# Acrylic vs. Glass



## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

*Which is better Acrylic or Glass for X-Large tanks?*​
Acrylic1270.59%Glass529.41%


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

I am going to be building my own plywood tank in my basement and just want to hear some opinions on which is better Acrylic or glass. I have been looking at proffessional tanks and they seem to prefer acrylic over glass. Thanks for your input.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

For building custom tanks, I'd go with acrylic, but for a single panel like what you're planning, glass may 
be cheaper. I think it'd come down to cost for me. If you do a search of this forum, you'll find the glass 
vs. acrylic topic discussed quite a bit.


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

Thanks for the info. does anyone know where to buy acrylic from??


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

You can try here. They have a nice cut to size calculator, so you can see what kind of cost you're getting into. Also look for local plastics shops. Pays to shop around for this stuff.


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

thanks for that. That is a great website to get an idea of how much it will cost. anyone know of a website that will give me glass quotes like the above link?


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

has anyone else thought about doing this for a living? I mean just building custom tanks.


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

I see some people prefer glass and I would like to know why. When I look at professional tanks they all use Acrylic so I am just curious.


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## clgkag (Mar 22, 2008)

I voted for glass because normally big tanks mean big fish. I think glass holds up better than acrylic. Down side glass is much heavier. If you are putting the tank up and leaving it, go glass. If it may need to be moved soon/often, go acrylic.


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

see my problem is if I go glass i will prob. need a brace in the front. my viewing area is going to be 72" x 48" and I dont want to have to put a brace in front. That is why I was leaning towards acrylic. Why is it not good for a permanent tank? do you think if i went with 1" I would need a brace?


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## clgkag (Mar 22, 2008)

Wasn't saying it wasn't good for a permanant tank, just acrylic would be way lighter to move. I think you biggest problem is the 4ft height. It makes the glass have to be much thicker. I think with a 6ft tank as long as you brace the top and bottom to cut down on the bowing, you wouldn't need to brace the glass. I would price it in both glass and acrylic and talk to the dist. about your use for it. They may be able to give you more insight on if you need bracing or not. I have a 450 gal. that is 8' by 3' glass and the only bracing is on the top like any other tank.


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

ya thats what i was thinking I asked the glass guy for 1" thick he thought I was crazy. do you think that is overkill would 3/4' work?


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## mepeterser2451 (Mar 23, 2007)

acrylic -
pros - stronger, easier to build entire tank out of acrylic, easier to repair, to make a whole tank would be cheaper I think when I read up on it

cons - scratches easy, mine also makes me nervous because i built mine almost 2 feet tall out of 1/4" thick acrylic but its a beast and its held for almost 2 years now.

glass-
pros- i like the sound of tapping on glass...(sorry fishies :fish: )
cons- I HATE SILICONE...

If you want I've got a very efficient cut sheet I can send you I got from featherfinfan for a 180 gal acrylic tank using pretty much everything of 2 sheets.

maybe also try looking for a glass tabletop on craigslist thats 3/4" if you've ever thought about doing plywood/glass. they're tempered for strenght too. Might be hard to find the right dimensions but i've found a few when i was looking. I've ended up using a pane from a tank i broke instead though.


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

ya the tank im building is going to be 600+ gallons with a viewing area of 72" x 48". What do you use to seal the acrylic? Also when i did the math I got that there will only be 3psi in the tank with the water but that doesn't sound correct to me. If anyone has the formula for figuring this out please let me know. The tank itself should be about 7' long 4' tall and 4' deep. Thanks for helping it is greatly appreciated.


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

mepeterser2451 said:


> acrylic -
> 
> maybe also try looking for a glass tabletop on craigslist thats 3/4" if you've ever thought about doing plywood/glass. they're tempered for strenght too. Might be hard to find the right dimensions but i've found a few when i was looking. I've ended up using a pane from a tank i broke instead though.


You are my hero I would kiss you if I could. I went on craigslist and found a piece that is 5/8" x 72" x 48" for only $25 :drooling: . The guy is pretty sure it is tempered I will find out tomorrow. It was on a huge table they had so I'm sure it is. Thank you soooooo Much!!!!! :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:


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## willny1 (Nov 17, 2008)

Sweet deal. More money for fish! :thumb:


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## parkayandbutter (Jan 15, 2008)

clgkag said:


> I voted for glass because normally big tanks mean big fish. I think glass holds up better than acrylic. Down side glass is much heavier. If you are putting the tank up and leaving it, go glass. If it may need to be moved soon/often, go acrylic.


That's incorrect. Acrylic would hold up better as it's 17X's stronger then glass.


