Acrylic vs Glass Tanks

Written by Leon Huang

Wednesday, 27 July 2005

Article Index 1. Introduction 2. Light refraction and more Page 1 of 2 Introduction You have decided on what dimensions your new fish tank is going to be. You have also planned on where to place it, to add that aesthetic touch to the room. Maybe you even had an idea which brand and model you want. But did you know that there are two materials being used for fish tanks? They are acrylic and glass. So before you rush out to get your fish tank, you should check out the differences between them. Strength Acrylic is strong. It might not seem like it, but it is actually stronger than the typical glass used for fish tanks. To support the same volume of water, acrylic does not need to be as thick as glass does. Acrylic wins! Scratches It is much more difficult to scratch glass, usually only possible if you do it on purpose with relatively hard objects. Whereas acrylic is very easily scratched, usually by gravel, algae scrubbers, or even the tank inhabitants. Glass wins! Cost Acrylic fish tanks are mostly more costly than their glass counterparts, since acrylic is stronger than glass. This is also partly due to higher shipping costs, as acrylic scratches so easily. Glass wins! Weight Glass is denser, thus it is much heavier than acrylic. Although a fish tank's weight is made up mostly by its water and the other things in it, a lighter fish tank is much easier to bring home and to relocate. A lighter fish tank also puts lesser strain on its supporting stand or cabinet. Acrylic wins! Prev - Next >>