Re: Make your own viv?
It depends on the thickness of the perspex/acrylic, and how much heat you plan on using near it.
2mm sheet for example can be formed bent ect with boiling water from a kettle. So if you plan on using it in a tank with a heal lamp or heat mat at that thickness then warping may happen.
6mm and upwards needs a lot of force to be bent in this way. You need to apply a lot of pressure whilst the material is hot so it's less liable to warping.
10-15mm and your not bending it without either heating it till it's almost melting, or thinning the material by either stretching or removing material so it's not lightly to warp ever.
Personally i would favour 15mm simply for the fact it can be drilled and screwed. And at that thickness your not going to have a lot of problems in regards to the perspex cracking if your screw holes are less than perfect. You can also reduce the Impact a screw will have on the material by heating the screws before you put them in. It'll take a little practice, but a pair of pliers, small blowtorch and a fast hand can get then in really well You'll have to play about on a few pieces of scrap material tho as if their too hot they will continue to melt the acrylic. Also having a big bowl of water to cool the screw fast may help. Note i do not believe this works on polycarbonate based sheets as they have a different chemical make-up and do not bend when heated.
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