Glass or Acrylic ?? Vote Preference

[ponyguy]

I have to say that acrylic is the way to go.....

 

[Ray Pollett]

I do not know of any tanks built 20 years ago that were arcylic. Back then they were all specially made and only for the rich.

I know of a lot of 30 and 40 year old glass tanks. My oldest is only 16 years.

Having had both, I'll stay wiyh Arcylic.



Ray

 

[NUGIO]

glass vote here.
If you really want the clarity like acrylic then look into starfire glass for tanks they are much clearer that normal glass tanks,but cost more too. Upside to cost is you can use it only on the viewing side

 

[big t]

You have my vote for acrylic due to the strength and the clarity. I personaly do not think that they are a pita to clean whatsoever, just a little care is required. I have had my tank for close to 2years and have only put one small scratch in it due to a snail getting caught under the magnet the first time I used it.

 

[jesseb]

Glass - I've had both - and the thriving acrylic reef tank was WAY too much work to keep coralline and algae off the sides...

 

[gljjr]

I currently have both. I'll take the glass any day! Trying to keep the acrylic clean is a royal pita! As for the strength issue everyone is talking about, a large glass tank is just as strong in my experience! I have a 6ft long 150gal glass tank that is probably over 20 years old. When I set it up as a saltwater tank I had to put one end of my stand on a 2x4 to get it level. about 6 months later the stand failed and one corner of the tank dropped 1 1/2"! The tank never had a problem. I emptied it a couple days later and rebuilt the stand. I don't know what would have happened if this had been an acrylic tank but I'll bet that the seems would have popped on it! Sure glass can/will fail from time to time but it is a lot more resilient than most people give it credit for. Now if it just didn't weight so darn much!

 

[cookiemn]

Dr Rick, you talked about CFI on another thread do you have any pics of CFIs work? If he is that good he should become a sponsor.

 

[upsjopop]

I like acrylic. Treat it like a new car (no sand on the cleaning rag) and it will stay clear.

 

[NeilsReef]

Acrylic!

I prefer acrylic tanks because:

Pros: it appears to be clearer, easier to drill, lighter, stronger, lasts longer with out leaking, scratches can be buffed out.

Cons: cost, scratches easier.

There are a lot more, but these are all that is coming to mind, right now.

 

[tamarindthai]

i got two glass tanks,, both drilled from the botom,,glass vote here

 

[MarineDreamer]

Acrylic

But I’m also still suffering from dry tank syndrome. (DTS)

That being said, I bought my tank used, and went all the way down to 600 grit sandpaper and worked my way back up. I just drilled my tank for the CLS, which is something that I wouldn’t have been able to do with glass. I think the rounded corners look better, I think there’s better light transmission, and I think that acrylic is just easier to work with.

Trevor

 

[highlands]

scratches on glass are absolutely permanent, where you have a good chance to fix acrylic.

Has anyone ever heard of tempered glass scratching? My understanding is that it shouldn't be able to scratch - a scratch would cause catastrophic failure. Real life experience??? All I've had are acrylic and plate glass tanks. I am considering tempered glass for the large tank I'm planning to build soon.

 

[sryder]

theres reasons that alot of things are made of glass and not plastics. windows, windshields, tv screens, toilet bowls, sinks, etc, etc, etc. plastics scratch, fade, hold heat, cloud with cleaners and warp. ihad an acrylic tank some years ago and one of my kids took a rock to the front of it. at the time it was around a 600 dollar tank and the scratches were too deep to buff out. most compounds are made to remove light scratches. let your live rock run down the inside of an acrylic and your screwed. any local glass shop can usually drill your glass tank for a couple of bucks. id say glass

 

[mauidiver01]

? do you have a magniflot and do you know how much a marine boilogist makes a year if he or she has a PHD

 

[mauidiver01]

I have a glass 20 gall and getting a glass 80 should i get Acrylic

 

[jesseb]

Glass - Easier to clean and keep clean. Tougher to scratch than acrylic. I'd get thicker rather than thinner glass (I went 3/4" on my 400G)..

I've had both - loved the look of the acrylic tank - but keeping sides clean was a nightmare.....

 

[mauidiver01]

so should i get glass ? for my 80

 

[wrightme43]

I like glass tanks. I prefer to be able to use a razor blade to clean the inside of the tank. I take care of a couple of acrylic tanks, I like that they are easy to drill, but the scratches are a nightmare to me. Just my opinion and that is why there are fords, chevys, toyotas, hondas, and something called a dodge (if you look it up in the dictonary it say To Avoid) LOL Steve

 

[mauidiver01]

does anyone know what anemone goes wth a ocelliars clow?

 

[mauidiver01]

help

does anyone know what anemone goes wth a ocelliars clown

or a pink skunk clown and wont grow to be massive