because these Zilla tops are pretty flimsy, I've broken one before, but I do have a few spares lying around so that if one breaks I can just rip them off and silicone the pieces back onto the other top.
Any idea on which one I should go for though?
The place I'm trying to order from is giving me an option of Acrylic and Plexiglass Acrylic.
I'm opting to silicone it because these Zilla tops are pretty flimsy, I've broken one before, but I do have a few spares lying around so that if one breaks I can just rip them off and silicone the pieces back onto the other top.
Any idea on which one I should go for though?
they are both a plastic but are different. acrylic is a higher grade plastic i believe.
and silicone it in place. its not having any pressure and if you need to change it it will peel off well.
and silicone it in place. its not having any pressure and if you need to change it it will peel off well.
I use a piece of 1/4" acrylic on top of my ball pythons screen lid, to help keep the moisture and heat in. I just sit it on top, no need to silicone it in place. Just cut it to fit right inside the lip of the black plastic trim. It's easier to slide it to the side if the tank starts to get too hot in the summer if you don't silicone it in place.
Plain old Acrylic it is, thanks LP.
Conner, you make a good point. I thought it would be easier to open the top without having the pieces fall off somehow, because I open it almost every night.
Conner, you make a good point. I thought it would be easier to open the top without having the pieces fall off somehow, because I open it almost every night.
You might find your top will warp or maybe even melt slightly depending on your lamp wattage. I have a plastic top with screen mesh. I located my lamp on a support stand to make it nicer when opening the lid. After one day, the lid was warped pretty bad.
Glass may be better. Or you may be OK if you have a low wattage lamp.
Glass may be better. Or you may be OK if you have a low wattage lamp.
snakeguy101;4740716; said:
Acrylic will adhere to silicone, at least enough to form a weak bond. It won't hold up well enough to water pressure to build an aquarium, or hold up a heavy weight, but it will easily hold up for the purpose he's asking about.
I use silicone to seal acrylic inside sumps for my aquarium, and they hold up fine even with 1,500gph or so of water rushing into them.
Glass will work just as well, but if you decide you want to drill holes or cut an opening in the lid, acrylic will be easier to deal with.