Glass or Acrylic? Whats your fav and why

jay357 · 02/06/2006, 01:56 PM

I am going to upgrade to a larger tank. I have a 55 acrylic now and am looking at 150 or 200 gallon tanks. I was wondering who makes the best glass and who makes the best acrylic tanks? What should I buy? Glass is more clear right? Better viewing with glass right but heavier and it may break. Also how thick should a 150 or 200 gallon glass or acrylic tank be? I see some acrylic tanks are made of different stuff. I see cell cast and stuff like this. Whats the difference and whats better? If there is a thread already discussing this please show me a link as Im sure it has been discussed to death somewhere.

Some links to some good manufacturers would be a great help also. Word of mouth from satisfied customers would be great please.

Thanks
Jay

Entropy · 02/06/2006, 02:13 PM

Glass because it does not scratch (within reason). Acrylic has glass beat in every other category IMO, but the easiness of scratching kills it for me. If someone invents a scratch proof acrylic someday they will be billionaires.

RobbyG · 02/06/2006, 02:25 PM

If your the kind of person who is not obsessed with little details and does not get annoyed by scratches then Acrylic is the way to go. As stated above it's better in almost every way, including visibility and much greater flexability to drill and work with. Also the insulating ability is vastly superior.

If your a person who hates scratches then get glass, after a few years no matter how careful you are with acrylic, you will get scratches. If you happen to be successful beyond your wildest dreams and have the Tank you have always dreamed of, you will then be confronted with having a perfect reef and the agony of viewing it through scratched Acrylic.

sjm817 · 02/06/2006, 02:30 PM

What makes it worse is Coraline algae has this thing about growing on plastic including acrylic. Not fun keeping it clean.

Marefish · 02/06/2006, 03:01 PM

Acrylic is much clearer. I had acrylic in the past, now have glass and defintely acrylic.

lighter, clearer just be carefull and no big deal about scratches.

Bebo77 · 02/06/2006, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Entropy
Glass because it does not scratch (within reason). Acrylic has glass beat in every other category IMO, but the easiness of scratching kills it for me. If someone invents a scratch proof acrylic someday they will be billionaires.

lol i am working on that now...

dannieboiz · 02/06/2006, 03:20 PM

I'm suprise that no one has mention Starfire glass.

Pros:
Almost as clear as acrylic, (please note keyword "almost")

Almost scratch resistence, (compared to acrylic)

Cons:
It's gonna break your bank

If married (wife might divorce you)
If dating(their goes your wedding)
If single(you'll be eating on instant noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next 2 weeks until the bank recovers)

jk, it's not that bad but still more expensive than either glass or acrylic.

JmLee · 02/06/2006, 03:23 PM

whats stronger? acrylic or glass?

dannieboiz · 02/06/2006, 03:26 PM

they both have their disadvantage IMHO.

But acrylic is more forgiving I think.

Reefdaddy1 · 02/06/2006, 03:32 PM

When I get that Big, ie 150 or bigger, I use Plywood with Glass, This way Starphire is always on front, And side portholes are regular Glass, My next project is 500 gallons.

JmLee · 02/06/2006, 03:36 PM

so.. wich ones stronger?

ErikS · 02/06/2006, 03:44 PM

Quote:

so.. wich ones stronger?

There is no real "stronger". Glass tanks do have a higher failure rate than a properly constructed acrylic tank - but for both the failure rate is very low.

An acrylic tank can take an impact that would cause glass to fail. Acrylic also handle jostling type impacts better as it's flexible. But these only apply if you live in an earthquake area or you have kids that might hit the tank with something (note these same kids can also scratch the heck out of an acrylic tank in short order).

Better? Neither, just which is better for you. For me that was acrylic = no kids, clarity, and no sand bed which helps with scratches.

dannieboiz · 02/06/2006, 03:45 PM

Here should be enough reasons to go with Acrylic, oh and to answer your question, acrylic is stronger

JmLee · 02/06/2006, 04:15 PM

yeah i figured.. i was asking as far as the seeming goes. arent glass panels glued with silicone?

thedigitalimager · 02/06/2006, 04:31 PM

I've had two acrylic tanks. I learned a lot about how to care for acrylic with my first tank. It had lots of scratches because I made lots of mistakes. Once you learn some "tricks" and the do's and don'ts, acrylic is not a problem IMHO. Also, it's not that difficult to buff out minor scratches. People will disagree with this, but I've never had a problem removing them. I suppose a lot depends on how patient and persistent you are.

bawla47 · 02/06/2006, 04:42 PM

mind sharing a few tricks thedigitalimager ?

my new tank is acrylic, so any tricks would be great

and acrylic is definately stronger. alot of acrylic tanks are lifetime warranty against it leaking/breaking etc.

bugman987 · 02/06/2006, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Entropy
Glass because it does not scratch (within reason). Acrylic has glass beat in every other category IMO, but the easiness of scratching kills it for me. If someone invents a scratch proof acrylic someday they will be billionaires.

