GLASS VS. ACRYLIC

[rallysman]

and if the scratches are on the inside??? you have to drain it I would imagin...

I've seen some be able to take it out with progressively finer sandpaper, but I would still say you'd have to drain the tank.

 

[johnptc]

can anyone explain exactly how you buff them out?

see https://www.micro-surface.com/default.cfm?page_id=200


i am currently polishing a piece about 5 x10 feet.

i am using a DA sander ( air ) dual action not rotary wet with a little dish soap.

using wet and dry sandpaper through 600 grit the using 1500, 2400, 3600 from micro surface.........at this point its pretty clear.

then using a rotary buffer ( slow 2000 rpm) not a grinder with their liquid water based polish......

very pleased with their products and the results.....

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I have a great question for you all. If you get a large glass aquarium, as in a 300G, and you took a sheet of acrylic, cut to size, and layed it in the bottom of the tank, would this help protect the bottom from any kind of incident like accidentally dropping a rock? I usually put my substrate in first, so even if I accedentally drop something, it lands on the sand substrate, or Eco if it's my planted tanks. I never use aquarium gravel. Just Eco or pool filter sand.

 

[johnptc]

I have a great question for you all. If you get a large glass aquarium, as in a 300G, and you took a sheet of acrylic, cut to size, and layed it in the bottom of the tank, would this help protect the bottom from any kind of incident like accidentally dropping a rock? I usually put my substrate in first, so even if I accedentally drop something, it lands on the sand substrate, or Eco if it's my planted tanks. I never use aquarium gravel. Just Eco or pool filter sand.

yes....an impact would be spread out over a larger area than the point of impact....could use pvc sheet or polypropylene

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Another idea, mounting suction cups on the bottom side of the acrylic, allowing a gap between the acrylic and the glass. This way, the suction cups would act as shock absorbers. Any thoughts on that? (I'm in thinking mode, lol.)

Here's what I'm looking at.......
http://www.glasscages.com/?sAction=ViewCat&lCatID=2
300 Gal. Wide 96 x 30 x 25 Tall $900

 

[Gr8KarmaSF]

in the end i think it all comes down to your own preference....

heres my .02

Pros of Glass Tanks

Even with the advent of the acrylic aquarium, there are still many reasons that people stick with a glass tank. Advantages that glass tanks have over acrylic tanks include:

Glass tanks are cheaper than acrylic tanks
Glass tanks are more scratch resistant
Glass tanks won't yellow over time the way acrylic tanks will
Glass tanks don't need as much brace support the way an acrylic tank needs.
Even though you might be able to buy a smaller loss-leader acrylic aquarium for cheaper than you would spend on a glass aquarium, overall, you'll find that glass aquariums are cheaper than acrylic tanks. For example, a 20-gallon glass tank will set you back roughly $50 whereas an acrylic tank of the same size will cost anywhere from $130 to $140. That's almost three times the cost! When you start getting into really large tanks, the price differential disappears.

While acrylic tanks are stronger over all in terms of resisting breakage, the cold truth is that acrylic tanks can be prone to scratches. Glass tanks are definitely more scratch resistant.

Although this difference may be overcome in the future as more UV-resistant acrylic is being developed, for the time being, fish hobbyists concerned about yellowing over time will always pick a glass tank. Why? Because a glass tank won't yellow over time the same way an acrylic tank can. Most glass tanks will give your aquarium a slight green tint and acrylic tanks will give a bluish tint. For a price, you can get a more color-free view via a glass tank. You can purchase color-free glass (it's expensive). Color-free acrylic is not available.

Another concern where glass tanks stand heads and shoulders over acrylic tanks is that larger glass tanks don't bow to the weight and won't need the extra support the way an acrylic tank needs. While smaller acrylic tanks may only need support on the bottom, you'll find that larger acrylic tanks need brace support, a frame really, to keep the sides from sagging out. You won't have this problem with glass tanks, at least not with smaller or mid-size ones. Larger glass tanks will usually have one central frame to combat bowing.

