Cutting my acrylic tank

adw · #1 08/10/2004, 11:11 AM

Hi guys. I have a 75 gallon acrylic tank that I'm breaking down to move to my new apartment. I wanted to open up more of the top of the tank to help with heat in the tank. currently there are two 12"x6" openings. Would it be possible to cut the acrylic with out risking cracking the tank? What tools would I need?

Thanks,
Alex

beerguy · #2 08/10/2004, 11:13 AM

A router would probably be your best bet and least prone to chipping. Now whether I'd have the nerve to try it is another story.

Cheers

adw · #3 08/10/2004, 11:18 AM

That's what I was thinking. I don't know if its worth it.

dedfish · #4 08/10/2004, 12:58 PM

I really can't help you, but I think you left out some important details that may help others help you. What are the dimensions of the tank and how thick is the acrylic. Those openings are probably sized the way they are for a reason.

jwm2k3 · #5 08/10/2004, 01:01 PM

I had an acrylic 450gal that I wanted to cut the top off of. The only way to support the sides of the tank from NOT letting go seemed to be with euro bracing.

Do a search here on RC for euro bracing. Cool stuff.

Ryan · #6 08/10/2004, 03:42 PM

I have used a dremel, with the cutting tool. It worked alright, but I did get a few jagged edges that required sanding. I'd try something else, if you can.

adw · #7 08/10/2004, 09:15 PM

It's a standard sized 75 with the front and sides all one piece. The opening seem rather small and the tank retains a great deal of heat. I'll include some pictures.

agiacosa · #8 08/11/2004, 07:23 AM

Agreed. The top bracing is there to support the tank walls. Be very careful about reducing that. How thick is the acrylic?

Vincerama2 · #9 08/11/2004, 07:27 PM

You might want to consider buying a drill bit for acrylic and adding some holes to the top bracing. You might lose some structural integrity, but not as much as cutting off larger pieces of the bracing.

I had a 30g acrylic tank with the top perimeter bracing and I wanted to make it a sump, so I took my router and routed off MOST of the bracing (leaving a mere centimeter or so of bracing around the top rim. The baffles I added should keep tank bowing to a minimum, plus it's not full to the top, since it's a sump. The router was amazing, though I wasn't very good at keeping the cut straight. Make sure you know how to use the router, of course!

V