# Is perspex safe?



## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

Hey,

I'm planning a viv build for my water dragons. It's going to be 7-8 feet tall with a door (so that there is no overlapping glass). My question is whether or not I can use perspex instead of glass. Glass is heavy and expensive so I thought perspex would be a good option.

Is it safe and a good choice?

Cheers


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

It's very tough, does scratch rather easily though, even the more expensive "scratch resistant" type will still scratch, personally I think it's worth the extra money though as it will last longer.

If you don't get scratch resistant at least get cast acrylic rather than cheaper extruded, it's slightly harder and is optically clearer which is important for a large viv.


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

Yeah I was planning on using acrylic. Thanks!


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## mr stroudy (Mar 11, 2008)

yeah both is safe and fine to use but as a water dragon scratches alot i wouldnt bother and i would stick with glass i have loads here if you are local


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

> Yeah I was planning on using acrylic.


Perspex is acrylic. 

Perspex is just a brand name, in the USA it's more commonly known as Plexiglas which is also a brand name, as are Lucite, Optix, and several others.


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## salad dodger (Feb 13, 2007)

the heat & humidity is likely to make a perspex sheet of any decent size warp & bow :?


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## daveplymouth (May 26, 2009)

polycarbonate is the best option although more expensive.


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## Graham (Jan 27, 2007)

As it's in a hinged (?) door, presumably with a frame, warping and bowing shouldnt be an issue as it would be with sliding doors.


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

If you go thick enough it won't bow out. 

The issue is, it costs a bomb the thicker you get and 5mm bows on small enclosures so you can imagine how thick you'd need to go for something that size.


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

Graham said:


> Perspex is acrylic.
> 
> Perspex is just a brand name, in the USA it's more commonly known as Plexiglas which is also a brand name, as are Lucite, Optix, and several others.


Oh sorry. I thought perspex may have done other materials as well when I read that it should at least be cast acrylic. Thank you.



mr stroudy said:


> yeah both is safe and fine to use but as a water dragon scratches alot i wouldnt bother and i would stick with glass i have loads here if you are local


Thanks for the offer but I live on the Isle Of Wight. I'm going to have a reasonably high door so that the dragons don't see the outside when they are on the floor. From experience that is where they scratch/rub their noses more.



Graham said:


> As it's in a hinged (?) door, presumably with a frame, warping and bowing shouldnt be an issue as it would be with sliding doors.


That's the plan! As it's going to be a tall viv (7 or 8 feet tall), I thought a glass door would be really heavy and a bit difficult. If it smashes or something it's even more difficult to replace than a sheet of perspex from B&Q.


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

GRB said:


> If you go thick enough it won't bow out.
> 
> The issue is, it costs a bomb the thicker you get and 5mm bows on small enclosures so you can imagine how thick you'd need to go for something that size.


Even in a frame?


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

ipreferaflan said:


> Even in a frame?


Well, I made a small acrylic tank using 5mm and it had the dimensions of a sheet of A4 (obviously the width was less) - along the longest side (294mm) it eventually bowed out with only the weight of 5" of substrate on it. I know it's not quite the same, but I was surprised that 5mm bowed so easily, so wouldn';t be surprised if a door started to shift.

You can imagine the weight of a large door, so if it were me I'd use something thicker than 5mm or brace it quite a regularly.


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