I am in the process of building/designing an acrylic 120g tank and have been thinking of the scratch issues. My thought is this. Construct the tank with 1/2 inch acrylic then go back and use the thinnest piece of acrylic possible and silicone it onto the viewing windows. If it gets scratched up then pull it out and put a new one in. Is that a feasable idea or just a bunch of crazyness?

pete123 · 02/06/2006, 06:59 PM

The learning curve for acrylic is great. Interior cleaning I use a cut credit card mounted on a kent scraper. Outside I use Plexus and Plexus only. Windex will cloud.

Bugman987 - I would try a sample first.

Roland Jacques · 02/06/2006, 07:37 PM

ive sold maintained over 100 aquariums the longer i do this the more i like glass.

stronger??? inch for inch tempered glass or pound for pound acrylic

1. temperd glass
2. cell cast acrylic
3 . plate glass
4 i do no about the strength of starephire

but thier are a lot more important things to concider than stength
if you are going to hit it with a hammer acrylic (shock resistant) less likely to leak overtime acrylic. but less scratches glass!!!

but it is easyer to remove scatchs from acrylic.
dose any no how to remove glass scratches?

coraline aglae in a acrylic can scratch it, in a glass tank it just nomal cleaning. for what thats worth

thedigitalimager · 02/06/2006, 09:48 PM

Bawla47

Most of these are common sense things that I learned the "hard way" with my first acrylic tank.

1. The magnet cleaners are fine as long as you use a polyester pad for the inside.
2. When using the magnet cleaners, first spray the outside acrylic with a plastic cleaner such as Plexus, Novus, or Brillianize.
3. If you have a sand bed, ALWAYS clean at least an inch or so above it when using the magnet cleaner.
4. Use a magnet cleaner frequently, to get the coraline before it has a chance to really start.
5. The Kent scrappers designed for acrylic are very effective at removing coraline as long as you work at it slowly and methodically.
6. If you have a sand bed, push DOWN with the scrapper. Never pull up.
7. When cleaning the outside panels, use a microfiber cloth or something similar. Never use paper towels.
8. Make sure that any pads or cleaning tools you use are "acrylic safe".
9. Don't fret over light scratches on the outside panels. They are easily removed with the scratch removal kits that are available.

I've seen other useful suggestions here on RC.

JmLee · 02/06/2006, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by yourfishman
ive sold maintained over 100 aquariums the longer i do this the more i like glass.

stronger??? inch for inch tempered glass or pound for pound acrylic

1. temperd glass
2. cell cast acrylic
3 . plate glass
4 i do no about the strength of starephire

but thier are a lot more important things to concider than stength
if you are going to hit it with a hammer acrylic (shock resistant) less likely to leak overtime acrylic. but less scratches glass!!!

but it is easyer to remove scatchs from acrylic.
dose any no how to remove glass scratches?

coraline aglae in a acrylic can scratch it, in a glass tank it just nomal cleaning. for what thats worth

it matters if the tank bursts at the seems and spills water all over your floor where you 6 month year old daughter plays lol

jay357 · 02/07/2006, 01:43 AM

Hey...these are great replys. Thanks everyone for their views. I am thinking acrylic is for me. One thing I have found with the magnetic cleaners is they tend to wear out and not work. I have one of those with a pad that is kindof like velcro. It seems to have quit working like new. What I did was cut a peice of that bridal veil netting that I use for fragging soft corals and use it under the magnet. Works great and will clean coraline better than the origional pad.
How thick should the 180 be and is there different grades of acrylic? Wheres a good buyer? What about the truview tanks I see everywhere? Look kinda cheap to me but thats just me.

Jay

Ti · 02/07/2006, 02:17 AM

starfire

thedigitalimager · 02/07/2006, 05:31 AM

The Algae Free magnetic cleaners are very powerful, and replacement pads are readily available. There are several people who build custom acrylic tanks and list on EBay. You might check with some LFS's and see if there's a builder in your area.

