Kennyboy1984
New member
What is a better building material for a tank of this size? I know a glass tank this big will be nearly impossible to move without a lot of help. Also what would be more cheaper?
Acrylic or glass for 129.5x36x36
- Thread starter Kennyboy1984
- Start date
You might want to change your length to 120" though. There is no company in this country that makes lengths longer than 120" with the exception of Reynolds and you'd *generally* be paying 2X for that extra 9.5". You can have two sheets cast together but again - the price goes way up.
HTH,
James
HTH,
James
Kennyboy1984
New member
I had no idea that they don't make acrylic longer than 120". I thought I had the perfect space for it in my basement 
I guess I will have to rethink my plan. So it seems unanimous that acrylic is the way to go.
I guess I will have to rethink my plan. So it seems unanimous that acrylic is the way to go.
Glass is available up to 20' long.
Forget about moving either of them manually.
It's either built on site or craned in.
There is a point of critical size where you will actually have to get into the tank to work on it.
At your point you are on the borderline. From the outside it will be hard to work in, and from the inside it will be tight for room.
With acrylic, and with you in this borderline position, I see the potential for a lot of scratching to occur.
So, if it were me in your shoes I would go with glass (19mm or 25mm).
If you went 4'+ wide, then acrylic. (and 10' long)
Forget about the clarity crap. A fully stocked tank of that size will be show stopping regardless of acrylic or glass.
Look at David Saxby's tank 25mm normal float glass, and one of the finest in the world. No one comments otherwise.
Forget about moving either of them manually.
It's either built on site or craned in.
There is a point of critical size where you will actually have to get into the tank to work on it.
At your point you are on the borderline. From the outside it will be hard to work in, and from the inside it will be tight for room.
With acrylic, and with you in this borderline position, I see the potential for a lot of scratching to occur.
So, if it were me in your shoes I would go with glass (19mm or 25mm).
If you went 4'+ wide, then acrylic. (and 10' long)
Forget about the clarity crap. A fully stocked tank of that size will be show stopping regardless of acrylic or glass.
Look at David Saxby's tank 25mm normal float glass, and one of the finest in the world. No one comments otherwise.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
Never infer a unanimous opinion based on one thread.
Kennyboy1984
New member
Any links to David Saxby's tank? I would love to see it.
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
Google his name
Kennyboy1984
New member
Is acrylic better for wider tanks?
What I meant by that is, if you have 4+' width, then it allows you a bit more room when you get into the tank, therefore the amount of scratching may reduce.
At 3' the space is tight, and you will rub and scratch the panels no matter how careful you try to be.
So, if you stay hard and fast on your original dimensions, then I would do it in glass.
If you increase the width to 4'+, acrylic then becomes a viable option.
Bear in mind, you WILL have to get into the tank once you are in this size bracket. Or lie across the top and dangle in at the very least.
At 3' the space is tight, and you will rub and scratch the panels no matter how careful you try to be.
So, if you stay hard and fast on your original dimensions, then I would do it in glass.
If you increase the width to 4'+, acrylic then becomes a viable option.
Bear in mind, you WILL have to get into the tank once you are in this size bracket. Or lie across the top and dangle in at the very least.
Yes and no. With acrylic you can climb on, and lay on the crossbracing to work in the tank which is huge advantage on large/wide tanks. If you are not going to do that then IMO there's no difference in this regard that I can think of at the moment.
Not trying to push my profession but for larger tank such as this, I'd go acrylic due to span and (esp) height - that's a lot of pressure. Can it be done in glass? sure but I've also seen more failures in glass tanks this size vs acrylic.
I don't know the cost of a glass tank this size so can't comment on any cost comparisons.
I may be mistaken but I would also think with glass - you're changing the scope of the project. The acrylic tank would weigh in at around 800-900lbs and can be carried/lifted by crossbracing, leaned up at anges, etc., which would *generally* mean a 3-4 man installation. Glass would weigh around twice that and these options are not safely available without jeopardizing the integrity of the tank which would *probably* necessitate some equipment of some sort. Not sure if this is a factor to you or not.
FWIW, if that Tenecor tank is made properly, it's a helluva deal. It is used though and not sure if I'd buy a used tank without a good inspection.
HTH,
James
Not trying to push my profession but for larger tank such as this, I'd go acrylic due to span and (esp) height - that's a lot of pressure. Can it be done in glass? sure but I've also seen more failures in glass tanks this size vs acrylic.
