glass vs acrylic

[maddog0118]

i have a 220 glass tank....6ft by 24d x 30 h i believe...how secure is glass...do the bottoms fall out....i have 3 inch sand bed and a sold 150-200 pounds rock..
i read some prefer glass i read some prefer acrylic for strength...any opinions

 

[rcreations]

Good question. I was wondering the same thing myself since I'll be upgrading to a 150gal this year.
From the research I did, acrylic is better for larger tanks because it has more strength than glass, plus it is lighter weight. Negative is that it scratches a lot easier.

 

[maddog0118]

alot it is real good for 300 and over....anything beloew it didnt matter unless in a very high traffic area due to accidental bumping...so i fgure i ask owners of larger tanks

 

[fishy7]

Stick with glass you will not have to be so paranoid about scratching. Trust me you will have to be sooooo careful. Wait till the carline aglae grows and you then you accidentally scratch removing the algae.

I have a 215 and 190 now looking at 320 glass.

Glass is the only way any size unless you have to be concerned about weight. Example the tank will be on the a 2nd floor.

 

[mr_x]

-even so..what is the weight difference from a 320 glass, and a 320 acrylic? it can't be huge.
i have never seen any benefit to acrylic.
btw-i have 200+ pounds of rock sitting on my glass tank bottom, and it hasn't fell through yet!
a word of advice- if you are getting a glass tank, choose starfire glass for all viewable panels..you'll be glad you did.

 

[wangotango]

You never have to worry about a seam failure with acrylic, and you get a lot of versatility as far as drilling holes for a closed-loop. Yes it scratches easier but there are kits that you can buy that will buff out the scratches without even having to drain the tank. Can't really fix scratches in glass.
If you do go with glass, definately go with starfire. It's going to cost more, but the viewing quality will be better.
-Justin

 

[rcreations]

Also heard that acrylic distorts less than glass.

 

[ravennreef]

I use to work for a company that used both Acrylic and Glass. Acrylic bottom and top and Glass sides. Best of both worlds.

 

[mr_x]

Originally Posted by RCreations
http:///forum/post/2545489
Also heard that acrylic distorts less than glass.
i don't have much experience with acrylic, but of all the acrylic tanks i have seen, none of them were as clear as starfire glass.