DIY aquarium tops, tank covers, & aquarium covers.

I got tired of always having to buy aquarium tops. Sometimes they wouldnt fit (old tanks), I didnt like the mesh material, or they just wouldnt stand up to prolonged use ... So I made my own tank covers. Below is how to make your own.

Tools needed:

Drill with both a countersink bit and a phillips bit to drive in screws
Staple gun and 1/2" staples
Hammer
Saw
tin snips or metal shears

Materials Needed:

1" X 2" x 8'
Metal lathing ($4.00 for a 30" w x 8'L piece), Hardware cloth can be used instead of lathing.
1 5/8 screws

Measure the top of the aquarium. You will need to add 1/4" to the length(C), and 1 3/4" to the width (B). For this demonstration I have used a 10 gallon tank. So B is 12 1/4" and C is 20 1/2".

Materials needed to make a DIY aquarium top

A. 1 5/8" screws
B. End pieces for the aquarium top.
C. Side pieces for the aquarium cover.
D Metal lathing for use on the tank cover.

Next you need to pre drill both ends of B. These need to be placed on top of C as shown below. You should always pre-drill and countersink to minimize splitting.

Putting together the wood for DIY aquarium tops

Next cut out the metal lathing (D in top picture) to the outer dimensions of the wood frame you have just made. Staple it on using the 1/2" staples, hammer any staples down that stick up, and lightly hit the edges you cut to knock down sharp edges.

Finished Aquarium top