Glass verus Perspex

[Philly Q]

Hi Guys,

I'm currently building my own Viv and am just debating how best to do the doors. I've had Viv's with perspex and glass doors in the past but I was wandering if one was preferable over the other?

The beauty of using something like plexiglass is I can cut it to fit at home easily and could replace just as easily should it get damaged or scratched. I just wonder if it is as effective when it comes to regulating temperature???

I prefer the safety of plexiglass also having a 2 year old in the house.

If it helps I'll be keeping Gecko's (More likely leopard or Tokay).

The door does not necessarily need to slide as I am thinging about a hinged affair.

Cheers Guys & Girls,


Phil xx

[Jim2109]

im probably going with a hinged door on my viv as well, and am fairly set on using perspex (im going to try and get some lexan at a sensible price as it has better resistance to UV yellowing and scratches. those are the 2 major downfalls of plastics over glass though. as well as price, perspex costs more in the UK.

with regards temperature, glass is a really poor insulator, heat will just disappear through it. perspex is slightly better, still nowhere near as good as wood, but better than glass. thats one of the pros, as well as you can cut it at home, its lighter in weight, more resistant to cracking/breaking, if it scratches it can be polished smooth again whereas a scratch in glass is there for life, there are probably a few ive forgotten

[themetz]

Hi All -

Just thought I'd try and offer further advice ref Perspex (acrylic) and Lexan (polycarbonate).

Both would be a good "safe" alternative to glass and both are UV stable (if buying Lexan make sure it is LEXAN EXELL D, not 9030) - so won't yellow.

Perspex, in fact, offers much better resistance to scratching than Lexan and if it is scratched can also be polished back to pretty near new. It has improved impact resistance compared to glass of equal thickness too. It is also easily fabricated (eg gluing acrylic hinges/knobs/handles on etc)

When Lexan is scratched it can't be rescued! However Lexan offers the highest impact strength performance of any clear material.

This site is a good resource for info and place to buy Perspex sheet cut to size:
Perspex Sheet | Cast Perspex Sheet | Buy Online

They also sell Lexan polycarbonate sheet and Perspex Polish!

Hope this helps -

themetz

[Jim2109]

interesting, i always though polycarbonate was more scratch resistant than acrylic and was also polishable. if its not then the additional expense doesnt really make any sense over acrylic.

with regards polishing scratches out - use toothpaste!! its ever so slightly abrasive and if you work it in small circles it works a charm. ive seen it used a few times for visors on motor racing helmets when they get a scratch. bearing in mind a scratch on a visor when youre going in excess of 100mph in low sunlight is rather more critical than a scratch on a reptile viv lol

[Alex]

I built using safety glass because my ceramic heater is close to the glass and i didnt want the perspex to warp, melt etc.

[Darbz]

Lexan will cost you ALOT more than perspex.

in the viv's I'm currently building I'm using Polystyrene. Obviously not the expanded stuff..but polystyrene 'plastic-glass'. it's alot cheaper and I would guess, though i have no figures or proof of this, that it would have thermal properties as good as or maybe even better than perspex..

[Jim2109]

Originally Posted by Darbz

Lexan will cost you ALOT more than perspex.

in the viv's I'm currently building I'm using Polystyrene. Obviously not the expanded stuff..but polystyrene 'plastic-glass'. it's alot cheaper and I would guess, though i have no figures or proof of this, that it would have thermal properties as good as or maybe even better than perspex..

where did you get the polystyrene sheet from? i didnt realise you could get clear polystyrene, i always think of it as expanded or solid colours. probably worth a look if its cheaper than acrylic.

[Darbz]

Shop local to me...it was dead cheap..cost me £40 for 12 pieces cut to size...

[Armed_with_a_mind]

Hiya, I've got a large glass terrarium which I would like to be able to divide/section off areas. Can anybody tell me what you use to secure the glass/perspex sheet to a viv? It probably isn't possible, but does anybody know how I could securely fix a sheet of perspex or glass or something to the viv, but in a way which would allow for me to move/rearrange it if i needed to? From previous replies here it sounds like Perspex is a good choice, but would it warp under lights/heat? thanks

[Jim2109]

if the perspex is going to make contact on at least 3 sides (e.g. the piece is going to fully fill in the centre of the viv) then you can just use aquarium silicone. its as good as an adhesive for holding things in place, fully seals them as well, but can be removed at a later date without damaging or marking the glass or perspex (if youre careful with its removal).

it wont warp at air temperature, and it wont warp underneath or around lights, unless the proximity is such that it can reach temperatures exceeding 75-80°C. in other words so long as the lights are at least 3-6" away and/or not pointed directly at it, it shouldnt be an issue at all.