Tank advice: glass/acrylic...big and lost

[ScooterGuitar]

I'll try to keep this short, but sure could use some more insightful thoughts please.
I've been doing marine tanks for 20 years, I've had it all it seems.
About 6 years ago we had a 75, 125, and 140.
The 140 drilled in the center of the backside. Just before the cycle was done, poof! It spiderwebbed and exploded! It took a few months to get the house back in shape and over $30k in damages alone! HUGE nightmare to say the least.
Several months down the road the 125's glass sump srpung a slight leak maybe a few gallons at most when I caught it. Yep, bye bye 125:sad2:
So the past few years my 75 has been going, but I let it go. Through lots of effort it is looking better than ever, great actually.

We've been itching (me mainly) for a bigger tank and my wife is fine with it.
I swore off of buying another glass tank, but have been rethinking that lately. I've heard horror stories of acrylic seams coming apart, etc. So it seems nonthing is fail proof. But whatever we end up with (if we do), if we have another bad tank incident, well...bye bye me!

I came across a beautiful and priced right used large tank. I believe it is a Marineland. Store says it is a 150, but I think it is closer to 200g. Overflow in the center, which I'd love to build up rock pillars around it, etc. They used it as their show tank and made room for other animals now. About 2 years old.

What do I do? The ideal tank I've been searching for is the 120'ish acrylic 48x24x18. Figured it would be a good compromise, but I've not found one used. Yes, need to go used.
This bigger tank is speaking to me, but not sure if it is the cartoon angel or devil on either shoulder:bigeyes:

Yours Truly,
Lost in Oblivion

[Playa-1]

I'd go with the Marineland tank if it were me.

[dosequis4]

Well based on your previous experience i'd setup a terrarium. Put some sand...a heat lamp...get yourself a nice lizard.

Personally I like glass.

[ScooterGuitar]

Well based on your previous experience i'd setup a terrarium. Put some sand...a heat lamp...get yourself a nice lizard.

Personally I like glass.
Love it:beer: It would probably eat our dogs or something though with my luck:furious:

[DGee]

I like my Starphire tank but it's still not as clear as my acrylic tank... So its really a toss up. Glass has better durability when it comes to scratches but as far as seams... I think acrylic has glass beat.

A properly built acrylic tank should outlast the silicone seams on a glass tank. Especially if a magnet is used.

I've owned and still do own a few tanks that were built by James at Envision and I think anyone on here who's seen his tanks can assure you of the "over built" quality and remove the though of an acrylic seam failing.

James doesn't build your typical acrylic tank, he only builds the best in the industry.

In the end it really just comes down to what you want and for what reasons, everybody will have a different opinion.

But I think that most everyone can agree that a properly built acrylic tank will last you many many years without failure.

[stump1998]

I like my acrylic tank. It was built by *******.It does have scratches but they are not that noticeable. You just have to be very careful while you are setting up a acrylic. That was when I got most of my scratches.

[Indymann99]

I have had glass and acrylic tanks in the past and I went with acrylic for MY PERSONAL piece of mind with my 120g in-wall. I trust "welded" seams more than I do silicone "gluing" glass together. I also have acrylic sump as well.

That said my acrylic tank is much more of a pain to clean (eurobrace top), only 2 years old and I have a fair amount of light scratches at the sand line from the scraper. I have a Goby so I cant use my magnet cleaner anymore at ALL.. :mad2: (a small amount of sand is almost always being stirred up).

You should be able to find used tanks of various sizes these days.

I went with a tank from T e * * * * * in a standard size 48x24x24. I would not want anything taller, and I really like the depth of 24". If I had the space I would love to do a 48x48x24 cube.

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/Basement52009.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/Tank12132009.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/Tankdoorsopen.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/EmergencyDrain.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn10/Indymann99/Sump12132009.jpg

[K' Family Reef]

have grown up around aquariums
all of our relatives have aquariums of one type or another and have handed down passed around so many different tanks to each other (all glass)... some that have sat in garages for years only to be later turned into the next aquatic 'oasis' in another relatives living room etc...

cant recall of a single time a (glass) tank has busted apart...
certainly some starting to leak here or there (especially smaller tanks, hexagons, 10 or 20 gal etc)... but never busting apart.

in my experience here on RC
seems that more people complain about acrylic scratching and hear many report they will never go back to it... (or maybe thats just what i hear or tune in to bec of a glass preference)

search around before making a decision
espec search for some of the 'polls' that have been taken here on RC as to which preference people have...

was interesting to read a thread in large tank forum
cant recall the name of it but the lady that moved to hawaii and had the remarkable 1000+ gal reef tank w/ anemones etc (a truly incredible reef 'system', perhaps her RC handle was 'shumi'?)... this woman had reached a 'pinnacle' in this hobby that few of us will ever aspire to and when asked what she would do differently next time she built a 'system' this large...

she responded by saying
she would never build anything again using 'acrylic'... in her words (more or less)

"no tanks, no sumps, no nothing"


one of the 'functional' considerations about acrylic (over glass)
is if one has an office (or kids) and is overly concerned about 'breakage' (accidents, something being thrown at it etc) and/or liability... then acrylic might be a better answer...

many prefer acrylic over glass...
this is just one opinon fwiw ;)

good luck.

regards

[Fitchguy]

I had a 240 Acrylic and I would never have acrylic again, unless for a sump tank. The scratches are just inevitable! A snail going down the front panel dragging his shell will give you a new scratch. So I thought what a waste of time and energy to make the tank look great when I keep getting discouraged by a new scratch! Glass all the way!

[ScooterGuitar]

Wonderful insight everyone, truly appreciate it.
Indy, beautiful setup, wish I could just buy yours:>)

I had two acrylics through the years, I never had any real issues with too bad of scartches, except for one large ding. Those even had the old crushed coral substrate in them. We do have an 18 month old baby, yet one more reason to lean towards the acrylic.
Yet this 150 is speaking to me. I'm not sure on the center overflow though. Relooked at it, there is what seems like an overflow down low in the tank, but also at the top. I'll have to look into it more.