Should I go acrylic?

[thomas_neil]

Looking to do a custom tank but I'm back and forth on whether or not to go glass or acrylic.

I for sure want to do some sort of square shape, between 4'-5'. I've been playing around with glass cages and looks like I can only go 3' wide before I can't get it shipped to my house. This has me considering acrylic now. (and cost as I have a local fish shop that makes their own, delivers, and sets in place)

What are some pros and cons of acrylic tanks on maintenance that's not like a glass aquarium (I've only had glass).

My main concerne is scratching and coralline. I don't plan on having any scape within 1' of the edges anyway but cleaning it has me worried. I know you can't have urchins (not a big deal) but will other inhabitants scratch it? (crabs, conches, nori holder).

I guess anyone with acrylic what preventative measures do you take to protect the tank and how to you clean/maintain it?

 

[o2manyfish]

I've had Acrylic tanks for almost 40 years. My longest was 20 years on a 400g tank.

Yes you have to be more careful. I am a lazy reefer and leave the magnetic glass cleaner in the tank 24/7 for years at a time. I use a brillo type sock on it to make it more efficient. Because of my lazyness this keeps me from having sand. Sand always gets caught in the pad and scratches the tank. And then there are the friends that come over and try the magnet wiper and grab sand or a snail and scratch the tank.

I had a 125g tank for almost 10 years. I bought the tank used and in great shape. Polished it before I set it up. After 10 years of use as a reef tank, we drained the tank when I sold it and with the water out of the tank, the tank looked amazing - It was a bare bottom tank.

That tank was replaced with a 360g and I added sand to that tank. We replaced that tank after about 16 months with a 400g. And in just that short time that tank when drained looked like a tired tank. Now it could have been easily polished out, but the difference in the clarity of the 125 and 360 when drained was very dramatic. Filled with water you wouldn't have known the 360 was that scratched up.

And then you reach in the tank to pick up the coral or rock that fell over, and the maroon clown bites your arm and you smash your watch, ring, bracelet, etc into the tank and you scratch the tank.

And then there is that time you knocked the aquascape over, and scratched the tank.

You can use a razorblade to remove coraline -- if you are really careful. I found plastic Razorblades on Amazon, and I knock the sharp corners off the razor blade and this is about as 85% effective as a metal razor blade.

You can't have urchins, you can't have dog face or sapo puffers, you can't have friendly parrot fish (they go back and forth across the glass and will make a stripe for you.

I have a service guy that comes and cleans the coraline from the corners and edges where it's too much effort for me to worry about. He comes about every 2.5 months. He uses painters putty knives that he fine hones the edge of to make perfectly smooth - and then scrapes the tank no problem. But I personally don't have the patience or the long arms to do that any longer.


But the most important think about all these things that can scratch - is that they can be easily fixed. If you can wax a car you can polish an acrylic aquarium. Without sand in my tanks I found that the outside of the tank got scratched more than the inside. I buffed the outside every 4-5 years, And in 20 years I polished the inside 2x - with all the inhabitants and water in the tank. And when we pulled that 20+ year old acrylic tank out of the house and into the sun I was blown away by how great the acrylic looked after all that time.

With my 300g tall acrylic fish only tank that had sand in it, I had to polish it 4x in 12 years. One of those times was after having a golden sapo puffer for about 10 days who drew a line around the top of the tank swimming back and forth.

When you scratch a glass tank.... And you will. That scratch is pretty much there forever. Polishing out glass is difficult and near impossible. If you choose Starfire or a Low Iron Glass - Which I recently did for a 113g cube planted aquarium - You will find scratching starfire is about as easy as scratching glass. Use a flipper scraper in the wrong direction and make a line. Have your wedding ring slide down the glass while planting plants and you make a scratch.

Dave B

 

[RRA]

I really only like acrylic for frag tanks. in my experience they are just to soft, sand, scrapers anyone walking by can easily ding it and add a new eye sore of a scratch.

 

[thomas_neil]

I've had Acrylic tanks for almost 40 years. My longest was 20 years on a 400g tank.

Yes you have to be more careful. I am a lazy reefer and leave the magnetic glass cleaner in the tank 24/7 for years at a time. I use a brillo type sock on it to make it more efficient. Because of my lazyness this keeps me from having sand. Sand always gets caught in the pad and scratches the tank. And then there are the friends that come over and try the magnet wiper and grab sand or a snail and scratch the tank.

