Acrylic vs glass tank upgrade..

So i will be upgrading my 20 high to most likely a 40 gallon. I really do like the 40 breeder, its real wide which will give me lots of room to aquascape and i like the dimensions of it in general (its not too big of a setup either). However i have people over often and the last thing i want is a beer can into a glass tank. I am considering buying a 40 gallon acrylic but i wanted to know is it really even worth it? Considering the scratches that can happen, and i was told acrylic has the same possibility of leaking compared to a glass tank, is this true? cause i really dont want a leaking tank everywhere.

 

Honestly, I feel both have their ups and downs. Acrylic I hear is less prone to leak than a glass although I have not had personal experience with this.
However, the fish shop I work at has customers acrylic and glass alike who have not had any leaks and some that have from both acrylic and glass.
I myself will never purchase an acrylic because I do not like the risk of scratches. Its not a matter of if you will scratch it, but when. I have owned several glass tanks in my life time. Two of which are about ten years old with no leaks at all.

 

I also forgot to mention that we have a problems with our acrylic tanks at work retaining heat when the ambient temp gets high making it diffcult to cool them down. Whereas a glass heat exchange is quick making it easy to cool if your house gets hot, but you will need to obviusly heat it more in the winter and such to keep ur temp right.
I dont know if your house gets hot or not in the summer, but just some food for thought.

 

hmm never heard about the ambient temperature. I live in the pacific northwest and will be moving into a basement unit so i shouldnt have to worry much about high temp (except for my metal halide 150w). I really like the idea that they are less prone to leaking but where do the scratches come from....cleaning the tank is most often im assuming?

 

low iron glass get it. benefits of both sides.

you don't want acrylic for a reef tank.

 

your talkin a starfire glass tank correct? how does this not have as many leak issues? the silicone is what causes leaks, not the glass. and also, if it is low iron wouldnt that mean starfire glass is weaker?

 

Yes cleaning the tank is the easiest way to scratch an acrylic tank. If you are careful and pay attention to how you clean it and make sure you dont pick up any sand on your cleaning pad and acrylic tank can look great for years. My tank is 12 years old and I have 1 noticeable scratch but you have to know where to look. Another good thing about acrylic tanks is you can buff out most of the scratches if you had to. I have moved 8 times in 3 years and drilled 5 holes in my tank and it doesnt leak. You just need to be very "anal" about anyone touching it, and how you clean it. I have read too many posts about glass tanks leaking or rocks falling over and breaking one of the panes of glass and then you have a catastrophy. I had some rocks fall over one time and they hit the back of the tank and aside from some minor scratches no other damage, I dont think I would have been as lucky with glass. And like you said in the Pacific Northwest the tank staying warmer is a good thing especially if you have frequent power outages. Our power was out for 8 hours one time and my tank dropped to 77 degrees, it usually stays right around 79-80. Those are just my thoughts on the glass vs. acrylic tank debate.

 

Why? I have acrylic.

 

you should be very careful whether you have glass or acrylic.