Glass Vs Acrylic

[Nofishing!]

I am planning to get a aquarium. I haven't yet decided on which type, glass vs acrylic.I know glass is more scratch resistant and acrylic is easier to scratch. Acrylic clearer and refracts less than glass. What are your opinions and what do you use. Please help. Thanks!

 

[lostlogik]

I've had an acrylic tank and to be honest, I'm so glad I have a glass one now. Acrylic scratches too easily - on the inside when cleaning, moving substrate etc and on the outside when cleaning. Glass is so much easier to manage. Don't see myself having anything else.

 

[DrRob]

Glass for display, unless it's huge or awkwardly shaped.

Acrylic if you're planning on doing any DIY on it.

Whatever you can get if it's free.

 

[*pete*]

Glass everytime !

 

[LucyB]

Glass

 

[fishprotector]

Glass all the way for me

 

[Gvilleguy]

+1 Glass. I've had both types and greatly prefer glass for on-going maintenance.

 

[Nofishing!]

"I've had an acrylic tank and to be honest, I'm so glad I have a glass one now. Acrylic scratches too easily - on the inside when cleaning, moving substrate etc and on the outside when cleaning. Glass is so much easier to manage. Don't see myself having anything else."
-Lostlogik


I am still tempted by clarity and how acrylic doesn't refract as much as glass. How easy was it to scratch? Did you use cell cast? It's stronger.(more scratch resistant) Easy is a opinion, not a fact. What kind of things would cause it to scratch. Also did you use acrylic scrapers for the sides? Regular scrapers will scratch. I saw a fairly large aquarium at my orthodontist's. It was acrylic. You could see the fish MUCH clearer than the small glass aquarium I have right now.(30ish gallons)

 

[Gvilleguy]

I found my acrylic tank to get scratches for which I did not know the source. I would clean it with soft cloths to get algae off the sides.

 

[lostlogik]

I am still tempted by clarity and how acrylic doesn't refract as much as glass. How easy was it to scratch? Did you use cell cast? It's stronger.(more scratch resistant) Easy is a opinion, not a fact. What kind of things would cause it to scratch. Also did you use acrylic scrapers for the sides? Regular scrapers will scratch. I saw a fairly large aquarium at my orthodontist's. It was acrylic. You could see the fish MUCH clearer than the small glass aquarium I have right now.(30ish gallons)

Yes, easier is an opinion, one that you acknowledge in your OP. And yes I did use acrylic cleaners, as I was paranoid about scratching the tank. But you asked for opinion

I never caused any one big scratch but over time the inside and outside of the tank developed circular scratches from the cleaning. I'm talking over a couple of years mind you but from the sheer hassle factor of making sure I never had any grit trapped, I'd never have acrylic again. When I went back to glass the joy of just getting a scraper and cleaning as rigorously as I wanted was a joy.

 

[Nofishing!]

Ok so glass is WAY is easier to clean than acrylic. But is there a glass that frefracts less and is colorless? (glass is green) is there a product out there that PREVENTS scratches on acrylic? I know you can sand out. Let's say My shirt rubs the tank as I walk by would that cause noticable scratches?

 

[fluttermoth]

You could buy a tank made of optiwhite glass, which is much clearer than normal glass, as it has a much lower iron content. It is pricey though, although you can compromise with tanks that have just one optiwhite panel, at the front.

 

[Nofishing!]

Does optiwhite glass refract like acrylic? Does a company make aquariums using this type of glass? Full or just the front?

 

[fluttermoth]

I'm not 100% sure on the refraction qualities optiwhite versus acrylic; I'm a cheapskate, so I haven't owned either!

I'm sure there are quite a few aquarium companies that offer optiwhite options. I'd look at the prices and decide if you can afford one that's optiwhite all round.

 

[lostlogik]

Does optiwhite glass refract like acrylic? Does a company make aquariums using this type of glass? Full or just the front?

You'll find, through Google, a lot of companies offer opti-white aquariums. But it is at a premium.

Here is one example Opti-white high clarity aquariums