Glass or Acrylic

1guydude

Well-Known Member
Simple Q!
Do you prefer glass display tanks or those plastic counterpart wanna b's!
lol i think you know which i prefer.
In my opinion, Its much cleaner looking. It is easy to clean, and its just more prefer ed i guess in my eye.
Im looking at setting up a 100g tank (glass) right now but my acrylic sump is a bit wider than my dt so ive decided im going to be getting a larger tank maybe.
Can someone plz talk me into buying an acrylic, ive always had glass but when i weight it out... its easier to hole saw, its lighter, cheaper, and so on and so on.
In thinking of getting a 120 which has some nice depth or a 210 but its $699obo and its a beast of a tank! Id need a bigger or another skimmer prob and some lighting that could b but on hold as well....
All in all wats ur fav and why? Did i mention i was using cinder blocks and maybe 2x6s for the stand??? gonna b heavy!
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I've had and worked in both glass and acrylic tanks. What I like about Acrylic is that it is more clear - and you actually get to see the true colors of the inhabitants. If you have a standard glass tank, the iron in the glass doesn't give you a true color unless you have low Fe glass like Starfire glass tanks.
Acrylic is also a better insulator - it keeps the temp more stable. Like you said, it's easy to cut and modify. Also, if it scratches, you can buff it out, unlike glass.
If I didn't already have a 110g and had to start from scratch, I would get a 6x2x2.5ft tank which is right around a 225.
Too bad you don't live closer - A guy I know is selling a 240g glass tank for $200. LOL
 

1guydude

Well-Known Member
OMG figures! LOL U mid country folks have all the big tanks and few corals lol wth... sry u just busted my bubble.
Real Q is snake would that tank be acrylic? Im guessing so as those glass panels would cost some money.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
I like, and have always had glass tanks. Acrylic tanks only look good for a very short while, it's great for sumps but not a display. JMO
I never had a scratched up glass tank to have to buff out and I wouldn't like having to do so. Coraline algae loves plastic and you can't use a razor on acrylic.
 

travelerjp98

Active Member
Acrylic tanks tend to scratch very easily.. before my sister went to vet school in St. Kitts she had an aquarium maintenance business... and screwed up a $10,000 acrylic tank from the inside, scratching it up and all... simply because she got a bit of sand stuck in a mag float. Jmo.
I get sand stuck in my mag float all the time and I've never scratched the glass in my tank.
But... acrylic tanks are great for mantis shrimp!
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
You can't treat acrylic tanks the same way as you treat glass tanks. There's a difference maintenance routine, different ways of cleaning, and different preventative measures long term.
TravelerJP, that tank that your sister messed up - well, she could have used an acrylic buffing kit to fix the problem while the tank was still running. Even if it was a reef tank.
 

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1guyDude http:///t/392552/glass-or-acrylic#post_3486492
OMG figures! LOL U mid country folks have all the big tanks and few corals lol wth... sry u just busted my bubble.
Real Q is snake would that tank be acrylic? Im guessing so as those glass panels would cost some money.
Yes, the 6x2x2.5 dream tank of mine would be a rimless acrylic tank.
 

flower

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/392552/glass-or-acrylic#post_3486533
You can't treat acrylic tanks the same way as you treat glass tanks. There's a difference maintenance routine, different ways of cleaning, and different preventative measures long term.
TravelerJP, that tank that your sister messed up - well, she could have used an acrylic buffing kit to fix the problem while the tank was still running. Even if it was a reef tank.
LOL...It would still be a pain in the backside to do.
I was wondering....acrylic also responds to heat, and with the warm reef temps ...don't you worry about the big tanks bowing with water pressure? A malfuntioning heater, or MHs too close to the tanks top, or even a lamp bulb for the sump getting too close......won't it melt? I know none of these are concerns with glass. I did worry with a heater in the acrylic sump...(I have a cold tank now so even that worry is gone)
 
S

saxman

Guest
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/392552/glass-or-acrylic#post_3486533
You can't treat acrylic tanks the same way as you treat glass tanks. There's a difference maintenance routine, different ways of cleaning, and different preventative measures long term.
TravelerJP, that tank that your sister messed up - well, she could have used an acrylic buffing kit to fix the problem while the tank was still running. Even if it was a reef tank.
Agreed...if given a choice, Renee and I use acrylic tanx. All of our "real" DT's are acrylic, except one.
If you treat acrylic right, it will treat you right. The biggest tip I can give you is not to use a "mag float" as most peeps end up hauling grains of substrate up and scratching the bejezus out of their tanx. The best way to clean near the substrate is to use an acrylic cleaning pad, and hang one finger over the bottom edge. This way, your finger will touch the substrate before the pad and you know to stop. Then use a plastic scraper and push DOWN to get that last inch clean...again, you want to avoid hauling grains of substrate upward.
If you do happen to scratch the tank, you can polish it while it's full (use micro-mesh/crystal bond cloth), altho it's a bit tuffer to do.
 

