Glass or Acrylic? This one's real!

[Emerald525]

Okay here's another poll and I am very curious. I have to admit I much prefer the look of glass particularly the starphire glass.(drooler) Our first 2 tanks were acrylic. We were going to get glass when we upgraded but were talked out of it because we were told glass can leak and is harder to drill.(scratch)

 

Having both now I love the look of glass but it is not drilled. The glass is also easier to clean and it doesn't get those annoying scratches like acrylic.(sad) Acrylic on the other hand is lighter and easier to build with. Both sumps are acrylic.

 

It seems when I have looked at tanks about half are glass and half are acrylic. So what do people think? This is an age old question like boxers or briefs!

[reef165]

I chose acrylic, it is more versatile than glass, more forgiving than glass, as clear as star fire at 1/2 the cost, with care it is cleaned quite easily, scratches can be buffed out ware as with glass even if it is harder to scratch, once there is a scratch it is there for life.

[reefnjunkie]

I chose acrylic' date=' it is more versatile than glass, more forgiving than glass, as clear as star fire at 1/2 the cost, with care it is cleaned quite easily, scratches can be buffed out ware as with glass even if it is harder to scratch, once there is a scratch it is there for life.

 

 

 

I got rid of my acrylic due to scratches inside the tank-once you have a tank set up and corals are all set-your cooked when a scratch happens (on the inside)

 

This is one of those

"there is no right answer" polls-its personal preference with "experiences" and "opinions" being shared-

I was so careful for months and I don't even think it was me that allowed that granule of sand to get between the mag float and the tank-none the less, that 4 foot scratch that was a result was painful to stare at every single day-for that experience alone I would choose glass and was why I tore down the tank and switched to glass-it was early enough that the tank was barely stocked.

I do have 2 small scratches in my glass tank due to using the 'Kent" brand scraper, the yellow one designed for glass-well it will scratch, and did scratch, so I put the red one in for acrylic-it takes a little more work but guaranteed never to be the cause of a scratch.

 

Once you have a scratch inside glass or acrylic-it may as well be permanent for me

[grassi]

I have had both and I like them for different reasons. I'm writing this post after an 8 year old was left in the tank room and decided that the bottom of the tank needed to be cleaned, leaving a really visible internal 2 feet long deep scratch. Also I found one of my clams 3 feet away from its original position and as you know they don't move much....

I think that Acrylic is perfect for beginners and for big tanks:

easy to drill, better temperature insulation are the main plus.

Scratches are the main concern.

Glass, especially the expensive one, offer a safer (scratch.) option, but it is more difficult to drill and more expensive. Must be built by professionals otherwise you will have a visible seal, especially in the front corners. With acrylic, it is easy to have the front and side walls bent in a nice way (without the optic problem of bow-front tanks).

For my tank size, glass should have been the choice. But if you want to go bigger, it is better if you learn to deal (mostly emotionally!) with acrylic and scratches since day one

[ReeFit]

I prefer glass if its new from purchase. I've had several CL glass specials that end up with pinhole leaks from being moved to many times. Glass will eventually leak. Acrylic is cheap but can be cheaply made, if you don't buy a high quality acrylic tank, they can bow out and distort, they are very hard to maintain and scratch very easily so the beginning hobbiest will probably have better luck at cleaning glass. In fish only tanks you can easily buff out scratches underwater with wet sand paper, but reef systems i'd highly recommend against it unless you have excellent skimming and high high flow.

[Emerald525]

I have had both and I like them for different reasons. I'm writing this post after an 8 year old was left in the tank room and decided that the bottom of the tank needed to be cleaned, leaving a really visible internal 2 feet long deep scratch. Also I found one of my clams 3 feet away from its original position and as you know they don't move much....

I think that Acrylic is perfect for beginners and for big tanks:

easy to drill, better temperature insulation are the main plus.

Scratches are the main concern.

Glass, especially the expensive one, offer a safer (scratch.) option, but it is more difficult to drill and more expensive. Must be built by professionals otherwise you will have a visible seal, especially in the front corners. With acrylic, it is easy to have the front and side walls bent in a nice way (without the optic problem of bow-front tanks).

For my tank size, glass should have been the choice. But if you want to go bigger, it is better if you learn to deal (mostly emotionally!) with acrylic and scratches since day one

 

This is why we don't leave the mag floats in the tanks with the kids around. Too much temptation to play with them and scratch the tanks.:eek: I have heard this happen over and over again. If you have kids or little kids you are tempting fate by leaving mag floats or the cleaning stuff near the tank.

