Glass or Acrylic

downhillbiker

downhillbiker

New member
So which is better? I know acrylic is bonded better and doesn't have as much chance for leak, but it scratches really easily...

I would like to hear the arguments pro/con on the two tank constructions. How do you clean an acrylic tank without scraping?

I am looking at tanks in the range of 110-120 gallon and am wondering which direction I should go.
 
With an acrylic tank, the question is not IF you're going to scratch it, but WHEN and HOW BAD. After 3 acrylic tanks, I'm in the process of moving back to glass. With the display panes made of low- iron glass - just as clear as acrylic. It's heavy, but if you're lucky, you'll only have to move it once.:cool:
 
I had an acrylic tank in the past and I'll never have one again. It got all scratched up and looked terrible after about six months. My current AGA 65G is three years old and looks as good as the day I bought and filled it. My tank on order will be made with starphire glass. I don't care if glass is heavier or more expensive to get custom sizes, I just think it looks better.
 
there is no Glass including starphire and other low iron glass that is clear all low iron glass has a tint to it.... cell cast acrylic is optically clear and the bonds are stronger.
 
I prefer glass for an aquarium that size. Weight is not an issue here. It all comes down to clerity and scratching. Starphire tanks give the best of both worlds but cost a lot.

Glass can loose a seam easy if the tank is improperly installed, perma scratch, or chip. Acrylic scratches easy but can be buffed out, can craze, could also break a seam.

Its a toss up really on smaller tanks. For large tanks acrylic is probably the better route.
 
I will never buy an acrylic tank again. The day after I set it up I went to work and came home to a tank I did not recognize. My lovely children (2 & 4) decided that they would help dad clean the tank and somehow got a few grains of sand stuck in the magnet cleaner. Nuff said!!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12925301#post12925301 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ryddo
I will never buy an acrylic tank again. The day after I set it up I went to work and came home to a tank I did not recognize. My lovely children (2 & 4) decided that they would help dad clean the tank and somehow got a few grains of sand stuck in the magnet cleaner. Nuff said!!
Click to expand...

Oh geez! Virtual beer's on me!
 
Put me in the "never again" crowd with respect to acrylic tanks. Way too easy to scratch and way too hard to clean. There are some definite advantages to acrylic, but they are far outweighed by the disadvantages.
 
My 400 is 1" acrylic and I'm happy with it. I could not deal with moving this tank if it were glass and I trust acrylic to last longer and not explode! I frequently crawl around on top of my tank and you wouldn't see me doing that with a glass tank.

I clean my tank using a great white magnet cleaner. I use brillianize lubricant on a diaper covering the outside magnet. I have yet to scratch the outside of the tank.

The fish are actually causing the majority of the scratches on the inside of the tank. (teeth, spines etc) From time to time, I hand polish out any scratch that annoys me. Visually, the scratches aren't bad, but they attract algae making the panes harder to clean.

Finally, I think acrylic is visually clearer than glass (especially as the thickness goes up). Even low iron glass imparts some colour and I think this is one of the reasons that acrylic is favoured as tanks get very large.
 
i guess i dont have a good eye...i cant tell the difference in clearity between glass and acrylic. i dont think weight is too much of an issue either. i dont think i could deal with a scratched up tank. i will probably go with glass. besides i dont like that acrylic tanks usually have all the bracing up on top. i think it blocks light and makes it harder to work with the tank. i guess i will go with glass.
 
For those w/ starfire, don't think it can't scratch.
It's a little softer than regular glass, about in between both.
But acrylic can be buffed out, glass can't.
They both are pretty equal as in good and bad points, I think depends on your situation.
 
no, not good acrylic anyway. it should all be UV resistant.

glass is undoubtably superior to acrylic for a vast majority of its life.

the only times it isnt superior is

1. the day you buy it $$$$$$$$$$$

2. the day you move it *hernia

3. the day it leaks.

the rest of the time, give me glass.

*<-purchased 240g acrylic tank coming from 75g glass tank, it was option 1 that pushed me over the edge, acrylic is about all you'll find 2nd hand in larger tank sizes. 120 should be no problem for glass though, dont really even need starfire unless its some custom 24x24xgazillion with 1" glass.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12927402#post12927402 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by areze
glass is undoubtably superior to acrylic for a vast majority of its life.
Click to expand...
I disagree but we all have different opinions on this subject. Acrylic has many more advantages over glass but the scratching is a major concern. If you can keep the scratches under control then go with acrylic otherwise go with glass.
 
aside from the 3 I listed, I cant think of any... but maybe I just havent been there yet. share what youve experienced for sure.
 
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