Acrylic aquariums

kyle1234 · Jul 2, 2024

I am looking to replace a 20 year old 125gallon glass tank with an acrylic 6’ 125 gallon but I see they are all 3/8” thick without building a custom tank. It’s actually just for my freshwater system but I’d like some input on how these thinner acrylic tanks hold up before spending $1,400 on one… thanks

kvansloo · Jul 3, 2024

They hold up pretty good, I have a few friends with them and they love them. I have a friend that also went custom and he loves it. I personally prefer Glass but would not be against getting an acrylic.

twentyleagues · Jul 3, 2024

kyle1234 said:
I am looking to replace a 20 year old 125gallon glass tank with an acrylic 6’ 125 gallon but I see they are all 3/8” thick without building a custom tank. It’s actually just for my freshwater system but I’d like some input on how these thinner acrylic tanks hold up before spending $1,400 on one… thanks

Really depends on how its built. The strength comes from proper bracing between the sides and top and how much of a top is actually there or not. The rest is typically up to the user and how they take care of the tank itself. I have seen some acrylic tanks bow terribly from supposed professional builders and others in action that have never distorted one bit for many years.

Check out tanks from companies that have been around for a long time. I have seen tanks from Tenecor that have been used for decades 3/8s walls still no distortion, I dont like how expensive they are but great tanks.

Aquavaj · Jul 3, 2024

Acrylic is extremely strong. If you ever bent a piece it can flex quite a bit before breaking. Add in the heavier amount of bracing at the top and now you can use thinner panels without compromising the structural strength of the tank.
Acrylic will tend to bow more than glass. I had a custom acrylic tank made with 3/4" panels with no bracing and at only 20" high it was bowing quite a bit still.

Largeangels · Jul 3, 2024

Just be EXTRA careful when cleaning. Acrylic is my favorite and I've done away with all the glass tanks due to weight and strength. Plus if you have to drill into them it is much easier. But that said they do scratch much easier so be extra carefull when cleaning. A small piece of gravel on the magnet can do quite a bit of damage.