Acrylic-vs-glass tank

[Dr.HarlemTutu]

Love to hear from people who have had both. Making some decisions about a build. I've kept both as well as starfire glass but would love to hear from the community. Moving into my basement is part of the equation.

Opinions welcome!

 

[tdileo]

Acrylic scratches easily so as an urchin lover you probably wouldn't see me with one lol. But acrylic is also way lighter. However under strong lights I don't think acrylic is good for a very long time. I am personally a glass fan, but it's mostly because I tend to get stuff that will scratch it lol.

 

[PSLReefer]

Acrylic scratches easily so as an urchin lover you probably wouldn't see me with one lol. But acrylic is also way lighter. However under strong lights I don't think acrylic is good for a very long time. I am personally a glass fan, but it's mostly because I tend to get stuff that will scratch it lol.

An urchin is most certainly not going to scratch acrylic. It's spines are not that strong or sharp.

 

[tdileo]

An urchin is most certainly not going to scratch acrylic. It's spines are not that strong or sharp.

I was told that the teeth can scratch it pretty easily. I didn't say 100% they would but I would rather not find out because I hate scratched tanks

 

[PSLReefer]

I was told that the teeth can scratch it pretty easily. I didn't say 100% they would but I would rather not find out because I hate scratched tanks

Possibly, but they shouldn't be on the tank itself unless it's covered in algae. Their food source is on live rock it feeding it small pieces of seafood occasionally.

 

[tdileo]

Possibly, but they shouldn't be on the tank itself unless it's covered in algae. Their food source is on live rock it feeding it small pieces of seafood occasionally.

Mine is always on the glass, only time it was on the rock was when I first got him. He likes to sit above my powerhead next to the overflow and push the wires lol. I'm thinking about getting some macroalgae to give him a hat

 

[Dr.HarlemTutu]

Scratching is my main concern I suppose. I have a cadlights tank now that is star fire that scratched really easily. I am now super careful with cleaning process! I've been treating it like acrylic. Is that the case for all star fire? Or does cad use crappy soft glass?

 

[AmericanAquariums]

Starphire glass really isn't any softer than regular glass. A little bit of sand under the mag float is all it takes to scratch acrylic or glass. It is true that acrylic is softer than glass and obviously could scratch easier. Have you ever seen a well used glass tank? They're usually covered in scratches. Especially near the sand bed. Did the harder glass prevent scratches? Nope. Taking your time and using the proper equipment when cleaning your tank is the key to having a scratch free aquarium.

 

[rinckemd]

I have an acrylic tank. I love the polished and rounded corners. I’ve scratched it with lots of things, frag rack magnets, anything that gets caught under the cleaning pads, even rubbing too hard on stuck coraline! Mine is open top, so it’s thick! 1.25 front and 1” sides. Using most of the smaller magnet powerheads won’t work well with that thickness. I would probably not get another one. I’m a bit worried how dinged up it will be in another 2 years.

 

[JaimeAdams]

Acrylic pros over glass including star fire - Better optical clarity, better insulating capability (must have for cold water tanks), much lighter in weight, far superior impact resistance, some scratches can be polished out, no silicone seams to leak ( acrylic done correctly will never leak from a seam or blow out)

Acrylic cons versus glass - Acrylic is softer (can scratch easier), The cleaning pads for acrylic are more expensive than glass.

Basically you have to be more careful cleaning acrylic than glass, that is the downside to acrylic.