Big tank glass vs acrylic

[lost66]

I am thinking about upgrading my 75g to 240g, something like 96x24x24. I got quote from a local guy for $1400 and it is acrylic tank. I also found a glass tank on glasscages.com for $1112. I am waiting for a quote of shipping to NC.

It may be the similar amount of money and I found both quotes a good deal and I wonder which option is better. I have a small kid and 2 cats. The tank will be a room divider so both long sides will be exposed. I asked local dealer that I am worried about scratches and tinting and he said that acrylic tank is easier to scratch but not that easy and there is plenty of options to buff it and for tinting, modern manufacturers give like 10 years warranty. He also said acrylic has no resealing or leaking issues and it is more resistant to crack. He makes only acrylic tanks so I understand why he defends acrylic over glass.

I found some posts on this forum but they are old, like +2 years old. I wonder how do you guys find your tanks and pros/cons for modern tanks built like this or last year?

 

[lpsouth1978]

Glass Cages tanks tend to be hit and miss with questionable workmanship on some tanks. I am NOT a fan of acrylic tanks and would point you to something like Planet aquariums, or one of the new larger Waterbox tanks. They are more expensive, but they cost more for a reason!

 

[ca1ore]

There are an almost endless number of threads on this topic .... all of which recycle the same set of basic pros and cons. This one's from a few weeks ago.

Glass or Acrylic

Hey everyone, Looking at going to a larger tank (like most of do) and trying to think of what is the best solution for a 10+ year tank. Looking at having it 8ft long, 2 ft wide, and 2ft tall. Should I go glass or acrylic for it? Pros and Cons would be great :)

www.reef2reef.com

 

[PatW]

Acrylic can be formed into a single piece So it is stronger than glass. It is also lighter than glass. It is without color and is optically superior to glass.

But acrylic scratches pretty easily. And that is a big downside. The scratches can be buffed out. I have an acrylic dome for my underwater camera housing and I buff it out after every trip. Buffing out a tank requires emptying it and is a major PITA.

Glass aquariums are caulked at the joints with silicon. And that is a potential weakness but it is rarely an issue. Glass also has a strong green tint. Some people do not care. My display tank is low iron glass. It still has some tint but not much. Glass is pretty resistant to scratches but once scratched, it is always scratched. I have not found it to be an issue.

 

[Squidward]

Big Tanks = Acrylic all day... the weight alone of a big glass tank is crazy heavy while 2 people can lift your 240 acrylic
small tanks = glass

 

[mfinn]

I'm glass all the way.
I had 1 acrylic tank and wanted it gone inside 6 months.


On another note, your choice of glasscages is interesting in that I just saw a post by someone new at glasscages and he said that the old issues that plagued their tanks are a thing of the past.
I had one that lasted me 8 years before it sprung a leak in the bottom seam. This was 6 years ago.
He posted here in a thread this morning.

 

[ztorrico]

Jumping on the NAY to acrylic and Yay to glass... Only ever had 1 acrylic tank and the ease of scratch is insane!! Put me in the Waterbox train!! They are legit!

 

[johnston]

im a glass guy

 

[LadyMac]

Glass for me regardless of size. Acrylic scratches way too easy for my liking. I have a Waterbox, which is low iron starphire glass. It’s nice.

 

[fishguy242]

hi imo acrylic 100% 3/4 top and bottom 1/2 sides,have had mine 1 yrs was full reef when bought ?how many before,mine is so old 1/2 top and bottom 3/8 panels,yes it has some scratches still not bad ,i can move it myself when it was emt,is reef ready,drilled for custom loop flow no prob,happy hunting

 

[inletfish]

up with hope, down with acrylic.

 

[fishguy242]

you can also go bigger,get to300 plus and1" or thicker bullet proof does not scratch that easy ,follow me i am going to do a build on here mid march 500 gallon peninsula 80"l x44"wx 30 d 1 1/2"thick gonna be sweeeeet

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

I’m running acrylic for 20 years. I use my magnet with a dobi pad cover on the inside magnet. You can scratch your tank, but if your careful you will be fine. I hired a tank maintenance company a couple years ago. Big mistake. He ran his scraper into the sand and caused some scratching. I would also go bare bottom or larger substrate to prevent this. If you go acrylic I will recommend you use your magnet to clean every two to three days. This will prevent trying to remove heavy buildup. I love star fire glass, but have peace of mind knowing I won’t bust a seam. Here’s a pic up and running 20 years.

 

[fishguy242]

bare bottom all the way

 

[lost66]

Thank you for your input. I am not worried about scratching my tank by myself, I clean my glass tank carefully not knowing why - it was scratched when I purchased it, I needed to reseal it... and after I setup everything I even noticed minor dents on the front panel - again, previous owner (he was hiring a "professional company" to do a maintenance for him). I am worried about my 11 months old son and my 2 cats. My boy is too small yet to make any damage but he will be interested in a such great view soon enough. My cats are hunting my fish and the use their claws on the glass. I can buff it from time to time.
But I got a quote from glasscages with transportation it is the same price as for acrylic.
I read about glasscages. They had some issues but also they have happy customers.

So I think I will go with glass. Maybe it is a time to include aquarium to my insurance.

 

[fishguy242]

yes add 240 bottom seam ,devistating, i've seen 220 blow damage tremendis .most important brace floor below ,make sure dead level happy reefing

 

[lapin]

I made my own, since I cant lift 5x3 pieces of glass that are 1" thick, I went with acrylic

 

[albano]

Buffing out a tank requires emptying it and is a major PITA

Somebody lied to you... in tank scratches can be sanded without emptying tank

 

[SeaDweller]

Somebody lied to you... in tank scratches can be sanded without emptying tank

I have an acrylic 240. At first I hated how easily it COULD scratch (and did). Then I discovered some 3M felt polishing pads or whatever they are, and polished in tank, all inhabitants still in. Now I'm kinda glad I have acrylic.

 

[albano]

Now I'm kinda glad I have acrylic.

+1...I have only purchased acrylic tanks since 1991, will never set up a large glass tank again.

Also look into the acrylic sleeve magnet cover from Champion Lighting... prevents sand scratches