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  #26  
Old 03/04/2006, 07:51 AM
Gary Majchrzak Gary Majchrzak is offline
yes it's my aquarium
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: upstate NY
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I'm too passionate about this subject so I'm going to exit this thread now. If anyone has ever taken care of glass and acrylic reef aquariums for several years, they'll know what I'm talking about.
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some common aquarium nuisances: Bryopsis,Derbesia(hair algae),Cyanobacteria(red slime), Diatoms(golden brown algae), Dinoflagellates(gooey air bubbles),Valonia (bubble algae)
  #27  
Old 03/04/2006, 12:04 PM
Bax Bax is offline
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Location: New Jersey
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I am going low iron glass as I can't spend this much money on a tank and system and then look at scratches.
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  #28  
Old 03/06/2006, 09:34 AM
JoeyK@OCMD JoeyK@OCMD is offline
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Location: Ocean City, Maryland
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My latest tank is the first and last acrylic tank I will ever waste money on. (a very costly mistake).
  #29  
Old 03/06/2006, 11:26 AM
Creetin Creetin is offline
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Location: In a little place i like to call a little place.
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I have always owned glass tanks, and like them, But they can be scratched too. Then your left with something you cant fix.
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  #30  
Old 03/06/2006, 12:48 PM
monkeyreefer monkeyreefer is offline
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i went acrylic as there was no way in hell i was going to get a glass tank into my basement that was 96*30*24
  #31  
Old 03/06/2006, 03:20 PM
JackRent JackRent is offline
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I have a 32 inch door and a walk-out basment so getting the tank into the basement shouldn't be a problem. I cleaned my 58 gallon glass tank last night and I think I am going with glass. It didn't even appear that bad and the amount of scraping was more than I would have ever imagined for the slightly impaired clarity of two months without a good scraping. I am becoming convinced that scratches would drive me nuts. An honest assessment of how often I move stuff around is swaying me to glass also.
  #32  
Old 03/06/2006, 05:16 PM
asnatlas asnatlas is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by monkeyreefer
i went acrylic as there was no way in hell i was going to get a glass tank into my basement that was 96*30*24
My glass 96x48x30 went down into the basement via the stairs... I did hire pros since it was so big...

96x30x24 would have been easy to get down into the basement even if it was via stairs with local club members help…
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  #33  
Old 03/06/2006, 11:25 PM
Delsfishes Delsfishes is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pem Pines Florida
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Ive had both glass and acrylic. I've had 2 glass tanks bust on me not a pretty sight clean up and loss if corals and fish. I have now a 187 acrylic yes it does scratch but even with scrathes looks alot better then glass also you ever tried removing a scratch form a glass tank they do scratch also and cannot be buffed out. If you decide to do a close loop system very easy to do on a acrylic tank very easy to drill the holes for the bullkheads. either way both have the pros and cons but from my experience I will always go with acrylic.

hope this helps
  #34  
Old 03/07/2006, 04:28 PM
monkeyreefer monkeyreefer is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by asnatlas
My glass 96x48x30 went down into the basement via the stairs... I did hire pros since it was so big...

96x30x24 would have been easy to get down into the basement even if it was via stairs with local club members help…
maybe down your stairs, but not mine. You must have one hell of a stairwell. the door opening at the bottom of my stairs is only 30", and its 7' 10" to the wall across from it. It took some finesse, but we got it down scratch free.
  #35  
Old 03/07/2006, 04:36 PM
asnatlas asnatlas is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by monkeyreefer
maybe down your stairs, but not mine. You must have one hell of a stairwell. the door opening at the bottom of my stairs is only 30", and its 7' 10" to the wall across from it. It took some finesse, but we got it down scratch free.
Nope, just a standard stairwell (House built in 93)...







Click for pics of the move...
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  #36  
Old 03/07/2006, 05:45 PM
Wade2185 Wade2185 is offline
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This is too funny. I am battling with the exact same question right now. I have been back and forth too many times to count. I want glass because I do not want to deal with scratches. On the other hand I am finishing my basement and by the time I am done I will have about $20,000 into the basement with out the cost of the fish tank. If a glass tank broke on me I would detroy my basement. For that reason I am looking at acrylic. Also, glass is so heavy I did not know how I was going to get the tank in the basement (96 X 30 X 24). But after seeing the post above from asnatlas I now think I can manage it. The winch was a great idea!
  #37  
Old 03/08/2006, 10:17 PM
huskerreef huskerreef is offline
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240 gallons of saltwater all over my hardwood floors,carpet and into my basement. 1 week of loud blowers and moisture extractors hooked to my floor and somewhere in the neighborhood of $7500 in damage and lost corals and fish=new acrylic for me. Sorry but the piece of mind of not repeating my disaster is worth a few scratches here and there, especially when you go big. Just my paranoid two cents worth. Very helpless watching water run out onto the floor at a high rate, need more towels.
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  #38  
Old 03/09/2006, 06:17 PM
olemos olemos is offline
Your talking to me?
 
