Truer colours: Acrylic or Starphire

troutbum · 06/26/2010, 12:30 PM

I know that ''no barrier'' or top down viewing provides the most accurate colours, but is there a difference between acrylic and starphire when viewing the corals and fish of our aquariums?

firereef · 06/26/2010, 12:57 PM

Starphire is more clear. Acrylic gets a bit scratchy after awhile no matter how much you try not to scratch it.

noahm · 06/26/2010, 01:06 PM

Acrylic is actually more clear, but it does scratch easer.

troutbum · 06/26/2010, 01:10 PM

Thanks for your replys. The scratch resistance debate has been covered many times before, with glass the victor, but i'm more interested in which one is the better with regards to accurately reproducing colours.

noahm · 06/26/2010, 01:28 PM

The difference is negligible. Acrylic generally has a minimum 92% visible light transmission, while Starphire specs at 91%. Personally, I would probably go starphire/low iron on my next tank, but I really like my acrylic and may stick with that as well. No help here, lol. The bigger the tank, the more I lean toward acrylic (weight/handling, ease of drilling, impact resistance etc.)

troutbum · 06/26/2010, 01:35 PM

Thanks for the information. They really are close in specifications and I don't imagine the 1% makes that much difference when viewing the corals.

inktomi · 06/26/2010, 02:23 PM

For what it's worth, I have starphire glass on 3 sides of my tank - and when it's clean and free from algae you can't tell that there's glass there. I've never had an acrylic tank - they seem so expensive - so I can't comment on those tanks - but I've been extremely happy with my starphire tank and doubt that I could ever go back to something else.

All the ease of glass, and all the transparency of acrylic. Best of both worlds IMO

firereef · 06/26/2010, 02:36 PM

1% difference is killer

Like I said earlier, starphire is more clear after a while do to scrathness

noahm · 06/26/2010, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by firereef

1% difference is killer

Like I said earlier, starphire is more clear after a while do to scrathness

Yeah, sorry I misunderstood before.

shrimphead · 06/26/2010, 05:51 PM

can't you get anti algae coatings for the glass?, i've seen some nano particle coatings which repell algae but do they reduce the transparency of the glass.
off topic a bit sorry.

06/26/2010, 12:30 PM	#1
troutbum Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 31	Truer colours: Acrylic or Starphire I know that ''no barrier'' or top down viewing provides the most accurate colours, but is there a difference between acrylic and starphire when viewing the corals and fish of our aquariums?

06/26/2010, 02:23 PM	#7
inktomi Aviator Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA Posts: 960	For what it's worth, I have starphire glass on 3 sides of my tank - and when it's clean and free from algae you can't tell that there's glass there. I've never had an acrylic tank - they seem so expensive - so I can't comment on those tanks - but I've been extremely happy with my starphire tank and doubt that I could ever go back to something else. All the ease of glass, and all the transparency of acrylic. Best of both worlds IMO __________________ ----------- Check out my YouTube channel as well. Search "ReefMan". Current Tank Info: 275g AGE, 5 Radion Pro, 4 MP40

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06/26/2010, 12:57 PM	#2
firereef Moved On Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Long Beach Ca. Posts: 4,641	Starphire is more clear. Acrylic gets a bit scratchy after awhile no matter how much you try not to scratch it.

06/26/2010, 01:06 PM	#3
noahm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,736	Acrylic is actually more clear, but it does scratch easer.

06/26/2010, 01:10 PM	#4
troutbum Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 31	Thanks for your replys. The scratch resistance debate has been covered many times before, with glass the victor, but i'm more interested in which one is the better with regards to accurately reproducing colours.

06/26/2010, 01:28 PM	#5
noahm Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 2,736	The difference is negligible. Acrylic generally has a minimum 92% visible light transmission, while Starphire specs at 91%. Personally, I would probably go starphire/low iron on my next tank, but I really like my acrylic and may stick with that as well. No help here, lol. The bigger the tank, the more I lean toward acrylic (weight/handling, ease of drilling, impact resistance etc.)

06/26/2010, 01:35 PM	#6
troutbum Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 31	Thanks for the information. They really are close in specifications and I don't imagine the 1% makes that much difference when viewing the corals.

06/26/2010, 02:36 PM	#8
firereef Moved On Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Long Beach Ca. Posts: 4,641	1% difference is killer Like I said earlier, starphire is more clear after a while do to scrathness

06/26/2010, 05:51 PM	#10
shrimphead Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 552	can't you get anti algae coatings for the glass?, i've seen some nano particle coatings which repell algae but do they reduce the transparency of the glass. off topic a bit sorry.