Big tank glass vs acrylic

[fishguy242]

my new baby 500,80x44x30 tall no livestock but all eq,is a peninsula

 

[FishDoc]

As a licensed optician, I take exception to this last statement. Acrylic/polycarbonate is NOT optically superior to glass. Crown glass at a 1.53 refractive index is the gold standard for clarity, and has a MUCH higher ABBE value than acrylic/polycarbonate. It’s for the same reasons Costa Del Mar really pushes their 580G glass lenses: high scratch resistance, and unmatched optical clarity.

Also, well, camera lenses...

 

[BestCutter]

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.Low iron glass is very much color-free. You can see through several feet of it. Just saying.

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.It is not always that way. 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.

I've seen hundreds of tons of low-iron glass and I've never seen a tint to it, ever. Not saying you don't see it, just that it should not have any visible tint.

Dennis

 

[Rjramos]

First tank in 1995 acrylic, a Tenecor 55gal. Learned with time, that a healthy reef produces a lot of coralline algae as well. including the walls of the tank. For this reason alone, I’ve never had an acrylic tank.

 

[PhreeByrd]

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.

That's pretty misleading. Thick acrylic can be 'formed' as in curved by heating, but it cannot be 'formed into a single piece'. Virtually all acrylic tanks are going to have solvent-welded seams. Those solvent welds do not make the acrylic box a single piece of acrylic, nor are those seams necessarily superior to silicone-sealed glass.

 

[GlassMunky]

Glass is pretty resistant to scratches but once scratched, it is always scratched. I have not found it to be an issue.

This is factually false.
Glass can be buffed 100%

 

[John08007]

There's a lot of talk about glasscages quality control, anyone have any experience with their acrylic tanks?

I have a 75gal with plan to jump to 180-220 in next few yrs. Ive never had a busted seam but the thought scares me

 

[mfinn]

You feel that 8 years on an acrylic tank (or any tank) is a good lifespan? If acrylic is "bonded" it should last forever.

No, I think only getting 8 years on any kind of tank is very poor.

 

[mfinn]

There's a lot of talk about glasscages quality control, anyone have any experience with their acrylic tanks?

I have a 75gal with plan to jump to 180-220 in next few yrs. Ive never had a busted seam but the thought scares me

I would go with someone who does acrylic tanks as a primary point of their business and not a side business.

 

[albano]

There's a lot of talk about glasscages quality control, anyone have any experience with their acrylic tanks?

I had a 8’ 450g glass cages acrylic tank... small seam leak after 4 yrs, so I emptied tank and re ‘welded’ the rear seam. Then about 3 yrs ago after total of 8 yrs of use, side seam split and drained tank in an hour! wouldn’t take their tanks for free!

I would go with someone who does acrylic tanks as a primary point of their business and not a side business.

My 6’x5’ 500g and my 200g acrylic tanks were built by fishtanksdirect.com... very happy with them

 

[2Wheelsonly]

Glad someone else said it. And since everyone likes to look at pictures and video's, here are 2 that describe how to do it with full tank (part 1 and 2).

This video made me purchase a mighty magnet and the sanding kit. I also use those bags they sell that wrap around the magnet (like a dobie pad) and they work wonders. My first month after adding my initial cleanup crew a snail was under the pad. During a holiday party I made a mental mistake and left the magnet on the front panel down to the left. A guest saw that and thought it was cool I could clean the tank that way and slid it across the tank, almost all 96 inches had a huge snail shell scratch right down the middle. I was able to sand it out with that kit and you could never tell the difference.

My acrylic tank can scratch easy, it's a PITA but I know I can always sand most everything out. The strength of the tank, not worrying about silicon seals breaking with age and the weight were huge reasons I will never go glass for a 300+ tank. I have my gripes about how it doesn't allow for sharp photographs vs glass but i'll manage.

 

[John08007]

I had a 8’ 450g glass cages acrylic tank... small seam leak after 4 yrs, so I emptied tank and re ‘welded’ the rear seam. Then about 3 yrs ago after total of 8 yrs of use, side seam split and drained tank in an hour! wouldn’t take their tanks for free!


My 6’x5’ 500g and my 200g acrylic tanks were built by fishtanksdirect.com... very happy with them

Thankyou for the info!