where to get acrylic aquariums???

[Cassian]

The scratches are a night mare which is why it will take a lot for me to get another acrylic tank. Advantages of acrylic to me are

1. The ability to make what would be impossible in glass this includes both shape and size. At the LFS I worked at we sold a few 22 ft long acrylic tanks and it would have been impossible to do them in glass. Bow fronts and bent corners are also easier.

2. Better thermal insulation. This is a real benefit weather in the dessert like me or in a cold climate your heater or chiller will likely work less.

3. Longer lifespan. Glass tanks should be replaced after 15-20 years because the silicon can wear out. Most of us can’t think of having a tank longer than 5-10 years but if you are doing an in wall build and you want the tank to stay there for the next 50 years acrylic is a better bet, just factor in annual buffing.

4. Shatter resistance. Not a big deal for most of us but I helped with a series of installs for a day care center and they were all acrylic. We were just too worried about a kid throwing a baseball and shattering a 300 gallon tank.

thanks for the info! are the scratches difficult to buff out? does it get scratched bad on the inside? im just wanting a rectangle, but the reason I was looking at acrylic is because of the strength, less weight, clarity, and temperature control. would you recommend a glass instead?

 

[Cassian]

I have a 12 year old Truvu and I agree they make great tanks...but their stands suck...
As for your clear for live vs tsunami question the reason clear for life costs so much is its a famous name brand like red sea is for glass tanks. You are paying for the name.

thanks for the info. I usually dont like premade stands so im thinking of making my own.

 

[Aquavaj]

One thing that's a dealbreaker for me with acrylic tanks is the amount of bracing on top. Won't be as much using 3/4" but that jumps up in price considerably.

 

[lapin]

to all of you that have acrylic tanks, do they scratch as easily as ive been told? are the scratches hard to get out?

They scratch if you rub something harder than acrylic across them. Most common is a grain of sand or snail trapped between the magnet cleaner and tank side. On the inside when using a magnet look at what Mighty Magnets sells. This will give you an idea of whats avail to clean the inside of your tank. Scratches on the outside are easy to remove. On the inside not so easy unless the tank is empty and you can get inside to work on it. I have restored a lot of tanks that you could barely see thru. The deeper the scratch the longer to fix it.
It all comes down to how meticulous you are when it comes to maintaince.

 

[Montiman]

thanks for the info! are the scratches difficult to buff out? does it get scratched bad on the inside? im just wanting a rectangle, but the reason I was looking at acrylic is because of the strength, less weight, clarity, and temperature control. would you recommend a glass instead?

I would recommend glass to 95% off people. Most of the advantages of acrylic come into play in very large or commercial installs. I have a 120 gallon glass tank. Buffing a tank that size in acrylic to the point where it looks new would likely take me 8-12 hours. No I am not kidding 8-12 hours. If the tank was dry and you could use power tools then it could take less or if your standard is lower with still some noticeable wear.

I love being able to scrape Coraline with a razor blade or keep a magnet cleaner in the tank but I would never do either of these with acrylic. This means more maintenance time that you will have to factor in in addition to buffing time.

 

[Aardvark1134]

I have a 12 year old acrylic tank it only has 1 scratch in the whole tank that is visible while it has water in it. It's on the side near a wall so I haven't bothered to buff it out.
With acrylic do you need to pay attention ? yes
Do you need to not use razors to get off the algae? yes
Do you need to not whack it with large rocks ? yes
And keep the mag float away from the sand.
but simply put if you pay attention to what you are doing you will have a beautiful tank for a lifetime.

I will never own another glass tank larger than a QT or ATO.

 

[albano]

I have a 12 year old acrylic tank it only has 1 scratch in the whole tank that is visible while it has water in it. It's on the side near a wall so I haven't bothered to buff it out.
With acrylic do you need to pay attention ? yes
Do you need to not use razors to get off the algae? yes
Do you need to not whack it with large rocks ? yes
And keep the mag float away from the sand.
but simply put if you pay attention to what you are doing you will have a beautiful tank for a lifetime.

I will never own another glass tank larger than a QT or ATO.

Absolutely!
The other comments about acrylic seem to be from people that caused their own problems! Scratches can be avoided... glass is harder to scratch but impossible to repair.
I’ve been using acrylic tanks since 1991, still have a couple of tanks that are over 20 yrs old and look fine. Wouldn’t take a glass tank for free.
For the record, you can remove scratches on the inside of a tank with water in it.

 

[ca1ore]

the reason I was looking at acrylic is because of the strength, less weight, clarity, and temperature control.