 

This is why we have to also have canopies as much as a PITA they are to work in the tank. Water and kids seems to be an unbreakable force.(scary)

 

I prefer glass if its new from purchase. I've had several CL glass specials that end up with pinhole leaks from being moved to many times. Glass will eventually leak. Acrylic is cheap but can be cheaply made' date=' if you don't buy a high quality acrylic tank, they can bow out and distort, they are very hard to maintain and scratch very easily so the beginning hobbiest will probably have better luck at cleaning glass. In fish only tanks you can easily buff out scratches underwater with wet sand paper, but reef systems i'd highly recommend against it unless you have excellent skimming and high high flow.[/quote']

 

This was my main concern that glass will eventually leak. Has everyone had that experience? Because I would hate to break down a tank. I could learn to suffer with a scratch but with a leak you have to break the tank down.

[nwcoralfarm]

I have always been an advocate of acrylic over glass for a few different reason, mainly the reasons already posted. However after years and years, I am finally sick of dealing with the scratches in acrylic and more then welcome the ease of cleaning with a razor blade once again.

[ReeFit]

This is why we don't leave the mag floats in the tanks with the kids around. Too much temptation to play with them and scratch the tanks.:eek: I have heard this happen over and over again. If you have kids or little kids you are tempting fate by leaving mag floats or the cleaning stuff near the tank.

 

This is why we have to also have canopies as much as a PITA they are to work in the tank. Water and kids seems to be an unbreakable force.(scary)

 

 

 

This was my main concern that glass will eventually leak. Has everyone had that experience? Because I would hate to break down a tank. I could learn to suffer with a scratch but with a leak you have to break the tank down.

 

 

I personally believe that glass tanks are getting much better in design and quality. If you can buy a tank new i think your chances are minimal that it will ever leak in its life time. Always do a water test, i learned the hardway by setting up a 72 with live rock, sand only to find a pinhole leak about 2 weeks into the cycle. Doh! I have also had a 15g biocube fracture about 12" on me for absolutely no apparent reason other than to much pressure and a weak spot in the glass. luckily i spotted it within about 5 min of it occurring and siphoned out the water and moved all the inhabitants into a hospital tank.

[Gill]

I love glass but it was so easy to move my new 125 acrylic around (super light).

[jadams7]

Both have their benefits, but I still prefer the look and durability of glass. A high quality acrylic can be real nice, but I feel like once set up, glass is the safer bet. And drilling glass is not as hard as some make it seem, if planned out before hand.

[pledosophy]

I started glass, switched to acrylic, and am now back to glass.

 

Acrylic is nice because of the ease of setup, but I drill a tank once. Easier to pay someone to drill the glass and be able to clean it every day with a magnet, then to drill the acrylic one myself and then have to clean it with a scraper and get all wet twice a week.

 

JMO

[andy]

Acrylic is nice because of the ease of setup, but I drill a tank once. Easier to pay someone to drill the glass and be able to clean it every day with a magnet, then to drill the acrylic one myself and then have to clean it with a scraper and get all wet twice a week.

 

I agree. You only drill/move/setup a tank once, but you have to clean it forever. Anything that makes maintenance easier is a Good Thing. Glass is the way to go IMO.

[undrtkr_00]

Yeah, I will stick with glass. I am too lazy and clumsy for acrylic. I don't clean my glass often, and when I do, I take a razor blade to it. Goes pretty fast, and looks pristine for a day! With acrylic, I'm sure I would clean it even less because I know I'd have to be so careful. And even if I was uber careful, I'm sure I'd scratch it and be unhappy. :eek:

[MarkBirkett]

glass or acrylic

 

I like glass tanks but I like acrylic sumps, so I guess both work for me.

[newfisher]

I like glass tanks but I like acrylic sumps' date=' so I guess both work for me.[/quote']

 

Ditto...glass display,pre drilled and an acrylic sump, easy to modify within the stand. You can add or delete baffles, mechanical ato floats, external pumps, upper fuge box and return holes etc.

[Queen Angel]

I would always prefer to have glass. I know it heavier and all, but like someone said once its in place, you need to only worry about cleaning the glass.

 

As much as I rearrange my tank, I would surely scratch the heck out of a acrylic one.