So... I bought some 1/4" acrylic from home depot with which I planned on building a
sump. No, it wasn't the brand name "Acry-lite" but supposedly was just as good. The bigger sheets were $75 each so I figured just based on cost alone this must be some pretty good stuff.
So, I started to tinker. And even though it really wasn't a big deal from a construction perspective, my first project was a nice little lid with a handle for my 10 gallon tank housing my copepod culture. Turned out nice!
However, as several weeks have gone by, this acrylic is sagging. Or curling. Or both. At first, it just seemed like a curl, as the long ends of this lid both lifted. Significantly. Now, this thing is NOT a miniature half-pipe by any means, but if you held one side down flush, the other side is up by nearly 2 full cm. Now it also seems like the material may be sagging the other direction as well.
My first question is... did I do something wrong?
My second question is... I really don't want to be building a
sump with this material, do I?
I really thought this material was pretty sturdy. I am in a little bit of shock about it. Now granted, this lid does not have any support bracing on it (that a
sump would have) but it also is apparently not capable of sustaining its' own weight.
I'd appreciate your input.
