Glass or Acrylic ?? Vote Preference

[reefer]

Wanting to upgrade to a bigger tank. Lets here your preference for glass or acrylic. Start the votes now and explain why.

 

[ggarner]

glass as long as they can make one as big as you want... i have acrylic now and i like it but its a PITA to clean

 

[reefer]

Looking at about a 120 Gallon. The acrylic seem to have a clearer view but the possibility of scratchs make me nervous

 

[Witfull]

i prefer glass...less scratches,,,but you cant mod on the fly/ drill new holes.

 

[iamjosh]

I've been very happy with the ease of being able to Drill, and modify my acrylic tank.

As for Scratches I believe there is a scratch remover. Not sure how well it works. I have a small scratch but don't notice it very often.

I just found http://www.glasscages.com today, They have some HUGE tanks there, Going to hafta start saving for the 800+ tanks.

-josh

 

[fishermann]

i like glass, don't have to worry about scratches whencleaning and they don,t hold the heat in like the acrylics do. the bad thing is if you want some holes.

 

[MzWeazelle]

Glass scratches too, even if not as easy, and I don't know if scratches can be removed from glass at all. It's also heavier, and I'm sure there are other drawbacks.

Still, somehow I'd go with glass over acrylic any day. I don't like storing my food in plastic, so why would I want to put my fish in it?

 

[Solov]

Actually glass scratches with magnet cleaner pretty easy too (I guess it was due to few grain of sand that got under it, but it wasn't obvious. And scratches on glass are absolutely permanent, where you have a good chance to fix acrylic.

Weight and strength are also for acrylic.

But all this said by a person who never had acrylic tank larger than 5 Gal :lol:

 

[Ray Pollett]

Arcylic is lighter and does not break as easy. Do not know how many times I've had to tell people to pick up their fish from the floor and put them in the bathtub till we could get a new tank to them, after one of the glass panes blew apart.

Unless you want to pay big bucks for Starfire glass arcylic is clearer and colors seen thru it are truer. Same thing with light spectrum going into tank.

Can be drilled easier and cheaper than glass.

Seams should not leak, like happens with glass tanks.

Arcylic does not conduct heat like a glass tank, saves on enery if room is more than a few degrees different from tank temp.

Scratchs can be buffed out in arcylic. there is a small distortion after this.

More expensive in most cases.

Glass does scratch and is much harder to get looking good again.

Arcylic tanks are easier made to users specs.

These are the reason I usually use arcylic for my customers.

Ray

 

[Grouperdog]

I would get glass up to 180 gallon since this is the largest standard size most glass companies make, after that it is custom.

Custom glass tanks start getting costly and above 180 the glass tanks extra weight can become an issue when moving.

I currently own two arcylic tanks and one glass, the arcylic just scratchs to easily compared to glass.

 

[Mushroom Boy]

I was running both a glass and an acrylic tank when our last big earthquake hit. The glass tank busted a seam, the acrylic tank just sloshed some water out the top. I will always have an acrylic tank while living in a seismic zone...

 

[fishermann]

i guess i said it wrong, glass well scratch but not from just using a scraper unless you are using some beat up thing with dings in it and then it would take alot. live rock can scratch glass if it happens to fall hard against it, but if your careful that should not happen. yes glass well scratch while using a magnet if you let substrate get into the cleaning surface,which i have never let happen. glass doesnot scratch from using paper towel to wipr the outside off and get full of swirl marks. i have never had a problem keeping my tank warm enough, but have had trying to keep it cool, glass disapates heat better, and lastly if you buy quality like say Oceanic and i suppose there are custom made as good i have never had a faliure of any kind. Bob Moores is a 240 glass that has been set up for eight years through all our quakes and is still ticking.

 

[Dr. Rick]

I vote for Acrylic. It can be made to order, more accurately, (For built ins) and endless shape options. Also more quickly. I talked to Blue Sierra, The Best Store that I have found, by the way, and they told me that you could make a baby and birth it, by the time your tank is ready. You will have a cleaner look with acrylic. Bent corners, and no ugly rims to look at. I looked at this local aquarium builders tanks, and their AWESOME! Blows away the national brands. He is quicker, more accurate, and knows his stuff. CFI is the company. Forgot his name, but I'll be buying one of his for sure! Just my .02 worth....

 

[Ray Pollett]

Dr.Rick,

Who is CFI - I do not know them and would like to talk to them.

Ray

 

[Scooterman]

Yea, can you get us so contact info on CFI?

 

[Katchupoy]

I'll vote glass. Its a PITA to clean acrylic.

 

[reefer]

Thanks for everyones thoughts. Seems everyone has a different opinion. I'll take all of your thoughts into consideration and probably have to flip the coin. I like the acrylic for it's clearer view. I like the glass for it's scratch resistance.

FLIP!,,, FLIP!,,, FLIP

 

[The R/C Man]

I origanally prefered glass but after replacing my main tank due to the side pane shifting and starting to leak and then my glass sump had to be resealed due to a leak I will go ACRYLIC from now on..... I would rather deal with the hard cleaning issues that moving live stock into a temp tank to make repairs........

 

[Dr. Rick]

Here is the contact info for Jason at CFI. He builds some really nice ACRYLIC tanks. [email protected] is his e-mail. Keep me posted if you have him build you anything, as I'm not at that stage quite yet, and would love to see it. Pic, or in person!

 

[Fragman]

My 30x30x30 Cube tank is glass with two holes drilled in the bottom. I have owned the tank over 20 years and it has been in continuous usage and has been moved a dozen times. I can't count the earthquakes it has endured. (not to mention a few baseballs hitting it) Kids you know! Do you know anyone that has a 20 year old Acrylic tank that hasn't blown a seem? I don't!

I have had only one complaint and that has been the inability to remove scratches. At least I have had the satisfaction of really abusing the tank to get the scrathes in the first place. Well interestingly enough I ordered a Glass Scratch Repair Kit today. With any luck I'll be buffing out the 20 plus years of careless scratches this week end! I'm crossing my fingers that it will work.

Paul