I typically get the query of which is healthier, glass or acrylic, for my saltwater fish tank? And my reply is, it relies upon. It actually does. So right here I’m going to put out the totally different execs and cons of glass and acrylic on your aquarium.

1. Readability And Aesthetics

Acrylic is roughly 20% higher readability than typical glass aquariums, that are made with plate glass. The one exception is for lead-free glass, additionally identified by the model identify Starfire glass, which has the identical readability as acrylic. And naturally this particular lead-free glass is considerably dearer than the conventional plate glass. 20% Feels like an enormous distinction, and the reality is you possibly can actually solely inform the distinction for those who had a standard glass tank sitting proper subsequent to an acrylic tank. So, it’s actually solely is smart to pay the additional price for the lead-free glass (similar readability as acrylic) if optimum readability is a excessive precedence for you. In any other case most individuals wouldn’t discover the distinction.

One different advantage of acrylic tanks over glass, is that acrylic solid surface sheet factory tanks have almost invisible or see-through seams, whereas glass tanks use unpleasant silicone seams.

2. Resistance To Scratching

Whereas glass is extra proof against scratching than acrylic is, there’s a commerce off to think about. Glass is much less prone to scratch, however any scratches that happen in a glass tank are everlasting. And whereas acrylic scratches fairly simply, it may be polished out. Though, for those who’ve by no means polished an acrylic tank earlier than, even only a small scratch, it is quite a lot of work (not enjoyable).

One caveat is that cup tanks have turn into most popular for reef tanks. Due to all of the algae the grows on the glass in a reef tank (particularly coraline algae), reef tanks want their glass to be cleaned extra typically and so you’re higher off with glass which is extra proof against scratching. A method I do know that is that for a few years in my aquarium set up firm, we used acrylic for many of our customized reef tank installations. And after a number of years, most of them wanted to be polished to take away scratches brought on by cleansing glass. Irrespective of how cautious you’re when cleansing glass, when you’ve got an acrylic reef tank or perhaps a fish solely saltwater tank, you’ll ultimately have scratches with acrylic.

3. Weight

Acrylic is considerably lighter than glass. This is a vital consideration for transport prices (freight) and cargo bearing capability of your own home or workplace to help the burden. And, in fact, when it comes time to elevate the tank into place, the lighter the higher. And the thicker the panels, the heavier the tank.

4. Sturdiness

Glass is extra brittle than acrylic. Acrylic flexes when underneath stress. This flexibility permits an acrylic tank to deal with short-term stresses nicely. Nevertheless, acrylic tanks are solely as sturdy as the standard of their seams and the thickness of the panels. Over time, acrylic seams are inclined to weaken. So whereas glass could also be extra brittle than acrylic, glass tanks are literally extra sturdy than acrylic over the long run.

5. Ease of Drilling

By far, acrylic is way simpler to drill or customise than glass. For instance, if you wish to drill a gap to put in a bulkhead becoming or glue in an inside overflow field, then acrylic is the simplest.

It’s doable to drill glass, nonetheless the pane that’s being drilled should be horizontal (parallel to the ground) as a result of glass drills use a water/graphite powder slurry to chop by way of. And there’s additionally the danger of cracking the glass if an excessive amount of stress is utilized throughout drilling.

6. Value

Relying on the dimensions of the tank, price between acrylic and glass varies. For traditional tanks underneath 200 gallons, glass is least expensive. For tanks over 200 gallons (customary or customized), acrylic is usually cheaper. The rationale I say ‘typically’ is that acrylic is a petroleum-based compound and thus its price relies on the value of oil.

And, in fact, lead-free glass (i.e. Starfire model) is often for customized tanks and is usually far dearer than regular plate glass.

7. Customized Shapes

If you’re on the lookout for a customized tank, it was once that customized glass tanks have been solely obtainable in sq. or rectangle shapes. And now, in 2011, curved shapes can be found in customary glass tanks off the shelf. Nevertheless, acrylic remains to be probably the most customizable, with the widest vary of choices.