travelerjp98

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/392552/glass-or-acrylic#post_3486533
You can't treat acrylic tanks the same way as you treat glass tanks. There's a difference maintenance routine, different ways of cleaning, and different preventative measures long term.
TravelerJP, that tank that your sister messed up - well, she could have used an acrylic buffing kit to fix the problem while the tank was still running. Even if it was a reef tank.
It was fixed. But please don't tell me that if you messed up the side of your client's tank.... especially a rich one with a $10k tank... you'd be just like "ahhh. not a big deal"... and quickly buffer it back up.... because I've heard that they can be a pain to fix, especially when full.... LOL, not a good experience.
 

sweatervest13

Active Member
My dream tank would be a large (200g +) Starfire on three sides tank. I like the look of a 5' x 3' x 2.5' tank. But it is expensive.
I have a glass tank now and I have a couple very minor scratches (I am pretty sure I am the only one who can see them). But it shows that glass can scratch too. It seems that you get better color and a clearer look with acrylic with bigger tanks. Don't you also need to have a stand with a full table top so it does not bow???
Either way 1guydude, I think its cool that you are looking at a bigger tank. Remember some people say a cucumber tastes better pickled, but what do I know. lol
 
S

saxman

Guest
As long as the tank is properly supported, it shouldn't be a problem. That being said, we generally put a piece of 3/4" plywood with a sheet of 1/2" styro sheet insulation under our tanks. We also have them built out of thicker stock than normal. For instance, our new 7' x 2' x 2' acrylic tank was made from 3/4" sheet stock to minimize bowing (most builders would use 1/2" stock unless you specify what you want).
 

acrylic51

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by saxman http:///t/392552/glass-or-acrylic#post_3486716
As long as the tank is properly supported, it shouldn't be a problem. That being said, we generally put a piece of 3/4" plywood with a sheet of 1/2" styro sheet insulation under our tanks. We also have them built out of thicker stock than normal. For instance, our new 7' x 2' x 2' acrylic tank was made from 3/4" sheet stock to minimize bowing (most builders would use 1/2" stock unless you specify what you want).
Agree....Material thickness can be played with to a degree, but your bracing and how it's cut dictates certain things as well....Improperly cuts in the euro bracing regardless how thick a material could result in catastrophe....
Quote:
Originally Posted by saxman http:///t/392552/glass-or-acrylic#post_3486582
Agreed...if given a choice, Renee and I use acrylic tanx. All of our "real" DT's are acrylic, except one.
If you treat acrylic right, it will treat you right. The biggest tip I can give you is not to use a "mag float" as most peeps end up hauling grains of substrate up and scratching the bejezus out of their tanx. The best way to clean near the substrate is to use an acrylic cleaning pad, and hang one finger over the bottom edge. This way, your finger will touch the substrate before the pad and you know to stop. Then use a plastic scraper and push DOWN to get that last inch clean...again, you want to avoid hauling grains of substrate upward.
If you do happen to scratch the tank, you can polish it while it's full (use micro-mesh/crystal bond cloth), altho it's a bit tuffer to do.
Agree!!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///t/392552/glass-or-acrylic#post_3486578
LOL...It would still be a pain in the backside to do.
I was wondering....acrylic also responds to heat, and with the warm reef temps ...don't you worry about the big tanks bowing with water pressure? A malfuntioning heater, or MHs too close to the tanks top, or even a lamp bulb for the sump getting too close......won't it melt? I know none of these are concerns with glass. I did worry with a heater in the acrylic sump...(I have a cold tank now so even that worry is gone)
On a properly built tank reef waters don't even get near warm enough to cause a concern, and even a malfunctioning heater would have to go a long time to actually start to cause bowing IMHO......Besides the DT isn't the place for heaters.....MH's should never be placed directly over cross bracing....Some of this could be offset with bulb placement or tank design in the design/build stages of the tank.
 

lol

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1guyDude http:///t/392552/glass-or-acrylic#post_3486454
Simple Q!
Do you prefer glass display tanks or those plastic counterpart wanna b's!
lol i think you know which i prefer.
In my opinion, Its much cleaner looking. It is easy to clean, and its just more prefer ed i guess in my eye.
Im looking at setting up a 100g tank (glass) right now but my acrylic sump is a bit wider than my dt so ive decided im going to be getting a larger tank maybe.
Can someone plz talk me into buying an acrylic, ive always had glass but when i weight it out... its easier to hole saw, its lighter, cheaper, and so on and so on.
In thinking of getting a 120 which has some nice depth or a 210 but its $699obo and its a beast of a tank! Id need a bigger or another skimmer prob and some lighting that could b but on hold as well....
All in all wats ur fav and why? Did i mention i was using cinder blocks and maybe 2x6s for the stand??? gonna b heavy!
If you got the money, Acrylic is the way to go. It's a good insulator, it's lighter, and more easily customizable. They also retain their value over time if well taken care of. I say go for it! The 210g would be an awesome tank if it is Acrylic. Unfortunately, expenses in this hobby can be pretty big when it comes to equipment. It just depends on what you want in your tank and how simple of a setup you want to go with.
 
Wow I had no idea u can buff acrylic while its running.. and half of ther other stuff that was said about acrylic. But I still prefer glass, to me having a glass tank is super!!
 
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