8ft custom tank. Glass ... or acrylic ???? help!

[jsodwi]

I've had a glasscages 300g glass I loved but it was a bit heavy. It took 6 guys to move and lift onto stand. Now I have a Tenecor 750g acrylic which is great but scratches just by looking at it. My kids know to not even lay a finger on it. That took 6 guys to move as well. glass tank I used windex to clean the acrylic I use novus polish with a cotton t shirt

 

[creepyoldguy]

I have a glasscages 8x2x2 240 glass tank. This particular tank weighs 627 lbs if I remember correctly. As most have stated the pros and cons, I would say the only two that haven't been covered are price (as acrylic is more expensive) and where you need to move the tank to, such as turns and stairs, then the acrylic would come in to play. I helped A friend move his 8x2x2.5 300 g down a flight of stairs and up over his hot water heater and t felt like a 55g! It took 4 guys to move my 8x2x2 glass tank thru my front door into my living room (and a case and a half of beer and 4 pizzas hahA)

 

[zebvance]

I have a glasscages 8x2x2 240 glass tank. This particular tank weighs 627 lbs if I remember correctly. As most have stated the pros and cons, I would say the only two that haven't been covered are price (as acrylic is more expensive) and where you need to move the tank to, such as turns and stairs, then the acrylic would come in to play. I helped A friend move his 8x2x2.5 300 g down a flight of stairs and up over his hot water heater and t felt like a 55g! It took 4 guys to move my 8x2x2 glass tank thru my front door into my living room (and a case and a half of beer and 4 pizzas hahA)

HAHA thanks now I know how much my tank weighs! How did you come to that weight?


And as creepyoldguy stated there is a big difference in price between the two, From what I have seen acrylic is about 3x the price as glass.

 

[creepyoldguy]

HAHA thanks now I know how much my tank weighs! How did you come to that weight?


And as creepyoldguy stated there is a big difference in price between the two, From what I have seen acrylic is about 3x the price as glass.

A friend of mine (one that helped) was curious as to howuch it weighed so he called glasscages. Yours may weigh slightly less as mine as drilled. Either way, it's something I Don't want to do every weekend!

 

[sharkcop]

I have a 300 gallon glass tank that I have moved 5 times. It's heavy, but moveable. I just got an 800 gallon acrylic. Took 8 guys to move it, barely. Couldn't have budged it if it was glass. I like the look of acrylic better. Haven't had too much trouble with scratches. The glass tank has scratches that will never come out. Don't worry about strength or seams, either will handle the pressure if built right. Real acrylic should not yellow and is actually clearer than glass.

 

[silver fish]

I have 360 8x3x2 acrylic, moved it with 2, scratches are easy to fix, over ten years old no yellowing. Give some thought on the holes you want pre-drilled, air, returns, cover, food, etc. Once you go acrylic you won't go glass. GL

 

[Bb66cuda]

I would definitely go with acrylic. All my large tanks are acrylic, and they hold the heat much better than a glass tank will. You will save money in the long run with acrylic, and if you are worried about bowing on a 240 gal just make sure it is at least 1/2" or thicker.

 

[Rayshot1]

really good info on the subject here!

 

[aclockworkorange]

Having setup and moved a number of large tanks made of both glass and acrylic, I would go for acrylic for tanks over 200 gallons, personally.

 

[Spiritofthesoul]

arcylic has the most advantage when dealing with bigger size

The only advantage I see in acrylic is the light weight. But its just not impractical. You only move the tank once. From the store to the final location in your house. You don't move it all the time (unless you are ) And talk about price. Acrylic is by far more expensive than glass, almost 3x more. An 8x2x2 would cost a dent to the wallet. So I say glass is still practical. People also claim acrylic scratches can be buffed easily, while this sounds like a good thing, know that acrylic can be easily scratched, hence the need for buffing. If you have a glass tank and take good care of it, I don't see any reason why scratches would appear. As for drilling, I'm sure most stores offends that service so you don't have to worry about breaking the tank when drilling.