Acrylic or glass for a 7ft tank

chuckbuc · 01/31/2017, 06:16 PM

What to get glass or acrylic ....after my last disaster ...I'm thinking about 84x36x30. I'm debating after my last 300 gallon glass tank leaking of going with acrylic instead of glass ..what would u go with ? What's the downfalls to acrylic ?they seam like they would be stronger than glass .besides the scratching part

Editour2 · 02/01/2017, 01:10 PM

I have a 125 gal acrylic tank that I picked up cheap for my sump. They are easy to drill but like you already stated...they scratch easy (but can be polished). Do they make large acrylic tanks with euro-bracing? I dislike the acrylic pieces on the top of the tank...it prohibits easy access and also blocks the light. Then again I have a 215 gal Oceanic tank and it has a large piece of glass as the center brace.......that needs to be cleaned every couple of days from the algae build up so I guess we are back to the same question I posed above....
Interested in what others have to say.

James983 · 02/01/2017, 02:52 PM

Chuck, like Frank said the biggest drawbacks of acrylic are the fact that they scratch easily and the limited access. I have an acrylic 180 for about 10 years and dealing with coraline is difficult with an acrylic tank. Then the issue of light loss is another drawback, MH lights are out. That being said, a 7 ft glass tank is going to be tough to move. That was my main concern when I went acrylic. I decided on acrylic after my glass 150 blew a seam. I felt the move into my basement comprised the seam which led to my leak. That being said, I would still go acrylic with a tank that size as a leak was my main concern.

qy7400 · 02/01/2017, 06:33 PM

My tank has 3 2x2 openings on the top, so getting in and out isn't to bad. They can make the tank with euro-bracing but you'll want to go with thicker acrylic to make sure it won't bow on you. Scratches are a way of life with acrylic, you can buff them out but minor ones you wont notice unless you look for them... I can find scratches in my glass tanks as well. As long as you keep on top of cleaning the display panels coranline shouldn't be an issue and if you do slack an old credit card and a magic eraser makes for a quick removal.

chuckbuc · 02/02/2017, 04:54 AM

Seams like acrylic is not that bad ...I've never had one .I just want something that will last me a long time

jarrett shark · 02/02/2017, 07:53 AM

Go glass
cleaning large actylic sucks if you let it go ....trust me
i would love to sell you my tank lol

fishome25 · 02/03/2017, 08:05 PM

I do maintenance for home and businesses. I no longer accept accounts with acrylic tanks. Maintenance is way to labor intensive and scratches are inevitable. coralline and acrylic do mix.

Vinny Kreyling · 02/04/2017, 03:31 PM

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2622643

If you do Acrylic

chuckbuc · 02/04/2017, 05:38 PM

Thanks guys but I wanna get a new tank ...

01/31/2017, 06:16 PM	#1
chuckbuc Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: lindenhurst ,ny Posts: 1,154	Acrylic or glass for a 7ft tank What to get glass or acrylic ....after my last disaster ...I'm thinking about 84x36x30. I'm debating after my last 300 gallon glass tank leaking of going with acrylic instead of glass ..what would u go with ? What's the downfalls to acrylic ?they seam like they would be stronger than glass .besides the scratching part

02/01/2017, 01:10 PM	#2
Editour2 Frank Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Suffolk County, NY Posts: 1,907	I have a 125 gal acrylic tank that I picked up cheap for my sump. They are easy to drill but like you already stated...they scratch easy (but can be polished). Do they make large acrylic tanks with euro-bracing? I dislike the acrylic pieces on the top of the tank...it prohibits easy access and also blocks the light. Then again I have a 215 gal Oceanic tank and it has a large piece of glass as the center brace.......that needs to be cleaned every couple of days from the algae build up so I guess we are back to the same question I posed above.... Interested in what others have to say. __________________ Frank Current Tank Info: 215 gal DT, 125 gal sump, 40 gal refugium w/ATS, 20 gal frag tank, reeflo orca skimmer, Knop HD calc reac w/2nd chamber, BRS dual reac, dart rtn pump, 2x tunze 6105's on seasweeps, 2x jebao PP20's, 30gal QT, LED/T5 Ltg, 1/2 hp aqualogic chiller.

02/01/2017, 06:33 PM	#4
qy7400 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: LI, NY Posts: 1,514	My tank has 3 2x2 openings on the top, so getting in and out isn't to bad. They can make the tank with euro-bracing but you'll want to go with thicker acrylic to make sure it won't bow on you. Scratches are a way of life with acrylic, you can buff them out but minor ones you wont notice unless you look for them... I can find scratches in my glass tanks as well. As long as you keep on top of cleaning the display panels coranline shouldn't be an issue and if you do slack an old credit card and a magic eraser makes for a quick removal. __________________ -Joe Current Tank Info: 380G now with water and fish

02/02/2017, 07:53 AM	#6
jarrett shark Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 2,518	Go glass cleaning large actylic sucks if you let it go ....trust me i would love to sell you my tank lol __________________ President of "NY REEF CLUB" OFFICE 300gal SPS reef tank with 400gal sump,150 GAL Frag tank,30gal frag= 890gal total HOUSE 400gal reef tank with 250gal sump = coming soon. 5x3x3 with 1" think acryli

02/04/2017, 03:31 PM	#8
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2622643 If you do Acrylic __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

02/01/2017, 02:52 PM	#3
James983 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 1,223	Chuck, like Frank said the biggest drawbacks of acrylic are the fact that they scratch easily and the limited access. I have an acrylic 180 for about 10 years and dealing with coraline is difficult with an acrylic tank. Then the issue of light loss is another drawback, MH lights are out. That being said, a 7 ft glass tank is going to be tough to move. That was my main concern when I went acrylic. I decided on acrylic after my glass 150 blew a seam. I felt the move into my basement comprised the seam which led to my leak. That being said, I would still go acrylic with a tank that size as a leak was my main concern.

02/02/2017, 04:54 AM	#5
chuckbuc Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: lindenhurst ,ny Posts: 1,154	Seams like acrylic is not that bad ...I've never had one .I just want something that will last me a long time

02/03/2017, 08:05 PM	#7
fishome25 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: long island Posts: 2,472	I do maintenance for home and businesses. I no longer accept accounts with acrylic tanks. Maintenance is way to labor intensive and scratches are inevitable. coralline and acrylic do mix.

02/04/2017, 05:38 PM	#9
chuckbuc Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: lindenhurst ,ny Posts: 1,154	Thanks guys but I wanna get a new tank ...