Glass/Acrylic.....drilled or not?

[nvmycj]

Ladies & Gents...
I had a 10Gallon nano, and now I want to get back into the salt water hobby with a reef. Questions......
1. Glass or acrylic..... I think I've come to the conclusion of a glass tank becuz of the scratches on acylics.
2. Drilled or not........If my tank is not drilled, can I still have a refuge and wet/dry underneath.
3. With the expense of my nano, my wife knows that when I upgrade, it'll be more $$$$$$$$!!!! What do I buy first? The tank.....then wait a while.....then lights.....then wait a while,...etc....etc......
Any suggestions and/or personal experiences would be awesome. Tanks a bunch.

 

[yeffre kix]

Glass or acrylic is a matter of preference. The only drawback to acrylic is the scratch factor.
The benefits are that acrylic is lighter, more durrable, clearer, and easy to drill.
I think that a larger tank should be made out of acrylic for the saftey factor, as well as ease of moving.
I had a 300 gal glass tank that popped a joint and started leaking after only a few months. Even though the tank was supposed to starfire glass it had a green tinge to it that I found distracting. It also had a weight of about 1000 lbs. dry so it was a major undertaking to move it.
I still have my first SWFO tank, a 125 gal acrylic that I purchased 10 years ago. I used it try to save what livestock I could from the 300 disaster. Its been moved 7 times and is totally indistructable. If you are careful and maintain your tank regularly to avoid algae and corraline buildup scratching isn't really a problem.

 

[wangotango]

as far as drilled tanks go, i would definately get one, you'll be happier in the long run.the smallest tank that is made drilled with a built-in overflow is 55 gallonds. if the tank isnt drilled,you can still have a sump underneath, but just need an overflow box. to help even out the expenses, try to find used stuff thats in good condition, or try online places. slowly buy your equipment over time and wait to set up the tank until everything is purchased. now, glass vs acrylic? again its up to you, but your average lfs will have most of your glass "stock" sizes incase you need a replacememt or an upgrade or what not.

 

[nvmycj]

So,. . . acrylic tanks don't leak? Why do glass tanks leak as often as I hear of them doing so?

 

[hatessushi]

Glass tanks are panels that are glued together with silicone whereas Acrylic tanks are bonded together with the acrylic plastic to essentialy make it one piece. Therefore glass tanks are more prone to leakage. I would never have one.