Acrylic or Glass. What Type of Aquarium Should You Choose?
- Author Jim F. Johnson
- Published May 14, 2009
- Word count 583
An aquarium in your home can really make a space come alive. It's no wonder that millions of people are tapping into this hobby. Most hobbyists will start with a fishbowl or a small tank. Invariably, however, they will enjoy it so much that they will soon opt for a bigger size.
One questions that nearly always comes up is, "Should I purchase a glass aquarium or an acrylic aquarium?" And arguments can be made either way. But usually, especially when purchasing a large aquarium, acrylic is the best choice.
-
Acrylic weighs less than glass. In point of fact, glass is more than twice the weight of acrylic. Why is this important? Water is heavy. A large water filled aquarium can weigh thousands of pounds. For instance, a 75 gallon tank will weigh more than 750 pounds. A 300 gallon tank will weigh more than a thousand pounds. If the tank is glass, it'll weight even more. To prevent your floor from sagging and to save yourself from other structural problems, keep the weight of the tank itself in mind when shopping. In addition, you will occasionally find yourself having to relocate your aquarium. Moving a large acrylic aquarium is much easier than moving a large glass fish tank. For both of these reasons, the lighter weight material will serve you well.
-
Acrylic is stronger than glass. Glass is fragile. An accidental sharp blow can crack or shatter the glass, causing leaks, and possibly thousands of dollars of damage to your rooms. Although acrylic can crack as well, it takes a lot more force to do so. The countervailing point, however, is that while acrylic is harder to break, it's much easier to scratch. You are much more prone to get annoying scratches on your acrylic tank than you are on a glass one.
-
Acrylic is more flexible and can be molded to practically any size and shape that you desire. Especially when considering large tanks, with glass you are pretty much limited to rectangular shapes. The shapes of glass aquariums are constrained by the fact that they are constructed with flat glass panels which are glued together with a sealant. The result is that glass tanks are more likely to have leaks than acrylic ones.
-
Acrylic is easier to drill. If you want to add plumbing to your aquarium for bottom or side filtration, you can easily drill through an acrylic tank using standard tools. While it's true that you can sometimes drill through glass aquariums as well, with glass you have a much greater chance of breaking or cracking the tank. And again, with a smaller tank, the dollar investment may not be a big deal, but when working with large tanks, you're talking hundreds of dollars.
-
Acrylic is better for custom spaces. When shopping for a large aquarium, sometimes you just can't find the perfect aquarium for your home. You may have a large family room or basement area where you want to make a design statement by having the fish tank to cover the entire wall. Well, you can't just buy an aquarium like this off the shelf. If you have the funds, you can have such an aquarium custom made for you. Depending on where you live, you can find companies that will actually send a designer to your home, work with you to develop specs, and build you an aquarium to your exact specifications. In almost all cases, however, those specifications will call for the aquarium being made of acrylic.
Jim F. Johnson is webmaster and owner of http://www.aquariumtropicalfishsite.com. find more information on the 120 gallon acrylic aquarium at his web site.
Article source: https://articlebiz.comRate article
Article comments
There are no posted comments.
Related articles
- How Much Per Meal Should I Feed My Puppy?
- Selecting the Perfect Pet for Your Lifestyle Made Easy: Experts 7 Tips
- Horse Box Hacks: How Equine Awnings Elevate Your Travel Experience
- Why Regular Pet Grooming Is Important For A Happy And Healthy Pet
- Unleash Your Dog’s Potential: Effective Techniques for Improving Communication and Obedience
- The Illusion of CSR Training Is Finally Reality - BUILDING A PROFESSIONAL CAREER PATH FOR CSRs
- The Diet of a Dog Affects Dental Health
- Do Pets at Home Remove Ticks? What You Should Know About Pet Tick Removal
- The Importance of Cat Furniture Accessories for Your Feline Friend
- Top 6 Pet Products You Need for Your Sweet, Furry Friend
- A QUICK GUIDE ON HOW TO USE PET GROOMING GLOVES PROPERLY!
- Dogs and Cats Compared
- Blog posts 5 Useful Tips on How to Clean Fish Poop in Tank
- The Importance Of Spending The Extra Cash On A Larger Rabbit Hutch
- Street Dogs in Nepal | Animal Welfare Nepal | Oxsa Nepal
- The Importance of Pet Care
- Tips on keeping your bird happy and healthy
- Why pet insurance – and why now?
- 600 million dogs
- What You Need to Know About Canine Deafness
- Pet Relocation - Tips For International Pet Moving
- Dengue Mosquitoes Best Ways To Avoid Dengue
- 5 Unique but Helpful Services for Your Pets
- To Meet Hero Dog Crate Mat
- Are you looking for a valid ESA letter? A complete guide to get an ESA.
- Facts about Best Self Cleaning Litter Box Uncovered
- Are Bird Toys Useful for Your Pet?
- Pets-ability is the Best Online Pet Supplies & Pet Medicine Store
- Cat Litter Choices
- Animals Turn to Nature for Self-Medication