Aquariums comes in all shapes and sizes, but there are only two types of materials: Glass tanks and Acrylic Tanks.
People began to use glass to ma
ke aquariums since 100 years ago. The first stable glass aquarium was set up by Robert in the mid eighteen forties, it was a 13 gallon tank. Glass aquariums became commonplace in late eighteen fifties. It was until 1970s that acrylic aquariums hit the consumer marketplace.
For aquarium use, both glass and acrylic have their advantages and disadvantages.
Glass tanks are easier and less expensive to produce, that makes it more affordably priced for consumers. The same size acrylic tank may cost you 2 or 3 times more to purchase the glass version. Glass aquarium is much cheaper to manufacture.
Glass tanks can be found in many more places for sale in many type of retail outlets, from your local fish store to chain pet stores, to even places like Wal-Mart.
Always available. No need to wait another month to get your tank. There are something to be said for Standardization with glass aquariums being produced in stand sizes. It’s not difficult for fish hobbyists to purchase compatible accessories such as lids, lights and stands, no matter of the manufacturer of tank. If we’re setting up an underwater environment in order to admire the beauty of aquatic fauna and flora, we certainly don’t want anything tomorrow.
Another words, nobody wants to scratch on their aquariums. Glass is far more scratch resistant than acrylic. Generally speaking, glass tank is easier to clean than acrylic tank.
It seems glass aquariums have so many obvious advantages over acrylic aquariums. Have you already made up your minds to buy glass aquariums already? Glass aquariums are not without their disadvantages.
Weight: glasses are far heavier substance than acrylic by a long shot. An empty 55 gallon glass tank might requires two people to move into place, while the same size acrylic aquarium could conceivably be transported by one person.
Temperature control: Glass is not only a poor conductor of heat, it’s a poor maintainer of heat. Acrylic, on the other hand, dose much better job of keeping a tank warm. Something to consider if you live a cold climate of your heater goes on the fritz.
Clarity: Glass has a tendency to distort your view in a way that acrylic not. Most glass also adds slight greenish tint to everything, that’s just the nature of the material. For most people, this goes unnoticed but some folks want to see their fish, especially vibrant saltwater fish in their true coloration.
Impact and repair: Tricky Augmentations: Drilling holes for for bulkhead fitting is not impossible with glass aquariums but it’s a bit tricky as your damaging the glass. Although scratch-resistant, glasses otherwise not very forgiving to impact when struck, it can crack or shattered. Usually the only way to repair a crack in a glass tank is to replace that entire panel and reseal the tank.
Versatile: Acrylic is a versatile material. It can be shaped and molded into seemingly endless configurations. Although glass can be shaped and used for bow front style aquariums. Acrylic can be made into virtually any custom shape desire
Easy drilling: Need to augment your acrylic tank with a hole for piping or fitting. No sweat, acrylic can be drilled or cut without much fear of cracking. A piece of a cake!
Let’s hear from what people say about their purchasing:
Customer A: The acrylic tank I had, scratched even with a soft wash cloth.
Customer B: Acrylic is easily scratched, but more durable when it comes to direct impacts. Glass is less likely to scratch, yet shatters under direct impact.
Customer C: Glass aquariums work best for turtles. Acrylic scratches too easily and turtles have hard shells and little toenails that could scratch up an acrylic tank.
Customer D: I will definitely go for acrylic. Now I am saving for a custom acrylic tank.
And now a question for you? Do you have a preference when it comes to glass or acrylic tanks?