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## mepeterser2451 (Mar 23, 2007)

I3lazd said:


> mepeterser2451 said:
> 
> 
> > acrylic -
> ...


hahaha no problem. glad i could help out. only wish i had your luck. just make sure that 5/8" is thick enough for 4' tall. I've never gone over 2'. Somebody should know on here. Also post your build thread or at least post some pictures of the final product. I'd love to see it.


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

well I am basing it off of the 1000 gallon tank by 98DAK83CAM he used a 1/2" thick on a 1000+ tank he just braced it in the middle. I am getting thicker glass and not as wide as his, mine is 6' his is 12' so I hope I need no brace. ohh ya I did start a thread in the DIY titled 600 Gallon Monster. I will post pics as i progress.


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## clgkag (Mar 22, 2008)

parkayandbutter said:


> clgkag said:
> 
> 
> > I voted for glass because normally big tanks mean big fish. I think glass holds up better than acrylic. Down side glass is much heavier. If you are putting the tank up and leaving it, go glass. If it may need to be moved soon/often, go acrylic.
> ...


I meant hold up as in not scratching as much. You are correct and acrylic is much stronger than glass. I would hate to have to drain and buff that big a piece of acrylic. Just my preference.


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## mepeterser2451 (Mar 23, 2007)

I3lazd said:


> well I am basing it off of the 1000 gallon tank by 98DAK83CAM he used a 1/2" thick on a 1000+ tank he just braced it in the middle. I am getting thicker glass and not as wide as his, mine is 6' his is 12' so I hope I need no brace. ohh ya I did start a thread in the DIY titled 600 Gallon Monster. I will post pics as i progress.


awesome i'll take a look at your thread.
also, everyone will tell you length and width doesnt matter. height only matters. you can have a tank made of paper thin glass a mile long and 1 mile wide and only 1inch high and it will hold water. i would definitely check with people who have made large tanks like yours. but personally i think you're all set with over a half inch too.


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

5/8 tempered will allow you to build to 33" of glass height with a safety factor. 36" would be pushing it. When you get to 4' of height even a piece of tempered 5/8 would be pushing it dangerously towards failure.
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/aquari ... omtank.htm

If the glass isn't tempered you will be able to cut the height down. If it is tempered you will not be able to cut it at all but it would make for a very nice Paludarium.


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## mepeterser2451 (Mar 23, 2007)

what you could do would be to have a foot of the glass covered by wood at the top instead of having only 1 inch siliconed to the wood and only fill the tank up to 3 feet but it still looks full. Or you could have the glass even go into the hood and maybe have the hood open from the back or something.


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## mepeterser2451 (Mar 23, 2007)

oh by the way i found a glass tabletop exact same as yours in my area and they were asking $250 for it. Good find.


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

So I went and got my glass and there is a tiny chip on the very edge you can see in the picture. My project engineer doesn't think this will be a problem since this part of the glass will be framed in; What do you think will this glass hold or should I go buy a new piece?


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## mepeterser2451 (Mar 23, 2007)

i think you're fine with what you got. looks nice.


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## x06jsp (Dec 8, 2008)

as long as it is covered my the wood and not on show and supporting water then it will be fine

josh


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

sweet thats what i was thinking but it is always better to be safe than sorry. It will be enclosed in a frame on that portion so I should be good. Thanks for your help :thumb:


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## x06jsp (Dec 8, 2008)

yer it will be fine then 

Josh


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## 54126 (Jan 9, 2009)

I3lazd said:


> has anyone else thought about doing this for a living? I mean just building custom tanks.


How many custom tanks could you sell a year in your area? How much do you need to earn each year? Divide the second by the first, and ask yourself "Who the heck would pay that much for a tank...?"

Jeff


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

I doubt that your pane of glass is tempered. I've seen that type of cup break in other pieces off non tempered glass but if something like that ever have happened to a tempered pane the whole thing should have shattered into small pieces. I could be wrong but I don't think I would depend on it to have a tempered strength.


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

That cant be true think about it. Your car windshield is tempered glass would it shatter it it got a small chip in it? No it wouldn't. You can not judge it off of the crack if it is tempered. Most glass pieces for a glass table is tempered for safety reasons; but trust me I will be 100% sure it is tempered before it is installed. :thumb:


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

Windshields are made of regular laminated glass. It is two layers of glass with a thin plastic layer in between. If you look at a broken windshield it will be cracked and broken the same as regular glass which is what it is. The plastic laminate between the two layers adds strength and flexibility and keeps the glass from busting into loose shards that can seriously injure passengers. However, your side windows are made of tempered glass because they are less likely to be hit by small stones thrown up by tires or falling off a dump truck. If a windshield was just tempered glass it would shatter quite easily if hit by a pebble at high speed.

