Heard that acrylic scratched easy...
But as you say it can be buffed out - but didn't know you could do it with the tank still full - not sure how you would do that (buffer, buffing compound, etc.)
Also heard that for larger tanks (with thicker acrylic) - it can look somewhat distorted and not as clear as the low iron glass, etc.
And is also much more expensive, etc.
And never really heard anyone talking about any reputable acrylic manufactures.
To answer each of the questions in turn:
Yes, it can be buffed out while full. You can find videos of people doing exactly that on YouTube. It's basically just moving up through a standard progression of sandpapers, the difference being that the grit becomes incredibly fine as you progress up. Buffing compound is only used on the dry side of the tank; it basically acts like a lubricant and a fine abrasive at once, allowing you to polish back up quicker than would otherwise be necessary. On the wet side, the water itself acts as the lubricant, so you just have to progress up through the grits more methodically.
Incredibly thick acrylic does get distorted. You have to get up to the inches-thick realm for this to really impact you. You will also see some distortion if you try to look through an acrylic pane at an angle. But when viewed head-on (or in a reasonable facsimile thereof) you can't really notice any distortion.
Expensive? Depends on the size. In smaller tanks, yes, it's definitely more expensive. My 90g tank cost me about $1,600. A similar glass one, on its own, probably would have been around $800-$900. Acrylic scales up better, though - because it's stronger than glass, you don't have to increase thickness as quickly, so there does come a point where acrylic tanks are comparable to glass tanks.
As for manufacturers - the
market for home-grade acrylic tanks is much smaller than it is for glass, so there are fewer companies operating there. Most acrylic tanks end up being custom in some respect, so it's always more comparable to a custom manufacturer rather than a mass-
market tank like Red Sea or Waterbox. If you wanted to look into acrylic tanks, start off with Glass Cages, Midwest Customs and Tsunami. My own tank is a Tsunami and they were great to work with. Glass Cages is very responsive and while acrylic isn't their focus, they do still produce a nice tank. As for Midwest - if you have time to plan out a build and don't mind waiting, he was the most affordable of the companies I had quote me. You generally won't find an acrylic tank pre-built and ready to go, at least not a new one.
