Acrylic or glass

[Nomadic1]

Got the upgrade bug...looking to go 96x36x24. Can't decide on glass or acrylic. I have never owned an acrylic tank in the 13 years I've been in the reef hobby or the 30 years I've kept aquariums. Other than the scratching issue, why would you choose glass over acrylic in this case? I have quotes for both, and the price is virtually identical for an acrylic or glass 3/4" wall thickness tank.

Thanks for your input!

 

[redfishbluefish]

I don't like the easy scratch of acrylic and I don't like the weight of glass. Between my two dislikes, I'd still pick glass and have a rigging crew move the big tank into my house.

 

[ifarmer]

definitely go with glass. cleaner look and easy to clean.
it's heavy but chances are you are not going to move the tank around alot.

 

[YHSublime]

I would go glass. I've never heard somebody go back to acrylic...

 

[glassguy]

Glass, most definitely!

 

[swk]

I actually prefer acrylic. Optically clear, more impact resistant, a better insulator, easy to fabricate and customize, and yea, they're easier to scratch, but unlike glass the scratches can be repaired even with the tank full of water.

Being in California - I feel more secure with an acrylic tank in an earthquake. They can flex a bit more than glass without a catastrophic failure

 

[dburt520]

I am also interested in the same question for the same exact size tank. I thought I was headed towards glass until I started getting quotes... 6K+ for a glass tank of that size and 2K for Acrylic (both from very reputable/high end builders).

Following along now to see if the 4K more is worth it in the long run.

 

[v6shooter]

Acylic because better insulator. Keeps temperature more stable. Easy to drill on

 

[trickedout900]

I have both and while acrylic does scratch if I were to buy a new tank it would be acrylic. I have a scratch in my 220 glass and can't do anything about it. Drives me crazy.

 

[kingclam52]

I would go with Glass but then again it is what you like best of luck on your new build

 

[Fish76]

I like glass. Yeah you can't buff out scratches like acrylic, but I feel it's more forgiving if you happen to rub a rock against it or happen to pick up sand when cleaning the glass. Acrylic is pretty clear but you can always do low-iron glass (starphire) for clarity at a cost of course.

 

[BigKid4788]

I'm planning my own build and haven't decided on glass or acrylic. I've seen a couple recommendations on who to use if I buy a glass aquarium. Can anyone suggest a quality acrylic company to have build an aquarium. Thanks for your help!

 

[BigKid4788]

Forgot to mention the build will be roughly 350 gallons

 

[TylerS]

I am also interested in the same question for the same exact size tank. I thought I was headed towards glass until I started getting quotes... 6K+ for a glass tank of that size and 2K for Acrylic (both from very reputable/high end builders).

Following along now to see if the 4K more is worth it in the long run.

Who will do an acrylic tank for that size for 2K? I'm also looking at a roughly similar size. The quotes I've gotten have all been at least 4K. For that price I'm strongly considering building my own.
Personally I want acrylic. Can anyone name another benefit to glass besides the scratching issue (I would include easier to clean with the scratching).

 

[BigKid4788]

Who have you gotten quotes from

 

[TylerS]

Two LFS who both use the same builder (Innovative plastics inc.). I live in Michigan. http://acrylicaquariumsbyipi.com/ Can we post links? They said there was another builder they could use out of Detriot, but that builder was really expensive.

When hunting on the internet most websites don't have prices, but the ones that did were similarly around 4K. I'm mostly interested in the guy who found a reputable builder for 2k.

 

[KPhilly]

My opinion, would be glass. Like the stated obvious reason that it is more scratch resistant. I didn't see it mentioned earlier but also with glass, if you're using non-tempered, the thicker it gets the more green it begins to shadow. I'm assuming this build will be with about 1/2" thickness or more. That's when most opt to use starphire glass because it's allows more light to pass through and gives a clearer view but that's gonna run the bill up more. Personally, I plan to use starphire on the front panel and side panels of my 200 Gallon build. Then use non-tempered on the bottom and back since their won't be any viewing from there of course. The bottom panel being 1" thick for more support. Acrylic does allow a little more bending, but like also mentioned, can be scratched fairly easy and not all scratches can be repaired. I'm not to sure about the shadowing in acrylic but I would assume there's not much an issue because i've never heard of anyone saying that they had that problem. Glass also weighs more than acrylic. So, acrylic could be a good option for you on such a big build. But my best advice would be to gather all this info and make a decisions based to your needs.