Acrylic vs. Glass

[fender4string]

What material is really better? I've heard acrylic is much clearer than glass but that it scratches easily. How much clearer and how easily does is scratch? Is acrylic worth the extra money in the long run?

 

[James11]

Personal preference to me, you have to weigh the pros and cons.
Glass is less expensive and doesn't scratch as easily but weighs more, you can get starphire but thats expensive.
Acrylic is lightweight but scratches easier but is clearer.
If you are worried about scratches you might want to look at glass. One small grain of sand stuck to your mag float can scratch your acrylic.

 

[WinnipegDragon]

A low-iron glass like Starphire is probably an option to consider. Better clarity than standard glass, less risk of scratching than acrylic.

 

[joeychitwood]

I think acrylic tanks are very nice, but over the years, you are bound to accumulate significant scratches. (Even glass gets scratched inadvertently.) I think maintenance is easier overall with a glass tank.

 

[aaron7405]

I have seen on my tank (glass) and sump (acrylic) than the acrilic if you coralling takes off is a pity to be scraping all the time, so I stoped the scrubing on my sump.

You can see this on your pumps the plastics gets the coraline very easily, so is more work to scrubs for mantinence

but inb the other heand I migth switch to acrylic next year due my dougthers, I think acrylic is more resistance. IMO

 

[rf]

Acrylic was much lighter and easier to move around without having to call a calvary. If you keep it polished outside and keep things stationary inside you will avoid scratches. I don't recommend using a magnet cleaner to clean the inside. Things can get caught in the pad that you don't see and reap havok.

 

[seapug]

The clarity is the only advantage of acrylic IMO, but with the availability of low iron glass nowadays, I'd avoid acrylic unless you want some sort of custom round or odd shaped tank. The weight argument is moot. Once the tank is full of water and rocks you won't be able to move it, regardless of what it's made of.

 

[L98-Z]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13290348#post13290348 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by seapug
The weight argument is moot.

I wish I could agree with you, but even my 180 took 4 people to move around. I'd imagine n a 50-60 gallon tank the weight argument is moot, but on the big tanks it is very nice.

I'm about to have to move a 220 for a friend and we're already worrying about the weight issue. More people doesn't always work, because if the house only has a single door enterence, the most you'll get holding that tank is 4 people, and that's a pain.

 

[fender4string]

ok thanks for the info-I'm leaning towards glass just because of the resistance to scratching. How do you clean the acrylic without a magfloat? Also-is the difference in clarity really that noticeable between glass and acrylic?

 

[jubjub]

i had glass then went to acrylic....its really a tough call cause the acrylic is seriously clearer and lighter i moved my 75gal 5foot acrylic easily by myself.... while my 55gal 4foot i could hardly move with out help....

but on the other hand getting coraline off is sooo much easier on a glass tank...having to scrape it off the acrylic just kills my hands

then the scratching of acrylic really sucks... right in the middle of my tank i did this....because a small piece of salt after i cleaned some saltspray off

 

[matthewscars]

eh, I have glass and i dont notice it at all. Im assuming its not that noticable. it depends how thick the glass is.

On my 90g, i can tell only slightly if I REALLY look hard.

 

[kevin2000]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13290602#post13290602 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fender4string
How do you clean the acrylic without a magfloat?

They make magfloats specially designed for acrlyic - but something similar to a credit card works better and won't create a scratch.

As others have said .. acrylic is much clearer and stronger than a std glass tank as well a significantly lighter. Their downside is they tend to be prone to scratching (scratches can be buffed out) Glass is tougher/heavier and often less expensive - and scratches can't be buffed out.. Starfire tanks are probably a good alternative but I recall they are pretty spendy.

 

[faulkincanyon]

i think glass is just great...I realize glass can scratch..but its sure not going to scratch like the pic above because of salt...I think if I had a scratch that bad in the middle of my tank id be ****ed...not worth it in my opinion..

 

[L98-Z]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13291209#post13291209 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kevin2000
Glass is tougher/heavier and often less expensive - and scratches can't be buffed out..

They can be buffed out as well. Just more of a pain than acrylic. Much more of a pain. There's some stuff you can put on a buffer or drill to remove them. Cerium oxide or something, comes as a powder that you mix with water.

 

[kevin2000]

I think that buffing out even minor scratches in glass is a PIA and often beyond the capabilitie of most aquarist ... a decent scratch is often very difficult/impossible to buff out.

 

[aaron7405]

other good thing about the Acrilyc is than you can make them easly more modifications (perforations) than glass tanks

 

[fender4string]

ok-all the points helped clarify things-in a sense . Now I'm slightly more torn between choices haha...oh well....more to consider

 

[sonapl]

it really is personal preference. mine is glass because of the scratch issue. For a sump though I would go acrilyc because it can be modified so easily and scratches don't matter much.
Good luck on your choice.

 

[tmz]

I use glass(not starfire) and find it clear enough for my taste. I'd worry about scratches and difficulty cleaning the acrylic.