jkrc07
09-04-2006, 11:52 PM
im thinking of buying a seaclear 50 gallon tank. is it better to get glass aquariums rather than acrylic? does acrylic last longer ? does leak after long periods of time (15 years)? does it scratch that easy?
jkrc07
09-04-2006, 11:59 PM
and is acryclic one piece or is it glued together like glass?
DevonBlaine
09-05-2006, 12:28 AM
I just recently bought a 29g acrylic from an ebay seller. It is MUCH lighter and thinner than glass. It does bow very slightly at the top, however, this should not be an issue for larger tanks because there should be a support beam across the top. I have a noticed VERY small scratch on the ouside which I have not tried to remove. You have too look at it sideways and have light hit it just right. It is hard to see scratches in acrylic, for the most part, when it is filled with water because the degree of light refraction for acrylic and water are very similar.
The complete base of the acrylic aquarium must be supported or the bottom may warp over a long period of time. I have heard of a 75g in a LFS that held up for 10+ years without any issues. I would expect an old glass aquarium to leak before an acrylic because glass silicon gets frail and may crack/ unstick over time. On the other side is arcrylic where bonding is actually done with a "welding" type process where the two surfaces actually melt to eachother. Acrylic is supposed to resist breakage 16x that of glass.
I have plants and driftwood in my acrylic tank. I would advise against keeping reptiles or jagged rocks in acrylic.
$98 50gal acrylic (http://cgi.ebay.com/Acrylic-Aquarium-fish-tank-50-gal-see-dimensions_W0QQitemZ4311567955QQihZ001QQcategoryZ2 0755QQcmdZViewItem)