Glass vs acrylic

T

Thatguy08

New member
Hi everyone,

I did a search and read some of the opinions but I could not find anything as far as brands. I have a few questions maybe you all can help me with. I would like to do tangs and clown fish and some other fish that are compatible. Please excuse my ignorance if that is not possible with the questions I am asking.I am new and want to get into saltwater reef

1. Which is better for a 90 gallon? Glass or acrylic. Is this an appropriate size for such?

2. Which brands do I steer away from steer toward based on your acrylic/ glass input?

3. I plan on purchasing a new house in 1 or 2 years which would be easier to transport/ relocate? Or should I wait till I move into the new home to purchase and move forward?

Thanks for the input. My name is Paul and I am from the houston area.

Please if you could also shed some light on what is required to run a reef tank. I can do a search if it is easier than answering.
 
while i never had an acrylic tank, my uncle did. man it starches easy. if you only want a 90 gallon tank i would go glass. but 90 you will be limited in what fish you can put in there. if you want a tank or tangs and other bigger fish, 250 is a good size. but if you are moving in a year or 2 i would wait before i got that big of a tank. moving a big tank is a pain. just my 2cents

plus i think most pre-made 90 gallon tanks are high. fish go by surface area , height doesnt add to much

so a 90 gallon might be 4 feet by 18 inch and 3 feet tall while a 75 is 4 X 18X 20 both tanks are really the same when keeping most fish.
 
Since you want a 90g there are many tanks that are glass that come in that size. Acrylic is the answer to your question though. I don't know of ANYONE who has had a glass tank for over 15 years without it failing. I DO however know people who have acrylic tanks that are 20+ years old. I can remove scratches from acrylic and make the tank brand new again, I can never do that with my 220g glass tank.
 
My experience with acrylic has always involved eventual bowing---not failure [edit: well, one did, an 8 foot tall decorative bubble tank, but it was far cheaper---split right down the back seam at the bottom), but the crazing on the top bracing on a 10 year old reef one was getting rather scary. I think that was because the lights were heating it.

My experience with 5/8ths inch Starphire glass has never had a failure. My current one is a 105 quarter cylinder, deep as tall. The Tunze Care magnet has made it possible to clean below the sand on the front without fear of scratches by mag picking up sand.

Both are good tanks. Acrylic scratches very easily, but as aforesaid, that can be treated. Glass is real hard to scratch, but if it does, you'll have to live with it. Just be careful of sand grains and magnet cleaners.
 
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I've had both, but as often as I clean the "glass" (1-2 times per week), I could never keep scratches off the acrylic. That's why with my current tank I went with glass. As said, if I went with a very large tank (150+), I'd probably feel safer with Acrylic. But with a smaller tank, I'd personally stick with glass.
 
That being said. Seems as I am going to have to go with a larger tank due to the fish my wife wants. So acrylic may be the way to go. What are some brands that are good? I visited advanced acrylics they seem to be fairly priced. Any reviews to offer on brand?
 
I broke down my acrylic 300 "I hated it!" and replaced it with 5/8" low iron glass, and I couldn't be happier. I would never go acrylic again. Scratched too easy. The only 2 benefits to the acrylic "in my mind" is the cost and the weight. My glass 300 is HEAVY!
 
if you go with glass for a big tank i would only go safire glass tanks and make sure the glass is thick. dont shop solely on price
 
Thatguy08 said:
What about artisan II 165 reef ready? Low iron glass anyone have any experience with these?
Click to expand...

I actually looked into CAD Lights when I was buying my tank and was pretty much sold based upon size, style, and dimensions--up until I started reading reviews. If you look around, you will find very little that is good about their customer service if there is any issue with their tank.
 
Being that you are new to the hobby and looking for a fairly standard size, I'd recommend glass from a good manufacturer. It'll be cheaper to start - even if you go *somewhat* custom with overflow, etc., and glass is harder material so won't scratch as easily, so it's somewhat of a buffer for ya to get started.

Start simple, then branch out more as your experience and wants/needs dictate.

If you do go acrylic, get thicker material than most would say is needed.. IME, most acrylic reef tanks that I see that are scratched to hell are tanks that are made with material that is way too thin. Straight scraper on concave surface = scratches. Thicker material won't guarantee no scratches, but it will *just about* guarantee far fewer of them.

HTH,
James
 
My third tank is my first acrylic. It is also much larger, 350 gallons.
As others have said they are far more prone to scratches. On the flip side, the scratches are fixable, even on the inside.
Aside from that, I find the 2 comparable as far as ease of cleaning.
I have no idea of the age of any of my tanks, since they are all CL finds. But the manufacturer of the acrylic went out of business in 2011.
After a good sanding and buffing, it looks almost brand new and the seams look great. Can't say the same about my glass tanks.
Since you are after a fairly standard relatively 'small' tank, I would say you will find better deals on a glass tank.
 
Acrylic takes about twice as long as glass to clean off algae. Even longer if you don't keep up with it on a weekly basis. And pray to God you don't have an any coraline algae get going on acrylic.
 
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