I have set up my new tank. It's my first acrylic tank (always had glass before) and I have made a seemingly HUGE mistake all ready. I have a Coralife T-5 on the tank, suggested by the really knowledgeable (for once!) clerk at my lfs... Well, he forgot to mention something, and I'm used to glass tanks so this problem didn't even dawn on me. Turns out, I should have had the light mounted on something (?!) because it has warped the top lid of my new SeaClear aquarium. Thankfully, I'm only at the fishless cycle stage and really have only had my light on for a few hours at a time.... but, the lid is pretty warped, it won't lay flat anymore, even with the light on it. I'm really not to sure why I didn't think about this... heat+plastic=melt!!! Apparently, I was too excited in setting up my new tank to use my brain. Thankfully, this sort of oversight didn't occur in any other areas of the tank (yet).

So, my question(s) are:
Has this happened to anyone before?
Know how to fix the warped lid?
Or... know where to buy a replacement lid? (I don't expect to find one at my lfs)
Are there "legs" to put on the light so this doesn't happen?

Any suggestions or comments (even "Nice one, ha!) would be greatly appreciated!

I've had something like this happen. I used to have a piece of plexiglass on my turtle tank with a light laid on it. It warped as well, but I just flipped it every now and then so that it would warp in the other direction. It didn't look good but it did the job

It is not the intensity of the light or even the small amount of heat it puts out - it is gravity.

Plexiglass is not made for lying horizontal over any length without support. It is made for, mostly, vertical applications or supported horizontal ones.

You have a couple of options. You can cut small pieces of plexiglass - strips - and glue them with plastic bonder across the piece to help support the piece you have as a lid. I did this on one lid - and it worked for a few years.

You can have a piece of glass cut to fit - or buy a glass lid. They are sold for many common sized.

You can get a plastic that is called "Lexan". Lexan is a much stronger plastic that is made for this type of application and it will not sag as much. In thicknesses of 3/16 inch or greater, it will no sag over a stretch of 36 inches.

Cool, thanks Daryl and Chrissy Bee! I have been flipping it over every day when I get home... that way it doesn't get too bent out of shape, seems to be working. Thanks for the great suggestions. Happy to see it wasn't the heat that was the problem...