02/06/2006, 01:56 PM	#1
jay357 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Vancouver Wa Posts: 80	Glass or Acrylic? Whats your fav and why I am going to upgrade to a larger tank. I have a 55 acrylic now and am looking at 150 or 200 gallon tanks. I was wondering who makes the best glass and who makes the best acrylic tanks? What should I buy? Glass is more clear right? Better viewing with glass right but heavier and it may break. Also how thick should a 150 or 200 gallon glass or acrylic tank be? I see some acrylic tanks are made of different stuff. I see cell cast and stuff like this. Whats the difference and whats better? If there is a thread already discussing this please show me a link as Im sure it has been discussed to death somewhere. Some links to some good manufacturers would be a great help also. Word of mouth from satisfied customers would be great please. Thanks Jay

02/06/2006, 02:13 PM	#2
Entropy Texas Reefer Join Date: May 2003 Location: Round Rock, TX Posts: 13,656	Glass because it does not scratch (within reason). Acrylic has glass beat in every other category IMO, but the easiness of scratching kills it for me. If someone invents a scratch proof acrylic someday they will be billionaires. __________________ Rich Overton 150G cube FOWLR, 30g sump, ReefKeeperII, 3x Koralia 1400's, QuiteOne 3000, Reef Octopus DNWB150, 4x 30w Par38 LED. Current Tank Info: 36x36x27 150g

02/06/2006, 02:25 PM	#3
RobbyG Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: 600 Ft From the Reef Posts: 2,099	If your the kind of person who is not obsessed with little details and does not get annoyed by scratches then Acrylic is the way to go. As stated above it's better in almost every way, including visibility and much greater flexability to drill and work with. Also the insulating ability is vastly superior. If your a person who hates scratches then get glass, after a few years no matter how careful you are with acrylic, you will get scratches. If you happen to be successful beyond your wildest dreams and have the Tank you have always dreamed of, you will then be confronted with having a perfect reef and the agony of viewing it through scratched Acrylic. __________________ The Optimist says the glass is half full, the Pessimist says it’s half empty, an engineer only see's a glass that’s twice as big as it needs to be! Current Tank Info: Insanely Automated Low Power Consumption 90 Gal Oceanic Bow System/Aquatronica Touch Controller/AQ Dosing Pump/AQT LEDS/AQ SMS/Seq Dart Pump/ASM G3/Ozotech Ozonizer/Koralin 1502/Chiller/Typhoon3 Ro/S.Squirt /Phos React/Rmt DSB Last edited by RobbyG; 02/06/2006 at 03:24 PM.

02/06/2006, 02:30 PM	#4
sjm817 On Yer left! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northern VA Posts: 18,777	What makes it worse is Coraline algae has this thing about growing on plastic including acrylic. Not fun keeping it clean. __________________ - Scott

02/06/2006, 06:59 PM	#18
pete123 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Northern California Posts: 183	The learning curve for acrylic is great. Interior cleaning I use a cut credit card mounted on a kent scraper. Outside I use Plexus and Plexus only. Windex will cloud. Bugman987 - I would try a sample first. __________________ Half owner of the forbidden doughnut Current Tank Info: 240 fish and coral, H&S Skimmer in sump, 40gal fuge.

02/06/2006, 03:01 PM	#5
Marefish Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: New York Posts: 25	Acrylic is much clearer. I had acrylic in the past, now have glass and defintely acrylic. lighter, clearer just be carefull and no big deal about scratches.

02/06/2006, 03:20 PM	#7
dannieboiz Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: NorCal Posts: 2,514	I'm suprise that no one has mention Starfire glass. Pros: Almost as clear as acrylic, (please note keyword "almost") Almost scratch resistence, (compared to acrylic) Cons: It's gonna break your bank If married (wife might divorce you) If dating(their goes your wedding) If single(you'll be eating on instant noodles for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next 2 weeks until the bank recovers) jk, it's not that bad but still more expensive than either glass or acrylic.

02/06/2006, 03:23 PM	#8
JmLee Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hohensfels, Germany Posts: 1,545	whats stronger? acrylic or glass?

02/06/2006, 03:26 PM	#9
dannieboiz Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: NorCal Posts: 2,514	they both have their disadvantage IMHO. But acrylic is more forgiving I think.

02/06/2006, 03:32 PM	#10
Reefdaddy1 Moved On Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Queen Creek , Arizona Posts: 214	When I get that Big, ie 150 or bigger, I use Plywood with Glass, This way Starphire is always on front, And side portholes are regular Glass, My next project is 500 gallons.

