Acrylic or Glass Tank

[rl1360]

I am thinking of getting a new show tank and would like to hear your thoughts an what is best glass or acrylic. I am thinking of 150gal.
Thanks......

[Skip]

Glass

[rl1360]

And why?

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Acrylic is lighter but can be twice as much as glass. Remember too, acrylic is very easy to scratch. But I think it would just be personal choice and what you can afford. A tank that big is not cheap.

[nc0gnet0]

If price is no object, acrylic all the way.

[brewmaster15]

I would love to have had all my tanks acrylic...they are light weight, easy to move around and I think I remember reading somewhere that they hold in 8X the heat as glass.(don't quote me on it)... thats a huge plus with the temps we keep discus at.

Downsides, cost and scratches...scratches really not an issue in a bare tank.

hth,
al

[nc0gnet0]

Plus, acrylics don't rely on silicone for a seal.

Rick

[Second Hand Pat]

I love acrylic for large tanks due to the weight.

[BODYDUB]

And why?
I'll give you more info besides a one word post.......


Acrylic is 17 times stronger than glass, softer and more flexible than glass, making it highly impact resistant. It weighs 50% less than glass, making it much more portable and lighter. Acrylic insulates 20% better than glass, which reduces temperature fluctuations and saves on heating and chiller bills. Another advantage is that it has a transparency rating of 93%, which is as clear as optical glass. Only disadvantage I see is acrylic costs more.

[Skip]

I'll give you more info besides a one word post.......


LOL>> you are so funny when your passive aggressive post towards me.. cracks me up every time..

[MKD]

all the above

plus, acrylic is easy to drill, cut and patch any holes.

[Skip]

all the above

plus, acrylic is easy to drill, cut and patch any holes.

cost and scratches.. not for me..

[brewmaster15]

cost and scratches.. not for me.. so basically you are cheap and practical.... pretty much why I have glass too.;)

-al

[Skip]

so basically you are cheap and practical.... pretty much why I have glass too.;)

-al

yes sir.. !!!!

[MKD]

you can get the used one too. I was luckly got hands on a lfs closing business but all come down to personal choice .

[ericatdallas]

I prefer glass b/c of the scratching. There are times when I'm moving a tank 75G or larger that I wish I had acrylic though. It's a toss up between glass or acrylic with toddlers. Kids rub random things/toys into the tanks sometimes which won't scratch as easily but at the same time, acrylic may be more resistant to there more aggressive contact (banging---which is rare).

But yeah, cost is a huge factor for me too... especially for smaller tanks (55G or below) because I would rather have quantity for those.

[Tankster]

If you go Acrylic - try this guy. https://www.facebook.com/AcrylicCreations Customer builder and has some good feedback.

When I talked with him about my tank he was on a 6 week backlog.

[Tankster]

ohhh - and then, there is this CL post with both tank and sump... I would caution you on this one though as it is sitting in a warehouse. Looks great but who knows if it holds water at this point.
http://baltimore.craigslist.org/for/4280495377.html

[CraigJ]

Hi Tankster,

I can't say for sure, but I think a lot of the Craigslist ads with personal email addresses, like the one you linked, are used for phishing.

[daffyfish]

Acrylic does scratch easy. But, can be buffed out. The weight difference is great when moving them. I've kept a look out for used ones. So far, I have some from 15 gallons all the way to 240.

[jaykne]

I have glass and acrylic I love my acrylics I want to slowly replace all my tanks with acrylic, and they don't scratch that easy.

[timmy82]

I would only use glass as acrylic is much harder to sterilise if you get an issue it leaches into the plastic. Glass can be treated easy.

[Tonihuynh]

I had experience with the 60 gallon glass tank before, it was leaking after 5 months I used it for my discus. it took me few days to clean the floor and setup a new tank from a leaking one. now I am using the 60 gallon acrylic tank for a year now, the tank is light and can be carried by myself. The glass tank is nice but you need 2 people to carry a 60 gallon glass tank. And don't forget to keep the receipt during warrantee time when you buy glass tank.