Ok, I've read the first 15 pages so I'm gonna post thoughts and questions. I'm looking at getting tank over 500 gallons, maybe a 12 ft 1,000 gallon tank.
Glass is best if you can manage the instillation regardless of weight because the upkeep is dramatically easier. Acrylic wins in specific situations, bends, etc. But glass kind rules the square and boring space proudly. As for glass tanks and age, my moms 55 gallon is almost 30 years old and never been resealed, I guess I should get on that... I have a old acrylic hex and its scratched and yellow so just saying it can happen. Razor blade cleaning is everyones enemy.
Not that I think acrylic is bad but its deffinately not my choice knowing how I'm not a careful guy and the people in my life tend to scratch things that belong to me.
Any way I would really like glass, people talk about shattering glass and I feel fortunate. I keep cichlids predominantly and All I can say is I know how to scratch and ding glass from trying to fit rocks to large in tanks where they don't belong. I watched that video of the weight lifting tank disastor and thought how I've hit my tanks with worse and luckily they are still in one piece with gaint chunks missing.
Any way the design of this tank I want would be in a basement behind a wall so the front is the only thing that need be clear and durable. I just wonder how much quality acryilic costs per squar inch/ft. vs. starfire glass. I might find a local shop to build one in my basement of my future house in the next year or so. But I'm just trying to become informed.
