Acrylic or glass tank?

Im ready to get a 75g or bigger tank should i get acrylic or glass? and does anyone know where i can get some good deals on tanks online?
 

ca161406

Member
glasscages.com is a great site.
it really depends on personal preference. i have a glass 29 and 90 and now im setting up an acrylic 125 and so far its about equal for me. the only thing i like about acrylic is its easier to move around when setting up because its lighter
 

mr_x

Active Member
acrylic does scratch easier, and you have to be more careful cleaning it, but they say it is clearer, and it's lighter.
i would go with glass, with starfire(low iron glass) on all viewable panes.
i got my 195 from glass cages. they are hit or miss with their craftsmanship. my tank was somewhat sloppily made, while another guy who was picking up his tank the same time as mine, was very nicely done.
they are cheaper than everyone else though, and that's why i went with them and probably would again.
 

ca161406

Member
^true on all those points. my 90 from glass cages was excellent, but my cousin ordered from there and got a sloppy 55 with chunks of si. it wasnt bad but you can tell they made it fast.
if it was over 100gal i would say acrylic but under. go for glass
 

socal57che

Active Member
I chose glass because of the scratch issue. All of the used acrylic tanks I saw were scratched. It's one less thing for me to worry about. One piece of sand under a scrubber will ruin your day.
 

kjr_trig

Active Member
That size tank I would definitely go glass....I sleep better at night knowing my 240 is acrylic, as acrylic is far stronger and has stronger seams as well....But it really really does scratch easily, anything 8 foot or longer I would recommend acrylic, smaller tanks go glass.
 

mr_x

Active Member

Originally Posted by kjr_trig
http:///forum/post/2758882
That size tank
I would definitely go glass....I sleep better at night knowing my 240 is acrylic, as acrylic is far stronger and has stronger seams as well....But it really really does scratch easily, anything 8 foot or longer I would recommend acrylic, smaller tanks go glass.
so, are you for the op getting an acrylic tank or a glass tank? he mentioned a 75 or larger.
 

bojik

Member
personal pref. If you plan on an internal overflow acrylic can be easier if its not predrilled for it. Also you can weld the overflow to it permanently. Typically acrylic is more expensive. For cheaper tanks you can search classified type sites/paper type for nicely used ones. Or on here if someone is trying to 'downsize' a tank.
 

kjr_trig

Active Member
Originally Posted by Mr_X
http:///forum/post/2758898
so, are you for the op getting an acrylic tank or a glass tank? he mentioned a 75 or larger.

Up to 6 feet long (180 gallons) I would probably recommend glass, longer than that (or more gallons) I can live with the occasional scratch in favor of the structural integrity advantage of acrylic.
 
dont get acrylic get glass. yeah acrylic lighter but whoe cares. Wait till you scratch the tank all up and cant see in it. My buddy made a mistake of acrylic and regrets it ever since
 

squirt0511

New Member
i have an 80 gallon glass with diamond cut edges and I love it. It is really heavy though. I recently took it down because i was thinking about restaining the stand and I need to have someone if not 2 people help me remove the tank from the stand... I am trying to decide if i am going to stay in the hobby or get out of it. I mean I have most of the required items 150lbs LR, 80lbs of sand refug,skimmer, 1/5hp chiller "i think its 1/5", test kits, you name it but the MH that I have is costing me about 70bucks a month in electric bills. I had a PC with my previous tank and i know it wasnt nearly as expensive as the MH. I would use my previous light, but it was for a 48in tank and I now have a 36... go figure. Any suggestions as to what I can do to lower the cost of the MH. Its 175w.15k If not I will have to either get another PC or get out of the hobby. Any suggestions for a PC?
 

sculpin

Member
There are pros and cons with both. Here is my thoughts on the matter:
Glass
Pros- Scratch resistant, easily available, relatively inexpensive
Cons- Heavy, can not remove scratches, transfers heat worse then acrylic
Acrylic
Pros- Can fix scratches, light, natural insulator, strong
Cons- not as easily available, scratches if you look at it wrong
I think both are great, but I'm lazy and cheap and would just pick up what they have at the LFS or what is available in the classifieds.
Sculpin
 
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