With all the advantages of glass tanks that we outlined above, you might think that it's a no-brainer to go with a glass tank. If that were true, then pet stores wouldn't be selling as many acrylic tanks as they do! Read on to find out the limitations of glass tanks. Problems with glass tanks include:

Glass tanks are almost two times as heavy as acrylic tanks
Glass tanks are not as crack resistant as acrylic
Glass tanks provide less insulation than acrylic
Glass tanks don't come in as many interesting shapes as acrylic does
Glass tanks hard to find online since many shops won't ship them (due to weight considerations and potential for cracking)
Even after manufacturers perfected the waterproof glass tank by applying silicone cement to the seams, there were still a few main problems where acrylic tanks have an advantage over glass tanks.

The main problem with glass tanks is that they are heavy! A glass tank weighs over twice the weight of an acrylic tank of the same size. For example, a 20-gallon acrylic tank weighs 17 pounds. A 20-gallon glass tank weighs over twice that - about 35 pounds.

Glass tanks are also not as crack resistant as acrylic tanks. Glass is just more fragile of a substance than acrylic. This makes it harder to cut glass tanks when you need to customize them to accommodate your plumbing. It's not impossible to cut glass, but you just need to have special tools and know what you're doing. Some of the larger glass tanks are made out of tempered glass. This glass cannot be cut outside of a factory. You can get custom made glass tanks that are built to your specifications, including predrilled holes for plumbing.

Glass tanks provide less insulation than acrylic tanks (and hence aren't as good at retaining heat and keeping tanks warm). Generally speaking, acrylic tanks provide about 20% more insulation than glass counterparts. While this may work against you with a tropical aquarium, it may not be as much a problem with a cold water tank or even preferred with a reef tank (where it can be harder to keep temperatures down due to stronger lighting)..

Glass tanks generally don't come in as many interesting shapes as acrylic does. On the high end, you can get some pretty fancy blown glass spheres and the like but as far as your typical type of tank, you'll find many more interesting shapes in acrylic. Glass tanks usually come in either rectangle or square shapes. You can find some hexagon shapes by the high-end manufacturers. Both All-Glass Aquarium and Oceanic Systems make a Bow-Front aquarium which is a glass aquarium with a bowed front. This bow front provides an interesting view with a wider front perspective.

Finally, the toughest thing to deal with when buying glass aquariums is that you'll find them hard to find online. Most shops won't ship them and if they do, the shipping and handling costs can be high. You may need to visit a local dealer to buy one.

Pros of Acrylic Tanks

We'll first cover the positive aspects of acrylic tanks. There are many reasons that people prefer acrylic over glass to house their fish. Compared to glass tanks, acrylic tanks are:

Lightweight
Crack resistant
Easier to cut holes into to accommodate plumbing
Can provide better views because of curved front corners
Can come in many interesting molded shapes
Provide better insulation
In terms of weight, acrylic tanks beat glass tanks hands down. Acrylic tanks are about half the weight of their glass counterparts. A 20 gallon acrylic tank weighs about 17 pounds, which is about half the weight that a glass tank the same size would weigh.

Acrylic tanks are more crack resistant than glass. Some brand name manufacturers even claim that their tanks are 17 times stronger than regular glass tanks. Acrylic tanks will resist knocks and drops much better than a glass tank could ever hope to. Related to that is how easy acrylic tanks are to cut than glass tanks are. If you should want to customize your tank to accommodate plumbing, you'll need special equipment to make cuts in a glass tank. Acrylic tanks are easier to customize.

Acrylic lends itself to more interesting shapes because of the way it can be molded. Besides the regular rectangular shape that we're all accustomed to, you can also find acrylic tanks in hexagons, pentagons, bullets (tanks that are curved on one side and square on the other, they resemble firearm bullets in this fashion), columns, round spheres; the list goes on and on. Some acrylic tanks have a bowed front (curved front corners) which gives an interesting view of the tank from the front.

If you're keeping tropical fish, you might be interested to know that acrylic tanks provide better insulation than glass tanks. Acrylic is a better insulator than glass. This may not matter if you have cold water fish but if you're keeping a tropical tank, you probably want to consider this factor. Acrylic tanks can retain heat 20% better than glass tanks. This, however, may not be such a huge plus in reef tanks where you don't want that much insulation (and have more difficulty keeping tanks cool).