I had a 125g tank for almost 10 years. I bought the tank used and in great shape. Polished it before I set it up. After 10 years of use as a reef tank, we drained the tank when I sold it and with the water out of the tank, the tank looked amazing - It was a bare bottom tank.

That tank was replaced with a 360g and I added sand to that tank. We replaced that tank after about 16 months with a 400g. And in just that short time that tank when drained looked like a tired tank. Now it could have been easily polished out, but the difference in the clarity of the 125 and 360 when drained was very dramatic. Filled with water you wouldn't have known the 360 was that scratched up.

And then you reach in the tank to pick up the coral or rock that fell over, and the maroon clown bites your arm and you smash your watch, ring, bracelet, etc into the tank and you scratch the tank.

And then there is that time you knocked the aquascape over, and scratched the tank.

You can use a razorblade to remove coraline -- if you are really careful. I found plastic Razorblades on Amazon, and I knock the sharp corners off the razor blade and this is about as 85% effective as a metal razor blade.

You can't have urchins, you can't have dog face or sapo puffers, you can't have friendly parrot fish (they go back and forth across the glass and will make a stripe for you.

I have a service guy that comes and cleans the coraline from the corners and edges where it's too much effort for me to worry about. He comes about every 2.5 months. He uses painters putty knives that he fine hones the edge of to make perfectly smooth - and then scrapes the tank no problem. But I personally don't have the patience or the long arms to do that any longer.


But the most important think about all these things that can scratch - is that they can be easily fixed. If you can wax a car you can polish an acrylic aquarium. Without sand in my tanks I found that the outside of the tank got scratched more than the inside. I buffed the outside every 4-5 years, And in 20 years I polished the inside 2x - with all the inhabitants and water in the tank. And when we pulled that 20+ year old acrylic tank out of the house and into the sun I was blown away by how great the acrylic looked after all that time.

With my 300g tall acrylic fish only tank that had sand in it, I had to polish it 4x in 12 years. One of those times was after having a golden sapo puffer for about 10 days who drew a line around the top of the tank swimming back and forth.

When you scratch a glass tank.... And you will. That scratch is pretty much there forever. Polishing out glass is difficult and near impossible. If you choose Starfire or a Low Iron Glass - Which I recently did for a 113g cube planted aquarium - You will find scratching starfire is about as easy as scratching glass. Use a flipper scraper in the wrong direction and make a line. Have your wedding ring slide down the glass while planting plants and you make a scratch.

Dave B

Thanks for all the info! is there anywhere you could recommend that does custom acrylic tanks I could get a quote from?

 

[Pickle_soup]

I like acrylic tanks myself. I had a 220, but I hated the dimensions, it was 30 deep and it was a pain to clean. I was lazy too, so I got some scratches, but nothing outside of one where I dragged a snail with a mag algae cleaner. I downgraded to a 125g, also acrylic and I am a lot more careful. Hammerhead algae scraper is great. I can get into the sand without catching any sand as long as I have the extension on.
The thing is, you will always get some micro scratches, but unless you are looking for them very carefully, you will not see them. Acrylic is also clearer than glass so you can enjoy the beauty of the fish and corals more. Not the mention the weight. I have a narrow staircase to my manhole so it takes some gymnastics to get a bigger tank in. With the extra weight of glass, it would be very difficult. Additionally, acrylic is more flexible so it can withstand the pressure better. I cannot see myself getting a glass tank ever.

 

[Pickle_soup]

Thanks for all the info! is there anywhere you could recommend that does custom acrylic tanks I could get a quote from?

I bought mine from Truvu. They were reasonable and responsive. It took them longer than anticipated to make it because they had issues with stand builders, but I am happy with it.

 

[The_Paradox]

What are you guys considering “clarity”? Light transmission, chromatic aberration, distortion?

