[Airedale]

For my 75 conversion, I need to use some glass or plexglass. However, I'm not sure which would be the better choice, what thickness to use, and what would be the best place to get it. Any suggestions?

[rhachic]

There's a lot of variables in that question! What are you using it for? Will there be water? Will it be near a window (sunlight)?

If you're using water you should stick with glass as plexi can be flexible even if you get the super thick acrylic (trust me I tried and failed 2x with a acrylic 3/4" thick aquarium and made a huuuge mess of my wood floor). Also, many plexi's will discolor if exposed to direct sunlight so if you plan to have this near a window again I suggest glass. As far as thickness goes, the thinner the cheaper, but the thinner the weaker. So you'll want to consider what kind of weight or pressure it needs to hold up to (dirt, a light, you bumping it, etc). I forget what thickness my glass store suggested to me for an aquarium but it was quite thick. If you're not doing water you could go down to 1/4" and probably be safe with any light fixture or light substrate that might push against it.

[Ozymandias]

rhachic there are different grades of plexi and Acrylic so that is always an option if you can find it. for glass go no thinner than 1/4" (1/4" would probably be what you need anyway) but thicker will be stronger. and the find a glass place near you goggle maps is youre friend ether type in glass or glaser in you area and you will usually find some hits for youre area

[rhachic]

Roy,
Yes, I have tried 3 different types of acrylics and plexi. I use lexan for my doors on my vivariums as it is strong, much easier to cut than acrylics and the thinner plexi, and does not get the discoloration if exposed to sunlight. However lexan is very pricey and the issue remains that it is not ideal for any water-type setup Jim may want to do as it is very flexible.

[Riverside Reptiles]

Everything has it's upsides and downsides. If you're looking for something for that 75 gallon conversion, you might want to look into a nice thick piece of Lexan. It won't yellow or scratch like plexi, it's much lighter weight than glass, and it's as strong as steel. It can also be cut with a normal circular saw or jigsaw which makes it very easy to work with. Downside??? It's expensive. But if you're building something that you want to last for a long time, it's worth it.

[Riverside Reptiles]

Originally Posted by rhachic

Roy,
Yes, I have tried 3 different types of acrylics and plexi. I use lexan for my doors on my vivariums as it is strong, much easier to cut than acrylics and the thinner plexi, and does not get the discoloration if exposed to sunlight. However lexan is very pricey and the issue remains that it is not ideal for any water-type setup Jim may want to do as it is very flexible.

I've had no issues with leaks and lexan personally. But that may have to do with differences in thickness, etc.