Acrylic versus Glass

[tazdevil]

Please vote based on experience with one or the other (or both). Also please post the reason you voted the way you did.

 

[Len]

For one reason alone: scratches. I like alot of things about acrylic though.

 

[Anonymous]

Depends. For tanks, I prefer glass for the same reason Len stated. I would use acrylic for everything else for one simple reason: Strength. I properly glued joint will last for ever. No leaks.

Louey

 

[WannaBeReefer]

Same as Len, I would be pretty angry if I scratched my shiney new tank. So glass it is.

 

[Anonymous]

Acrylic. I can lift my 125 singlehandedly when moving it. I also like to DIY and drill stuff all over, so acrylic is ideal. The scratching issue does suck though.

 

[jsbradbury]

I voted for glass as well. As Matt says, it would be nice to have a drilled, plumbed tank- I just couldn't stand it if my gump @$$ knocked something over and scratched the front of it.

 

[jandree22]

Glass.... Acrylic is a lot lighter, but how many times do you honestly need to lift an aquarium? I could pay 3 of my friends $25/hr to help move my tank and still come out on top... Acrylic's expensive and delicate

 

[Acrylics]

Glass.... Acrylic is a lot lighter, but how many times do you honestly need to lift an aquarium? I could pay 3 of my friends $25/hr to help move my tank and still come out on top

Agreed.

... Acrylic's expensive and delicate

Here I'd have to argue with ya a little. Acrylic tanks are more expensive up to about 180gal, at that point they start to even out and once you start going bigger, acrylic can actually become cheaper.
Very big tanks (500gal+) are usually made of acrylic for a variety of reasons, but the main one is safety. Acrylic tanks are *generally* much safer than glass tanks. Why d'ya think public aquariums use acrylic?
Acrylic also has benefits insofar as plumbing goes. Drilling holes, etc, is a real pain for most with glass, but a hole saw away with acrylic.
Add to this the fact that there are many sizes and shapes which simply can't be done with glass, at least not efficiently or economically.

That said...

I've always recommended glass for small aquaria, especially to "newbies" where a scratch by installing your first chunk o' LR can leave a sour taste for the hobby as whole.
Once folks progress in the hobby, want some custom work done, want a big tank, or simply develop preferences based on experience, then it can be a different story

I will have to agree on the scratch issue, even though I work with acrylic for a living and I hate removing scratches

James

 

[jandree22]

Those are some good points too.... especially about drilling and getting wierd and unique shapes outa it.

 

[Anonymous]

I use glass tanks for everything I've ever bought. (up to 30 gallon) It's just cheaper to buy the pre-made glass tank than it is to buy the acrylic and build one teh same dimensions. - even without figuring in time and tools.

And I'm a klutz. I've even scratched a glass tank. . .

B

 

[Anonymous]

I really like glass. Easy to clean, hard to scratch.

 

[alcmaeon]

I stick with acrylic as I am in the Bay Area and its a matter of when, not if, we get a big fat roller. I had a FW 30 tall glass once, it broke when a chunk of rock shifted because an intrepid oscar sucked evry bit of gravel out from around it. 90% of that 30 gals hit the floor and did that ever suck to clean up. (The oscer lived.)
I told myself that never again would I go through that, esp with the chance of an earthquake making everything bounce. So I put up with the scratches!

 

[jandree22]

alcmaeon,

 

[Anonymous]

I stick with acrylic as I am in the Bay Area and its a matter of when, not if, we get a big fat roller. I had a FW 30 tall glass once, it broke when a chunk of rock shifted because an intrepid oscar sucked evry bit of gravel out from around it. 90% of that 30 gals hit the floor and did that ever suck to clean up. (The oscer lived.)
I told myself that never again would I go through that, esp with the chance of an earthquake making everything bounce. So I put up with the scratches!

I figure if there is a quake big enough to muck with my 150, I will have bigger problems than worrying about the tank!

:mrgreen:

WELCOME TO RDO!

 

[alcmaeon]

Long time lurker, just not a writer. I have learned a lot watching these forums. See ya!