 

[thomas_neil]

I like acrylic tanks myself. I had a 220, but I hated the dimensions, it was 30 deep and it was a pain to clean. I was lazy too, so I got some scratches, but nothing outside of one where I dragged a snail with a mag algae cleaner. I downgraded to a 125g, also acrylic and I am a lot more careful. Hammerhead algae scraper is great. I can get into the sand without catching any sand as long as I have the extension on.
The thing is, you will always get some micro scratches, but unless you are looking for them very carefully, you will not see them. Acrylic is also clearer than glass so you can enjoy the beauty of the fish and corals more. Not the mention the weight. I have a narrow staircase to my manhole so it takes some gymnastics to get a bigger tank in. With the extra weight of glass, it would be very difficult. Additionally, acrylic is more flexible so it can withstand the pressure better. I cannot see myself getting a glass tank ever.

Thats what I've been reading that for larger tanks acrylic is better, I'm looking at 220-300. I too have a very narrow staircase and a tight turn at the top. I'm thinking 4'x5'x2' tall. If I can turn it on its side for the turn and going down the stairs so it's being carried by the 4' side and its 5' tall, I can easily make the turn and then get it down to the basement.

 

[Pickle_soup]

Thats what I've been reading that for larger tanks acrylic is better, I'm looking at 220-300. I too have a very narrow staircase and a tight turn at the top. I'm thinking 4'x5'x2' tall. If I can turn it on its side for the turn and going down the stairs so it's being carried by the 4' side and its 5' tall, I can easily make the turn and then get it down to the basement.

If the staircase is by the outside door, just take them off. 4' side might be problematic. Double-check the width, they usually run 35 inches.

 

[Pickle_soup]

What are you guys considering “clarity”? Light transmission, chromatic aberration, distortion?

you know it when you see it

 

[The_Paradox]

you know it when you see it

I know acrylic aquariums have awful off-angle viewing despite lower refractive index due to deflection. Is that what your talking about?

 

[Pickle_soup]

I know acrylic aquariums have awful off-angle viewing despite lower refractive index due to deflection. Is that what your talking about?

What do you mean by awful? And acrylic let's more light in.

 

[thomas_neil]

If the staircase is by the outside door, just take them off. 4' side might be problematic. Double-check the width, they usually run 35 inches.

So it would be 2' wide section going long ways down the stairs, with 2 people on each end of the 4' side holding it and the 5' side going up. If that makes sense.

 

[The_Paradox]

What do you mean by awful? And acrylic let's more light in.

Light out, but referring the the bow. Glass deflects too but not nearly as much.

 

[Pickle_soup]

So it would be 2' wide section going long ways down the stairs, with 2 people on each end of the 4' side holding it and the 5' side going up. If that makes sense.

For an acrylic, you do not need 4 people, that's the beauty of it. 2 is more than enough.

 

[Pickle_soup]

Light out, but referring the the bow. Glass deflects too but not nearly as much.

To be honest, I am not getting much bowing on my 125. Or at least it's not noticeable.

 

[The_Paradox]

To be honest, I am not getting much bowing on my 125. Or at least it's not noticeable.

You will now

 

[Gill the 3rd]

I have a 300ish gallon acrylic tank - 10x2x2 and acrylic has its pros and cons as many here have already mentioned.

Pros:
Weight - my brother and I were able to move the tank around and lift it on the stand, just the 2 of us. I couldn't imagine what a glass tank that size would weigh.
Clarity - It is definitely clearer than glass, but I wouldn't say it is a night and day difference between the two. This wouldn't be primary reason to get acrylic.
Construction - IMO if acrylic tanks are properly constructed they are pretty much leak proof and you don't need to worry about any seams or panels busting open over time. To my this is the biggest advantage, especially on larger tanks.

Cons:
Easily Scratches - as everyone knows acrylic scratches easily. I use a mag scraper designed for acrylic and I don't really have any issues. I have a sand bottom, but I used coarse larger sand along the front panel so that the mag scraper doesn't pick it up. That being said, the scratches aren't really visible unless you are specifically looking for them up close. You can also buff out the scratches and pretty much make the tank look brand new again.
Bowing - Paradox is correct, I find that acrylic tanks bow significantly more than glass, but it isn't noticeable unless I look down the front panel from the top.
Distortion - There is some distortion when looking at the tank, but I only see it when my face is pretty much against the panel and I'm looking down at an angle. I don't see any distortion when looking at the tank from greater than 6" away.

For me personally, the pros outweigh the cons. Any tank larger than 200ish gallons and I would start looking at acrylic. The main con is the scratches, but this can be fixed. The main pro for me is the construction, it is pretty much leak proof if constructed and installed properly.