Acrylic V. Glass

[matttvi]

I'm interested in people's thoughts about Acrylic v. Glass tanks...

I'll start w/ a list of a few things I've experienced/heard...

Glass
Cheaper
Easier to clean (less likely to scratch)

Acrylic
Much clearer than glass (though starfire glass is pretty clear)
Easier to drill

Anyway vote and add to the list.

thanks,

Matt

 

[mojo]

I have an acrylic tank and love the ability to design and get exactly what I want, the ability to be able to drill anywhere into the tank (for CLS), the clarity, invisible seams, and lighter (but only relevant on install).

But.... the only reason I'll never own another acrylic tank? The scratches.

If I had to do it over again, I'd go starfire and use some of the new manufacturing techniques to be able to get large radius corners and have a custom top on a glass tank; that'd be the best of both worlds (and admittantly expensive).

 

[matttvi]

Well, glass is kickin'... butt.

 

[FutureInterest]

I've got an acrylic tank myself and voted for glass as well... for a different reason than those listed above. Scratches come out easy with micromesh even while the tank is full, so that doesn't bug me... much. Bowing could be a problem, but its not with mine so far as I can tell. My issue with acrylic is cleaning the coralline off of it... I get tons of coralline algae on the "glass" and it takes forever to carefully remove it with a plastic scraper.

 

[mojo]

dawgdude;42252 wrote: I was having the same debate with myself eariler and another problem is that acrylic bows alot more than glass.

Only if the tank is designed wrong....

Besides, acrylic can bend without damage - it's much more flexible than glass, and so bowing is designed into a tank.

FutureInterest is right - cleaning an acrylic tank is a pain...

 

[kwl1763]

Had both. Will never do acrylic again. Scratches and cleaning being the main reasons.

 

[matttvi]

i have read from posters on various boards that macro algae likes plastic and it certainly seems to grow faster on return nozzles, the overflow, etc., than the glass, so I wonder if that is a pretty consistant thing w/ acrylic tanks. Not only are they a pain to clean algae off of but they are more likely to attract macro algae than a glass tank w/ the same parameters..?

 

[stanfill reef]

I like glass for the same reasons listed above, AND I have heard too many horror stories about poor workmanship on acrylic tanks and having the seams bust. I know that it can happen on glass tanks too, but it just doesn't seem that I hear about bad glass tanks as often.

 

[cameron]

Glass also only has to be supported along the edges of the bottom. To my knowledge, acrylic must be supported evenly across the bottom.

 

[jetchris]

uhh whatever is cheapest at the time

 

[mitchelliii]

I only voted for acrylic because of the hernia surgery required after moving the tank - even with 4 people! However, installation woes or not being smart enough to hire someone else to do it isn't glass's fault. Being extremely heavy and more difficult to move is it's con. What I do not like about acrylic is the bow I tend to see in some tanks. Probably overcome in newer thicker tanks.

 

[washowi]

Broken and leaking seams..........nuff said there.....glass forever. unless your the Georgia Aquarium

 

[mojo]

MattTVI;42264 wrote: but they are more likely to attract macro algae than a glass tank w/ the same parameters..?

Yup- coraline algae seems to have a special affinity to plastic, including acrylic.

Stanfill Reef;42268 wrote: I like glass for the same reasons listed above, AND I have heard too many horror stories about poor workmanship on acrylic tanks and having the seams bust. I know that it can happen on glass tanks too, but it just doesn't seem that I hear about bad glass tanks as often.

In my experience, it's easier to get silicone and glass to set correctly and form a good joint than it is an acrylic joint. However, a properly made acrylic joint is stronger than glass.

washowi;43099 wrote: Broken and leaking seams..........nuff said there.....glass forever.

A correct seam on acrylic is as strong as the material itself - the weldon literally melts the acrylic together, so if done correctly, you end up with an aquarium that's the same as being made out of one piece of acrylic.

Having said all that - getting good acrylic seams is difficult, especially as the material gets thicker, and you pay for that.

I bought my acrylic tank for that very reason - a well made acrylic tank will never break at the seams. A glass tank with silicone does have a usable life before the silicone has to be replaced.

 

[ouling]

My acrylic tank looked good for the first 8 months before the algae made things stupid, my glass tank always looks good when i have a razor, and my 55 gallon glass sump have been in service for 14 years, no leak, not problems at all. Glass wins for me, and saphire crystal is even better.

 

[rgzfly]

I've also heard that acrylic holds more heat than glass. What would be awesome is if you could have acrylic on all but the front pane. Then you'd be able to drill easily, clean the front glass, and its easier to move. That is of course if its built into a wall like mine. I only need the front anyway. If I could build my perfect aquarium, it would be only glass in the viewing panel and some other material, thats lightweight, and easy to drill on all others.
Richard

 

[kwl1763]

mojo;43116 wrote: I bought my acrylic tank for that very reason - a well made acrylic tank will never break at the seams. A glass tank with silicone does have a usable life before the silicone has to be replaced.

I agree totally with this but useful life of a good glass tank is in the 20 year range minimum. I only know of a couple tanks ever that were setup for that long so in my mind it's a non-issue (or at least way down on the totem pole).