What Type of Tank?

[NaH2O]

Poll: What type of tank do you have? Acrylic, Glass, both, maybe a DIY wood or concrete tank? What are the pros and cons to the different types?

 

[Krish]

Great topic Nikki!!! I have a glass tank, but wished I had acrylic so I can get rid of some powerheads. My wife isn't hearing that one yet (LOL) She says she loves the look of the powerheads...Yeah right!

 

[spongebob lover]

i voted Glass hmm
i guess i could share a little story hehe.
I really liked my tank, but when we were moving to the apartment where i'm currently living, my husband noticed (and thank god for that) that the lights were melting the plastic and that the glass for some reason was kind of (i don't know what's the word for it ) bowed i mean i couldn't notice it until i put a ruler on it .
we had to buy another glass tank right away.

 

[Krish]

Your glass was bowed Gabriela? You sure your tank isn't plastic? (LOL)

 

[spongebob lover]

lol !! yes or at least the lfs sold it to us as glass dood.

 

[The Apprentice]

Great Poll Nikki

All-Glass 75 and 150 gallon Love the use of the razor blade
I am gearing up for a 300 to 350 gallon Tank and I am thinking about going to Acrylic because of the size.

Poll: What type of tank do you have? Acrylic, Glass, both, maybe a DIY wood or concrete tank? What are the pros and cons to the different types?

 

[loohunter]

i like the look of glass. it is so much clearer and it is easy to clean, razorblade, the acrylic is nice cuz i can drill it and you can have really cool custom tanks made. the acrylic is way lighter than glass as well, it is a toss up for me

 

[reedman]

Love glass for the ability to clean it with a razor blade....hate it for the weight and the inability to drill the tank myself. I'd probably go acrylic next time

 

[MarineDreamer]

55 gallon glass for me. Went with it because it's my first tank. Wife's already promised me that I can get as big of a tank as I want as soon as the house is built. I'm thinking it'll be acrylic, and that it'll be house in an outbuilding that will be custom built just for the tank. :razz:

 

[NaH2O]

I have an acrylic tank. Pros I'd say are the weight (much lighter than glass), the ability to drill, the ability to have rounded corners, the fact that it is all bonded together (no silicone seams), ability to buff out scratches, and doesn't it act like an insulator, too? Cons for sure are the scratches, and you can't use a razor to power through the corraline.

 

[wrightme43]

I like glass. I love the ability to use a razor blade to clean it. I have seen slightly bowed glass tanks. Nothing like the acrylic tanks I have seen. Have any of you ever put your eye right up the the side of a acrylic tank and looked down it long way. Its scary to me. I know they work just fine. It is just hard for me to look at that and feel safe. Probley more of my insanity.
Steve

 

[CarlaW]

I have always had glass tanks. That said, I have a new 180 gallon acrylic tank waiting for me somewhere in WA.

 

[Scooterman]

I'm currently tankless & broke so I guess it might be a while before I get another , I think I could easily drill glass but feel that from what I want I'll need acrylic to fit my design needs.

 

[NaH2O]

I have seen slightly bowed glass tanks. Nothing like the acrylic tanks I have seen. Have any of you ever put your eye right up the the side of a acrylic tank and looked down it long way. Its scary to me. I know they work just fine. It is just hard for me to look at that and feel safe.

Steve - I think with the right thickness of material and correct bracing, this isn't an issue. My 120 gallon is 1/2" acrylic with a eurobrace top....I don't see a bow in it anywhere (the bottom and top might be thicker acrylic, but not sure off hand). I actually feel safer with my acrylic tank, than with glass. However, in either case (glass or acrylic)....poor construction will likely lead to disaster down the road.

Another pro for acrylic tanks, when keeping a BB tank, you don't need the use of starboard (yes, I know....some folks keep glass tanks without starboard on the bottom....but that makes me nervous, too).

 

[wrightme43]

Steve - I think with the right thickness of material and correct bracing, this isn't an issue. My 120 gallon is 1/2" acrylic with a eurobrace top....I don't see a bow in it anywhere (the bottom and top might be thicker acrylic, but not sure off hand). I actually feel safer with my acrylic tank, than with glass. However, in either case (glass or acrylic)....poor construction will likely lead to disaster down the road.

Another pro for acrylic tanks, when keeping a BB tank, you don't need the use of starboard (yes, I know....some folks keep glass tanks without starboard on the bottom....but that makes me nervous, too).

I can believe that. I have probley never seen a properly designed acrylic tank. LOL I mean I am in back woods KY anyway. LOL
I only have experince with two of them and did not order them. A 240 and a 125. Both of them are so bowed that the magfloats dont touch the pane in the middle. They are both supposedly eurobraced but I dont think the tank walls are thick enough.
Like I said I have never seen one leak, I have heard of glass tanks failing and flooding a room.

 

[spazz]

the biggest pro i found with an acrylic tnk is having the overflow on the outside of the tank. no waisted space. coast to coast overflow too. much easer to design and build. the cons are scratches, and tanks that are under built.
90% of the acrylic tanks are not glued together properly. they use solvent cement when they should use a 2 part polomerizing epoxy.
here is my 120 during wet testing. i love external overflows.

 

[big t]

What is wrong w/ solvent? Works good, last long time.

 

[spazz]

What is wrong w/ solvent? Works good, last long time.

its not recomended for tanks. its not strong enough. weldon 4 is good to 2500 psi after 1 week at room temp. where weldon 40 is good to 4000 psi after 1 week at room temp. then you have these guys that use to thin of meteral to build a tank.

 

[big t]

Well If i were to have a tank that was say a 180g, what would the psi at the bottom of the tank be? I can't imagine it being more then 50psi? But I agree on the size of acrylic used, thick is good.

 

[Jiddy]

I have the wood or concrete tank, works great!