Next tank - Glass or Acrylic???

[stephencraig]

We are thinking about another tank to replace the Wave tank with next year. We would of course probably be going bigger (if I can continue to afford the water and electricity bills), somewhere in the 150 - 200 range in gallons.

I would be interested in hearing your opinions on glass versus acrylic. Also, is there a difference in acrylics (i.e. are there types that are more clear than others, more scratch resistant, anything else I'm not thinking of?

Stephen

[MattK]

My vote = Glass

[hobogato]

My vote = Glass

ditto - but if you go acrylic, cast acrylic, not extruded. it is clearer and supposedly has higher strength rating.

[don-n-sa]

Glass - Cheaper than acrylic , does not scratch as easily as acrylic and if you do scratch it it is not nearly as noticable when full of water.

Acrylic - Clearer than glass, lighter , is a better insulator than glass ( which can be good or bad )

As with any tank and ESPECIALY large ones , make sure you go with a well known manufacturer thas has a good reputation and warranty.

Glass - Oceanic , glasss cages

Acrylic - tenecor

[z28pwr]

150 to 200 gallons definately go glass.

I've had probably over 2 dozen tanks ranging from a 10 gallon to a 750 gallon from glass to acrylic and anything below 300 gallons I like to get in glass, anything over that I like to get in acrylic.

You should take a look at Oceanic's 215 gallon tank, it's a really nice tank giving you good good length and height.

[ackelley]

Acrylic is much stronger than glass so when you look at how thick the glass would half to be as opposed to the acrylic the larger tanks become a lot cheaper to use acrylic. Glass does not flex well ether and acrylic does hehe and it does not shatter easily either. If you get a nick in glass its strength reduces a lot a nick in acrylic does not have this problem. However acrylic does react with cleaners over time and will become brittle over long periods of time or a little hazy as it is nicked. It also looses some color in my opinion.
*both have strong points a weak ones* so it's all about you

[matt]

Acrylic is much stronger than glass so when you look at how thick the glass would half to be as opposed to the acrylic the larger tanks become a lot cheaper to use acrylic. Glass does not flex well ether and acrylic does hehe and it does not shatter easily either. If you get a nick in glass its strength reduces a lot a nick in acrylic does not have this problem. However acrylic does react with cleaners over time and will become brittle over long periods of time or a little hazy as it is nicked. It also looses some color in my opinion.
*both have strong points a weak ones* so it's all about you

Sorry dude, most of this post is just not right. Acrylic tanks are made out of thicker material than glass for the same size tank. Cast acrylic will not become "brittle" over time; it's very stable. Built correctly, acrylic tanks will outlast glass by a long time. If your acrylic tank is reacting with a cleaner, you're definitely using the wrong cleaner, which BTW is probably also very toxic to marine life.

Acrylic is much clearer than glass; about twice the light transmission if I remember right. This does change with age as long as the tank is not subjected to excessive UV; (aquarium lights do not have excessive UV) in any rate the silicone used to hold glass tanks together is degraded by UV much more than cast acrylic.

The reasons most people prefer glass tanks are: 1) They don't scratch nearly as easily, and this is a big advantage. There are easy ways to buff out small scratches on acrylic, even on the inside while tank is filled, but large scratches are a disaster. 2) Glass tanks are much cheaper. When I tell people how much the acrylic alone costs for a sizable tank they can usually buy a brand new glass tank for less money.

[ackelley]

I took a materials class where we learned about different materials used in manufacturing. And acrylic is a great for storing things. We also use chemicals that are pretty harsh. But look into Regal Plastics they have some cool stuff. I don’t think it’s seeded though. And about light absorption I really can’t say foreshore but its my opinion that it absorbs more light than glass we never covered that.

[Willow]

I would say glass.. just for the scratching factor alone...

[Ross]

another vote for glass

[BIGBIRD123]

Not trying to ruffle any feathers,LOL!, but I would be more inclined to pay attention to what Ace and Matt have to say. They are the GURU'S of glass and acrylic. If I need something of either, then I just say, "Ace build it" and he does what he thinks best and I am happy with that. I have never had anything that Matt has built but I know ALOT of people that do and they are happy as well.

JMHO,
Steve