acrylic tanks

[corrosionjerry]

I am thinking about purchasing a 120 gallon acrylic....

any comments pro or con comments on this..... are welcome

The reason I am thinking about acrylic is my paranoia thoughts about glass breaking and the weight issue with moving this size of tank...

I know I need a tank of this size or larger for some Discus I am growing out...

[Ed13]

The reason I am thinking about acrylic is my paranoia thoughts about glass breaking and the weight issue with moving this size of tank...

If this are your main reasons/concerns with glass go ahead with acrylic, it'll be hard to argue against it. But be ready for it being scratched as this is inevitable. If you are careful and don't mind this you'll be absolutely happy, I hate scratches though.:mad:

[Greg Richardson]

If you can afford it then great. I like them.

But as far as moving a glass 120 tank I think you be surprised it's not as heavy as one thinks. I'm 50 years old. No big deal.
My son and I moved a 100 glass tank with ease.
I was VERY surprised how easy it was. After reading over the years how heavy they were my mind was already expecting a terrible time. My son is only 13 BTW. But then again stronger then a lot of 18 year olds but I'm not going to let him know that. LOL!

As far as glass breaking just do a visual inspection now and then.
I really like acrylics but cost for a 120.............. Not for my wallet. LOL!
I'd rather use that money on fish.

[bumblebee]

I have try both acrylic and glass tanks, after few years my glass tank still show crystal clear. End up I have to give up all the acrylic tank. So for long run I go for glass.

For a 120g show tank, their weights won't be a lot of differences when all fill up with water, and you still need 2 people to move the empty tank around right? But final thing, if you have a toddler who likes to use his metal car toys to knock here, knock there.. then acrylic tank is your only choice.

[Ed13]

But final thing, if you have a toddler who likes to use his metal car toys to knock here, knock there.. then acrylic tank is your only choice.
YES, I totally forgot about this one. One of my nephews manage to put a somewhat deep scratch with a toy car in my last 90g glass tank, imagine if it would have been acrylic.

[GrillMaster]

For a show tank that you would want everyone to see I would go with glass. Acrylic tanks seem to scratch really easy, especially if you have to start removing algae. Plecos can scratch it up pretty good as well.

I have a 125G AG tank, and like Greg said, My son an I had no problem moving it.

[Esquire]

I'm 53 and move a 210 glass by myself. 8 knee ops and bad artheritis.
It is empty....:) when i move it and I don't move it far, but I do move it.

[Greg Richardson]

8 knee ops and bad artheritis.

Going for #9 are you? LOL!

[April]

i love acrylics. i have always had them..as im a weak female. lol. well..im not that weak..but heh..when you live alone..and you dont like asking for help..to lift tanks..you figure it all out. i had two 100 gallon ones..i moved from a 5th floor apartment down to the underground..into my honda and to my shop on my own. lean it off the stand..onto a wagon on end..wheel it to the car..throw it in..then unload it and carry it single handedly to the front door and go back for the stand. stick it on . all done easily. no issues of glass cracking..or banging on corners of doorways..etc. yes you can get a few scratches..but..whenwater is in them you dont see the scratches. just dont let people lean things against them like backs of chairs etc. also have a flat base on your stand.
also..you dont spend as much on a hood or canopy as you dont need one. just two access holes wiht covers. and a light if needed. so less money there. and..the fish cant jump out as easy.
and..the cracking wide open was my main reason as i was paranoid about a major flood and at the time i knew i was going to be in an apartment for sometime.
everyone on the fault line should have acrylic..they bounce.
the acrylic tanks up here..arent that costly. and they come from california. tru-vu. i paid 585.00 for a 100 gallon and no canopies to buy extra. but thats rock bottom price. i believe they have gone up lately since gas prices have ..transporting..and petroleum product . but less exchange also.

[musediscus]

try to get the one with the blue back, or clear back, the black back is kinda interesting, change the discus color and their mood little... acrylic is the way to go

[Darrell Ward]

I have had an empty 180 gal. acrylic tank in my garage for about 5 years. I quit using it after I found stress cracks in it. I had only used it about a year. Buying that tank was the most expensive mistake I have ever made in this hobby. Its been only glass for me ever since.

[musediscus]

yeah that is the only bad thing about acrylic, i have stress cracks but i use it anyway.

[April]

mine was almost 10 years old. tru-vu guarantees them for 15 years i believe. theres different qualities of acrylic and you do need to be careful..as the lower quality they also yellow. i also got one home made..big mistake within about a week..i could see the sides bulging more each day. i knew it was gonna blow. so..sold it for a snake tank. so go tru-vu or nothing. or therse one other company on the east coast thats meant to be good.
i sold my two big ones so i can get 4 feet and stack instead. but i still have my original 60 gallon one . first one i bought. no stress cracks i can see.
but..if you want a deal..wait till boxing day and go to big als and get glass . almost 1.00 a gallon. i got two 75s for about 80 bucks each. all glass.

[Ed13]

Streess cracks, hmmp? Sounds like extrude acrilyc, too thin material, manufacturing imperfections or improperly desingned stands/placement. If so it may not be your fault at all at. The use of Metal Halides/sun light or abrasive agents may have also compromised the integrity of it.
April, extruded material is famous for yellowing.

[musediscus]

they crack b/c i use nail remover to remove the words on the tank. i didn't wash it down with water, well live and learn

[April]

thatd do it..and dont use windex i was told or damage.

[wgtaylor]

I agree with all the points April has made, here are a few more.

Easy to drill overflow and drain holes for future upgrade.
No frame on the top and bottom to distract new swimming fry.
No silicone with tiny pockets to trap food and parasites.
Optically much more clear than glass.

As April said, scratches on the inside of the tank cannot be seen, water fills the scratch. In a rare case if the outside gets scratched it can be repaired. You can purchase cleaning and polishing supplies cheap to keep it looking like new. The weight difference between glass and acrylic is astonishing. If I was going to buy and have only one tank in my home it would definitely be Tru-Vu acrylic. Bill