All good reasons to go acrylic - plus the corners look so much better than a glass tank to me. I’ve had my big acrylic up for 18 months. No major scratches yet because I’m very careful. Glass is certainly harder, but it’s not impossible to scratch .... and then it’s permanent.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

I have a twenty year old clarity plus 120. I use my hammerhead magnet with a clean micro fiber cloth on the outside. I spray it with brilliance cleaner before I run the magnet. I usually use a dobi pad cover on the inside of my tank with the magnet. The only scratches I have are from the tank maintenance idiot I hired a year ago. I fired him after three months. The key here is not to run your magnet to close to the gravel or sand. Plastic scrapers work well. You will need to Run the magnets more often, but it’s no big deal. I like acrylic, and would buy another. I however would like a star fire rimless also. I’m upgrading soon, so whatever I find at a good deal will be what I buy.

 

[Cassian]

thank you all so much for your input! im fairly sure I will be getting a 240 gallon acrylic from FishTanksDirect!

 

[JRAD]

I had a custom all in one made by American Aquariums. Nice workmanship and I think reasonable prices.

 

[Cassian]

I had a custom all in one made by American Aquariums. Nice workmanship and I think reasonable prices.

thanks!

 

[tony'stank]

I had a 125 Gal six foot long acrylic tank for six years.
Two disadvantages not previously discussed are :
1 Acrylic tanks are more extensively eurobraced on the top than glass tanks. This and salt creep limits the amount of light reaching the tank.
2. Because of the bracing, the to of the tank openings severely limit the size of rocks and rock structures you can place in the tank
3. Algae removal from the front and sides of the tank is much more difficult. You must use special non metal scrapers
A big advantage is that they are much lighter than glass tanks. Two people easily lifted my 125 Gal

 

[wrasse man]

are certain brands on fishtanksdirect better than others? ive seen several for sale on there. The tsunami are a lot cheaper than the same size in clear-for-life. is clear-for-life better, or just overpriced?

I've had two clear for life, one was a 120g that was 9 years old when I sold it, my neighbor still has it and it is going strong. My current one is the 300g, and it has been an awesome tank as well. Awesome thing is I got it so cheap when PetSmart was having a sale. There was a 20% sale and it wasn't in stock online, so I called about it and they gave me a 30% off code. So I waited until the website was having another 20% sale and when I bought it, applied the additional 30% off code as well. At the time I think I paid just around $900 plus shipping. So yes, the price alone was reason enough for me to get another acrylic tank. I used what I saved on the tank and ordered an awesome aluminum stand from custom aquariums and their seamless sump system. Couldn't be happier, its exponentially lighter than glass, scratches buff out with a headlight repair kit and drilling it was far less stressful.

 

[McPuff]

One option for the exterior of the tank is to use a clear bra, similar to what people put on their windshields to protect from rocks, etc. This would at least eliminate any scratches on the outside. Could do this on a glass tank as well, for that matter.

 

[Cassian]

I've had two clear for life, one was a 120g that was 9 years old when I sold it, my neighbor still has it and it is going strong. My current one is the 300g, and it has been an awesome tank as well. Awesome thing is I got it so cheap when PetSmart was having a sale. There was a 20% sale and it wasn't in stock online, so I called about it and they gave me a 30% off code. So I waited until the website was having another 20% sale and when I bought it, applied the additional 30% off code as well. At the time I think I paid just around $900 plus shipping. So yes, the price alone was reason enough for me to get another acrylic tank. I used what I saved on the tank and ordered an awesome aluminum stand from custom aquariums and their seamless sump system. Couldn't be happier, its exponentially lighter than glass, scratches buff out with a headlight repair kit and drilling it was far less stressful.

thanks so much! I will have to watch for a sale like that!! lol

 

[Aquavaj]

One option for the exterior of the tank is to use a clear bra, similar to what people put on their windshields to protect from rocks, etc. This would at least eliminate any scratches on the outside. Could do this on a glass tank as well, for that matter.

Good option for the outside but unfortunately most scratches occur on the inside. While they're not as delicate as some make it seem you do have to be alittle more careful than with glass.

 

[McPuff]

Good option for the outside but unfortunately most scratches occur on the inside. While they're not as delicate as some make it seem you do have to be alittle more careful than with glass.

Totally agree. Just thinking about some extra protection for those with kids. :0)

 

[anit77]

I'm looking to get a 440 or 500 gallon tank in about 6 months. I'm leaning towards a peninsula in acrylic. I got what I believe is a reasonable quote from American Aquariums. I'll look at a couple of the other manufactures listed above too.

Weight is a big factor but I like the clarity I've seen with acrylic tanks. It's still scary when I hear about the scratches, especially with it being viewable from three sides.

 

[albano]

IMO, most scratches come from magnets and sand... easy to avoid, especially if you do NOT leave the magnets on the tank! Every visitor loves to try the magnet cleaners and while they’re ‘helping’ you, they will probably scratch the tank! Remove the magnets when not in use!

For the record, I’ve had acrylic tanks since 1991... I still have a couple of tanks that are over 20 yrs old and are in great condition.
Scratches can be fixed!