Acrylic tanks with sps lighting

[jsweir]

Want to hear your experiences, good, bad, or ugly with acrylic tanks using MH lighting. I'm planning on buying a 350 gallon 96" x 36" x 24" and using LIIIs with 250W MH bulbs and T5 supplement. Glass would be extremely heavy and I need to get it down stairs to the basement. Thanks!

 

[dgasmd]

I had the same tank as you are planning on getting. I ran 4 x 400 watters as close tot he water as I could get them. One of the bulbs was right over a larger brace. A little fan blowing ont he brace was enough to keep it cool. Never a problem in that regard.

 

[jsweir]

dgasmd - how heavy was the tank?

 

[dgasmd]

It was 3/4" all around. 2 Strong guys picked it off the ground and moved it around. I don't know the pounds, but I would guess 300 lb or so?

 

[clkwrk]

180 1/2 inch all around 5x250de pendants no probes.....My old 120 3x250 de's no problems both tanks 1/2 inch acrylic.

 

[jsweir]

clkwrk - how long did you have the 120?

 

[clkwrk]

over a year

 

[SPStoner]

125 cube - 1/2 acrylic eurobraced
3x250 DE (Pfo mini) and 2x24"VHO

Almost 3 years

No problems at all with heat (2 - 4inch high rpm fans on either side blowing in across the lights)

Only downside to acrylic is the scratching. Other than that, I like everything else about it.

 

[dgasmd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7223665#post7223665 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SPStoner
Only downside to acrylic is the scratching. Other than that, I like everything else about it.

I would have agreed witht this completely, but I'll add one more. The need for much thicker materials and larger eurobraces/cross braces when you go big. Other than that is a win/win situation with it.