You may have noticed small cupped pits in windshields very similar to what you have in your piece of glass and albeit yours is larger, they are similar in looks. Anything that would have done that amount of damage to your glass would have shattered the entire piece if it were tempered.

I'm not trying to be contrary here. As a safety issue I wouldn't trust that piece of glass to be tempered. This is just my opinion from working in a glass shop for a year and a half doing commercial, residential and automotive glass installation.


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

I appreciate that I will definately look into that before it is mounted trust me I dont want 600 gallons of water on my basement floor so thanks for the heads up. :thumb:


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

you know what now that you have thoroughly scared me away from that glass, I have decided to go with acrylic. It will be 1/2" x 72" x 48" and it is acrylic-G which I guess is stronger than regular acrylic and less likely to bow or flex, plus it is way cheaper. I called a glass shop and they told me $800 for a 1/2" 72"x 48" tempered, acrylic is only $335  .


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

ohh ya by the way the guy at the glass shop said that tempered can chip on the edges without shattering so there is a possibility that it is tempered but I am not going to risk it. when i wear my polarized glasses I can't see the temper in the glass and usually I can.


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

so no one answered my earlier question, I am still curious as to what to use to seal the acrylic since silicon won't work?


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## mepeterser2451 (Mar 23, 2007)

iceblue said:


> If a windshield was just tempered glass it would shatter quite easily if hit by a pebble at high speed.


haha man your scaring this guy. i was in a car that was hit by a hub cap and multiple screws that shot like a bullet out of a large mower on the side of the high way. it went through side window and didnt shatter the whole thing. also, my tank was tempered (as I later found out when drilling it) and it had chipped edges slightly. In fact, I drilled the tank about halfway before it finally exploded. Also, about those glasses I read alot that they really rarely work. Ask McDaphnia. If I had that glass you did, I would not be buying a $800 acrylic piece. First of all, its harder to install in plywood tank. It would be easier and cheaper to make a slightly smaller all acrylic aquarium. You use weldon 4 to pretty much melt the acrylic together. Don't know much about plywood/acrylic. Some people bolt it and seal with a rubbery lining from what i seen. If I were you I would make the tank and only fill it to like 3 feet or a little less. with the glass No more than that at all. But I'm a cheapo. I mean if you got the money go for the acrylic to be safe or do the glass and give mesome cash hehe  . Its up to you.


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

mepeterser2451 said:


> haha man your scaring this guy.


I'll stick by what I said. I blew up his picture and that is more then just a chip in the edge and I have never seen tempered glass break like that but I have seen regular glass with that type of cup break.



> so no one answered my earlier question, I am still curious as to what to use to seal the acrylic since silicon won't work?


Read this thread and follow some of the links. This should help answer your some of your questions.
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... highlight=


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## mepeterser2451 (Mar 23, 2007)

yah i understand your caution iceblue. but if it was you and you had that glass tabletop for 25 bucks wouldn't you try using it instead of going out and buying a very expensive acrylic sheet?


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## mepeterser2451 (Mar 23, 2007)

also if it isnt tempered as you say, he could just have that part cut off, right?
is that what you would do?

trust me, cutting something that big and that thick just to find out it is tempered is not fun. and I'm still pretty sure it is tempered.


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## iceblue (Apr 27, 2004)

mepeterser2451 said:


> yah i understand your caution iceblue. but if it was you and you had that glass tabletop for 25 bucks wouldn't you try using it instead of going out and buying a very expensive acrylic sheet?


Darn right I would, :lol: but I would have it cut down to a reasonable height for the tank.


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## mepeterser2451 (Mar 23, 2007)

iceblue said:


> mepeterser2451 said:
> 
> 
> > yah i understand your caution iceblue. but if it was you and you had that glass tabletop for 25 bucks wouldn't you try using it instead of going out and buying a very expensive acrylic sheet?
> ...


yah but i wouldn't cut it down because i still think its tempered. I would just leave a foot unfilled and hide it with wood work.


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## mepeterser2451 (Mar 23, 2007)

or make a aqua-terrarium


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

the acrylic is only $335 not $800 the first guy i called for glass told me $800 but I talked to another guy who told me he could do 1" thick for 450. so I might just go buy the inch thick glass. Undecided.


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## I3lazd (Dec 29, 2008)

ok I bought the acrylic today it cost 375.82 delivered to my door. It is 1/2" x 72" x 48" and is Acrylic G which is stronger than regular acrylic it bows and flex a lot less which will allow to to have a larger viewing area than the glass  . And as far as the glass I acquired I posted it on craigslist but I might just use it for the canopy. What do you guys think I should do?


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