Help Designing An Aquarium Hood

Hi Guys!

Looking for a little DIY help if someone has the time and interest.

I'm not very experienced/skilled with these sorts of things, so we're going have to keep it simple. I have some ideas but with anything of this sort I always question whether there's a better way.

What I want to do is build a DIY aquarium hood.

Something rectangular will be fine, with a lid to open on top. The part I'm wondering about is how best to rest it on the aquarium itself.

Dimensions are 793mmx293mm. 5mm thick glass.

I'm thinking plywood just because it's light, it doesn't need to bear much weight at all.

In my mind it seems simple enough to build a rectangular structure and then two pieces on top for a cover with a hinge on the front one for a lid.

There would need to be some sort of lip inside, though, for the hood to rest on the aquarium and I'm not sure the best way to build that in. Cutting a groove into thin plywood and then gluing something is doesn't seem ideal and probably requires more skill or precision than I have. So maybe I put something inside with glue or screws, an inner strip all the way around?
Alternatively I could build it to sit on top of the rim of the aquarium and add an outer rim/edge to hang down over the sides slight to keep it in place.

I'm not sure if there are any structural advantages or disadvantages to any of those.

Overall height of the hood would be something like 200mm from the top of the aquarium. I'd need to add a light inside some way, but it's not heavy at all. I would also need to have a hole in the back and maybe top for some cables/tubing, but I figure a simply circular hole would do the job. But would any inner bracing be recommended? Corner brackets?

So I guess my main questions are:

1 - Any recommendations for material used? Plywood okay - what thickness, will it hold up to humidity build up?

2 - Best way to rest the hood on the aquarium?

3 - Any additional structural additions?

4 - Anything I'm not even thinking about maybe?


Thanks.

Plywood would probably be best as it should help stop warping, remember water and heat will ruin wood eventually so plywood is a good choice.

Maybe something like this for you to fit the lid into : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aquarium-Un.../dp/B07HG3GBRB

Would plywood really be a good choice. When I had an aquarium the underside of the hood was always wet?

Yes Plywood, take a look at the aquarium forums, many use Plywood in making their own lids and its a common material to use.

I was thinking a treatment/sealing or staining might be helpful, but then it would have to be something that wasn't toxic to fish.