Cons of Acrylic Tanks

Although Acrylic tanks have a lot going for them, there's always a flip side! The four largest cons regarding acrylic tanks (versus glass) involve:

Higher cost
Greater tendency to scratch
Chance of changing appearance over time
Need for increased support
Probably the biggest con that an acrylic tank will have to newcomers to the fish keeping business is cost. Acrylic aquariums will usually cost more than glass tanks for the same size. For example, your basic 20-gallon acrylic aquarium will run $130 to $140. A basic 20-gallon glass aquarium will run approximately $50. That's a big difference! You might find good deals on smaller tanks or bowls that are acrylic but overall, acrylic tanks will cost you two to three times the price that a glass tank will cost you.

Another issue that can arise with acrylic tanks is that they are easily scratched by cleaning objects or gravel. As long as you're careful when you're cleaning the tank, you should be okay. And just because you scratch a tank doesn't mean you have to scrap everything. You can buy scratch remover kits that do a pretty good job remedying the blemishes. Pentair Aquatics makes a popular one. You can buy it for about $23 from Doctors Foster and Smith. Novus Plastic Polishes is another highly recommended one. You can buy it from OceanProAquatics for about $28. The downside to making repairs to your tank is that you'll have to empty your tank to repair the scratches!

Another criticism about acrylic tanks is that they can yellow over time due to exposure to UV lighting. Watch for newer acrylic tanks built with UV stabilizers which are supposed to resist yellowing. Ask the manufacturer for what types of guarantees they may have about the tank yellowing.

The final criticism regarding acrylic tanks when compared to glass tanks is that acrylic tanks require support. While technically stronger than glass blow for blow, acrylic tanks will bow under the water weight and need support. Usually acrylic tanks will be encased in support stands which provide extra stability. The top bracing can impede your access within the tank. Glass tanks don't need extra support; they won't bow under pressure.

Although there can be plenty to recommend glass aquariums, the fact that acrylic tanks are so much lighter and crack resistant really make them a more practical choice today, as long as cost is not an issue. Also, with the way that acrylic can be heat molded and still be strong enough to hold water, you'll find acrylic tanks in interesting shapes that you won't find in traditional glass.

 

[TCZeli]

thats a good post,

still going with glass. I was going with glass before I even knew that Acrylic had a bluish tint, and that they turn yellow over time.

I do not see how Acrylic fans can complain about the green tint in glass when acrylic has a blue tint and turns yellow over time.

 

[crashinc25]

Here is my $0.02...... My house is ultra modern. All corners are rounded. No sharp edges anywhere in the house. All furniture is sleek and "sexy" . A couple of years ago, I didn't really understand my style yet and had a 100g glass tank with a wood stand; pretty much the conventional looking setup. Looking back at it now, I would NEVER have that setup in my house now. I have 3 tanks; ALL Acrylic with rounded corners, black backs, sleek black stands, aluminum HO lamps, and clean tank interiors. I use Novus #1 to keep the tank polished and clean. No scratches with normal cleaning. Honestly, not to single anyone out, I really see a lot of back country looking tanks, with rubbermaid tubs in living rooms, bare wood stands with filters hanging out, tubes all over the place, etc. So I guess if I am looking at this strictly from a visual standpoint, the lines of a glass tank do not appeal to me. On the whole. I don't see the problem with Acrylic scratches if you take care of it. Chew on that!

 

[fourty2]

thats a good post,

still going with glass. I was going with glass before I even knew that Acrylic had a bluish tint, and that they turn yellow over time.

I do not see how Acrylic fans can complain about the green tint in glass when acrylic has a blue tint and turns yellow over time.

i wouldnt trust the silicone seal on glass tanks over time either...

 

[JonF]

I have a great question for you all. If you get a large glass aquarium, as in a 300G, and you took a sheet of acrylic, cut to size, and layed it in the bottom of the tank, would this help protect the bottom from any kind of incident like accidentally dropping a rock? I usually put my substrate in first, so even if I accedentally drop something, it lands on the sand substrate, or Eco if it's my planted tanks. I never use aquarium gravel. Just Eco or pool filter sand.

I put eggcrate (AKA light difuser) on the botton of all my tanks and place large rocks directly on the eggcrate. Nothing but gravel makes direct contact to the glass then.