Acrylic reef tank???

[gman2]

I have an acrylic FOWLR tank that I want to convert to reef; however I am concerned about the metal halides warping the tank. Has anyone got a reef tank acrylic tank with metal halides? Does anyone have any advice on this?

Still on the acrylic tank subject. I have found that the magneting acrylic glass cleaners do not work because the acrlic bends from the water pressure. Any advice on how to clean the glass without sticking my hand in the tank?

[joealix]

I have an acrylic 300g ******* (96x24x30) that I'm going to be using as a refugium (expensive refugium, I know) as I install my "In-Wall Office 550" because acrylic STINKS as a long-term reef for many reasons. Yes, it warps like you wouldn't believe...especially with longer tanks.

My Mag Float cleans well along the edges of the tank, but once you get a foot or so into it, it only cleans along the edges of the float because the tank flexes out while the mag float remains flat.

Clean your acrylic tank very often with or youl'll have to a Mag Float or you'll have to spend a lot of time once-in-a-while cleaning it by hand.

[mcrist]

Sounds like your tank manufacturers under built your tank. I use a Magnavore cleaning magnet and I have no issues with cleaning every inch of my tank. I took a 6 foot level to my tank and my walls don’t bow at all.

[areze]

my ten ecor bows, but its normal for an acrylic tank, acrylic is not a solid item. anyway, the halides are not a remote issue to it long as you dont hang one 3" over a center brace or something...

[aquaman67]

[welcome]

[mcrist]

It is not normal for an acrylic tank to bow if built properly.

[snorvich]

+1 I have two largish acrylic tanks with no issues such as described.

[porthios]

joealix - how thick is your acrylic? does it have eurobracing? crossbracing?

[Untamed12]

I agree....bowing acrylic tank says "underbuilt" to me. I think too often acrylic tank builders build with the minimum thickness material that won't explode and just accept deflection.

My 6 x 4, 400 gallon does not deflect whatsoever. It is 1" thick all around.

As for MH warping...I think it is common advice not to hang MH fixtures directly over any cross bracing. Position the bulbs over the tank openings only. (I'm not sure that you would want to put the bulbs over glass bracing, either....)

[joealix]

The thickness of my 8' ******* is 5/8"

I thought this was a little thin for this length, but when I called ******* to find out what was wrong with my tank, they told me it must have been something I did wrong. Told me I must have used incorrect cleaners or the tank was in a spot where there was some chemical in the air. If this were the case, why didn't my other tanks do the same thing....they're all in the same room. Besides, I sell acrylic and build windows using acrylic and I'm perfectly aware of it's characteristics.

I agree, ******* underbuilt my tank, and there's nothing they were going to do about it. SOB's have lost ME as a customer as well as everybody I know.

[mcrist]

Yeah sorry that they treated you so poorly. Is your tank euro-braced? I think they should have use 1" acrylic.

[joealix]

yeah, the tank is eurobraced very well. 1" acrylic would have been nice. When I look at the front from the side, the bowing is incredible. You would think that for the price of these things, they would be done correctly.

lesson learned

[mcrist]

We all learn lessons the hard way. With my current tank I learned that a peninsula tank is hard as hell to get flow where you need it.