02/06/2006, 03:36 PM	#11
JmLee Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hohensfels, Germany Posts: 1,545	so.. wich ones stronger?

02/06/2006, 03:45 PM	#13
dannieboiz Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: NorCal Posts: 2,514	Here should be enough reasons to go with Acrylic, oh and to answer your question, acrylic is stronger

02/06/2006, 04:15 PM	#14
JmLee Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hohensfels, Germany Posts: 1,545	yeah i figured.. i was asking as far as the seeming goes. arent glass panels glued with silicone?

02/06/2006, 04:31 PM	#15
thedigitalimager Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Rockport, Texas Posts: 173	I've had two acrylic tanks. I learned a lot about how to care for acrylic with my first tank. It had lots of scratches because I made lots of mistakes. Once you learn some "tricks" and the do's and don'ts, acrylic is not a problem IMHO. Also, it's not that difficult to buff out minor scratches. People will disagree with this, but I've never had a problem removing them. I suppose a lot depends on how patient and persistent you are.

02/06/2006, 04:42 PM	#16
bawla47 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: fort lauderdale, FL Posts: 2,190	mind sharing a few tricks thedigitalimager ? my new tank is acrylic, so any tricks would be great and acrylic is definately stronger. alot of acrylic tanks are lifetime warranty against it leaking/breaking etc.

02/06/2006, 07:37 PM	#19
Roland Jacques Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Atlanta GA Posts: 2,848	ive sold maintained over 100 aquariums the longer i do this the more i like glass. stronger??? inch for inch tempered glass or pound for pound acrylic 1. temperd glass 2. cell cast acrylic 3 . plate glass 4 i do no about the strength of starephire but thier are a lot more important things to concider than stength if you are going to hit it with a hammer acrylic (shock resistant) less likely to leak overtime acrylic. but less scratches glass!!! but it is easyer to remove scatchs from acrylic. dose any no how to remove glass scratches? coraline aglae in a acrylic can scratch it, in a glass tank it just nomal cleaning. for what thats worth __________________ Roland

02/06/2006, 09:48 PM	#20
thedigitalimager Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Rockport, Texas Posts: 173	Bawla47 Most of these are common sense things that I learned the "hard way" with my first acrylic tank. 1. The magnet cleaners are fine as long as you use a polyester pad for the inside. 2. When using the magnet cleaners, first spray the outside acrylic with a plastic cleaner such as Plexus, Novus, or Brillianize. 3. If you have a sand bed, ALWAYS clean at least an inch or so above it when using the magnet cleaner. 4. Use a magnet cleaner frequently, to get the coraline before it has a chance to really start. 5. The Kent scrappers designed for acrylic are very effective at removing coraline as long as you work at it slowly and methodically. 6. If you have a sand bed, push DOWN with the scrapper. Never pull up. 7. When cleaning the outside panels, use a microfiber cloth or something similar. Never use paper towels. 8. Make sure that any pads or cleaning tools you use are "acrylic safe". 9. Don't fret over light scratches on the outside panels. They are easily removed with the scratch removal kits that are available. I've seen other useful suggestions here on RC.

02/07/2006, 01:43 AM	#22
jay357 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Vancouver Wa Posts: 80	Hey...these are great replys. Thanks everyone for their views. I am thinking acrylic is for me. One thing I have found with the magnetic cleaners is they tend to wear out and not work. I have one of those with a pad that is kindof like velcro. It seems to have quit working like new. What I did was cut a peice of that bridal veil netting that I use for fragging soft corals and use it under the magnet. Works great and will clean coraline better than the origional pad. How thick should the 180 be and is there different grades of acrylic? Wheres a good buyer? What about the truview tanks I see everywhere? Look kinda cheap to me but thats just me. Jay __________________ Phosphate Reactor, AquaC Remora Pro Refugium, DSB, 90 #s liverock, LPS/Softcoral dominated reef, 55 gallon glass, 250 watt halides, 50 #s Liverock, DSB, Calcium Reactor, Aquac Remora Pro, SPS tank,

02/07/2006, 02:17 AM	#23
Ti Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 7,927	starfire __________________ Hair algae is my Macro algae.

02/07/2006, 05:31 AM	#24
thedigitalimager Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Rockport, Texas Posts: 173	The Algae Free magnetic cleaners are very powerful, and replacement pads are readily available. There are several people who build custom acrylic tanks and list on EBay. You might check with some LFS's and see if there's a builder in your area.