Starfire glass vs. Regular glass

[Kehaulani]

I'm looking to buy a tank that someone is selling. It is a 90 gallon drilled bow front tank made with starfire glass. Just curious what the advantages/disadvantages are with this type of glass vs. Regular glass.

 

[Russellaqua]

The real advantage with starfire is that it much clearer than regular glass, allowing the colors of your fish and coral to pop in a way that you simply can't see looking through regular glass. I believe starfire glass is ever so slightly weaker than regular glass, but the difference is so minimal that it should be ignored.

 

[MatteZ]

If you put a regular tank and a starfire tank next to each other you would pick the sarfire tank every time. have you ever looked at a clam in a tank through the glass and then looked at the same clam from the top down? top down the clam looks way better. thats what starfire is like!

 

[1guydude]

I have a three sided starphire tank. Much clearer! If u look at the edge of a regular glass tank. The whole panel looking long ways down. The glass will be green. It's more blue or clear on starphire. Idk if low iron glass and starphire r the same?! I think starphire has lower iron or something. Actually stronger than regular glass. My lfs said I would never scratch the starphire tank. Idk about never lol but its a lot less scratched up than my regular marineland 120g.
Hths
D

 

[Kehaulani]

Sounds pretty awesome

 

[PatW]

Starphire glass is a trade mark of PPG which used to be Pittsburg Platglass. It is a kind of low iron glass. According to PPG, it is just as hard as conventional glass. Conventional glass has a marked green tint. Starphire has some color but it is far less pronounced. Acrylic is superior to both by being truly without color and is lighter and stronger to boot. Sadly, acrylic is easy to scratch which disqualifies it for most people.

 

[1guydude]

Yaaaaa Idk how it could be stronger with lower iron lol.
Let's not even get into the acrylic vs glass debate. :(
when I was getting the tank built the cost didn't seem to out weigh the benefits imo.
D

 

[cmantis]

I dunno who told you it wont scratch easier - starphire scratches easier.