I don't know the cost of a glass tank this size so can't comment on any cost comparisons.
I may be mistaken but I would also think with glass - you're changing the scope of the project. The acrylic tank would weigh in at around 800-900lbs and can be carried/lifted by crossbracing, leaned up at anges, etc., which would *generally* mean a 3-4 man installation. Glass would weigh around twice that and these options are not safely available without jeopardizing the integrity of the tank which would *probably* necessitate some equipment of some sort. Not sure if this is a factor to you or not.
FWIW, if that Tenecor tank is made properly, it's a helluva deal. It is used though and not sure if I'd buy a used tank without a good inspection.
HTH,
James
I have a tank, 96 long by 4 wide made in acrylic: It was a breeze to move.
I moved a tank out, 72 long and 24 wide and it was an utter pain to move out.
I also lie across my tank to clean it. Its 30 inches deep. I put on a mask and snorkel and pop my face in. Its pretty cool actually.
Massman has a good point with the 4 foot depth. It makes a HUGE difference and is the single most important consideration in my opinion.
here are a few pics of mine being moved and cleaning/rockwork etc.
You can see the entire thread if you would like to by clicking my link (the red house)
Also.............Acrylic allows you to drill holes anywhere you want, after the construction is done. That was a huge plus in my book.
heres the pics:
crated ready to move inside
pushing through a door on furniture dollys (tank is on side)
cleaning: (sorry i had clouded the water a little)
a couple of the rockworking
I went for a very 3 dimensional look of towers of rocks for fish to swim between. This video kind of shows the effect you can make with extra depth: (sorry its blue but my cam doesnt colorbalance well)
anyways.............. I would go with Acrylic. I didnt want to go acrylic at all. Mines been established for 6 months now and I love it. And CLARITY is an issue. With acrylic (and starfire) the fish appear to float in your room. I have never seen that with normal or low iron glass.
Paul.
I moved a tank out, 72 long and 24 wide and it was an utter pain to move out.
I also lie across my tank to clean it. Its 30 inches deep. I put on a mask and snorkel and pop my face in. Its pretty cool actually.
Massman has a good point with the 4 foot depth. It makes a HUGE difference and is the single most important consideration in my opinion.
here are a few pics of mine being moved and cleaning/rockwork etc.
You can see the entire thread if you would like to by clicking my link (the red house)
Also.............Acrylic allows you to drill holes anywhere you want, after the construction is done. That was a huge plus in my book.
heres the pics:
crated ready to move inside
pushing through a door on furniture dollys (tank is on side)
cleaning: (sorry i had clouded the water a little)
a couple of the rockworking
I went for a very 3 dimensional look of towers of rocks for fish to swim between. This video kind of shows the effect you can make with extra depth: (sorry its blue but my cam doesnt colorbalance well)
anyways.............. I would go with Acrylic. I didnt want to go acrylic at all. Mines been established for 6 months now and I love it. And CLARITY is an issue. With acrylic (and starfire) the fish appear to float in your room. I have never seen that with normal or low iron glass.
Paul.
nyvp
Active member
Glass all the way. I have a 560g 120Lx36Wx30H I went three side low iron cost me $2800 would have cost low 2k if I didnt. BTW only six medium sized guys with suction cups to move it. Never buy a tank because of weight ... How often do you intend to be carrying it around?
Build thread
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=847516
Build thread
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=847516
Kennyboy1984
New member
Thanks for all the advice! Looks like the debate between glass and acrylic is still raging on. Any estimates of how much a glass tank would cost in my original specs? Low iron or just plain regular float glass. Great looking tank pwhitby. It's the dream of every reefer to one day have a tank so big that they need scuba gear to clean it! 
As a 2.5 year owner of a 120x48x32 Tenecor acrylic, I have to put my vote firmly in the GLASS camp. Tenecor construction quality is without flaw, and yes it is light, relatively speaking. But, acrylic is just too darn easy to scratch. I will never do acrylic again. Next time we upgrade, it will be glass constructed on site.
Kennyboy1984
New member
Great glass tanks everyone! I personally do prefer glass over acrylic myself. I really haven't ever seen that green tint people talk about with glass tanks. Locally however acrylic is more readily available to me as i'm a part timer at a lfs that makes custom acrylic tanks. And I do not know of any local makers of glass tanks here in Utah. But I would definitely consider getting a tank from AO, miracles, or glass cages. I'm sure the shipping cost for a glass tank this size would be montrously high. Also not looking forward to moving it inside.