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Location: Long Island, NY
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Quote:
Originally posted by huskerreef
240 gallons of saltwater all over my hardwood floors,carpet and into my basement. 1 week of loud blowers and moisture extractors hooked to my floor and somewhere in the neighborhood of $7500 in damage and lost corals and fish=new acrylic for me. Sorry but the piece of mind of not repeating my disaster is worth a few scratches here and there, especially when you go big. Just my paranoid two cents worth. Very helpless watching water run out onto the floor at a high rate, need more towels.
There are many of threads here of acrylic that cracked just like glass and if you do a search, you will find even more on, " My MHs melted my tank"
This could go both ways, just make sure your tank is level and well supported and there should not be a problem.
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  #39  
Old 03/09/2006, 09:27 PM
kwl1763 kwl1763 is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Bax
I am going low iron glass as I can't spend this much money on a tank and system and then look at scratches.
Amen is all I'll say!
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  #40  
Old 03/13/2006, 02:50 PM
tacocat tacocat is offline
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If your MH melted your tank or cracked your center brace, you planned poorly IMO.

I have acrylic, and the scratch thing sucks, but it is realtively easy to avoid. You have to stay up on your maintenance, or setup your tank so that algae maintenance is only minor.
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  #41  
Old 03/14/2006, 02:56 AM
Jive Turkey Jive Turkey is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by AcroSteve
It will depend a lot on your attitude and situation.

With an acrylic tank, I think you really need to be more regular and mythodical about the maint. As I understand it, you do not want to let the acrylic tank get too far ahead of your cleaning schedule.
He hit the nail on the head.
I have plain glass and acrylic tanks, and spend time around a low iron glass tank. I prefer acrylic tanks, they look so much better. I stay on top of the maintainance, and try not to be clumsy in and around the tanks, and scratches haven't really been a headache yet. I like to know that I can basically "renew" my tank every time I move if I need to, by buffing it out after its broken down. I've done it before.

If you can afford it, and are still unsure, you may want to get a low iron glass tank. You'll have the best of both worlds then, minus the strength of acrylic.
  #42  
Old 03/14/2006, 11:32 AM
fareforce fareforce is offline
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My 500 will be starfire glass.
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  #43  
Old 03/14/2006, 12:39 PM
dochoot dochoot is offline
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Went with low iron glass and had proffesionals move it for me. I am realistic with up keep issues. That said, a broken tank still scares me. I did have two floor drains put in when my house was built under the fishtank.
  #44  
Old 03/14/2006, 05:42 PM
z28pwr z28pwr is offline
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I've had well over a dozen tanks that were over 150 gallons in size and some as large as 750 gallons and for large tanks I'll take acrylic. Yes they scrath easier, and yes they can melt with metal halides if you are not careful, but I trust acrylic more then a glass tank and acrylic is still clearer then low iron glass, not to mention the weight diference. Oh and glass scratches too don't forget that. I had a 150 glass tank that looked like poop after my son run the magnet with a piece of crushed coral on it, good luck trying to buff out glass.
  #45  
Old 03/14/2006, 07:11 PM
JackRent JackRent is offline
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Good debate here. Still haven't spent the money, so bring it on. If I go glass I will be going low iron glass. I am still very much leaning towards Will at AO. Can urchins, starfish or other live stock scratch acrylic ??? Also, doesn't coralline gravitate to acrylic surfaces faster than glass surfaces ????
  #46  
Old 03/14/2006, 07:24 PM
asnatlas asnatlas is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by JackRent
Can urchins, starfish or other live stock scratch acrylic ???
From what I have read, urchins will leave marks in acrylic tanks...

Quote:
Also, doesn't coralline gravitate to acrylic surfaces faster than glass surfaces ????
Coralline does like to grow on acrylic but I am pretty sure it's really bad on "solid" pieces like PVC or colored acrylic...
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  #47  
Old 03/14/2006, 08:21 PM
xdusty6920 xdusty6920 is offline
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why would a glass tank just bust? i can only think of 2 reasons. 1) it had extremely weak seams and little to no bracing
2) the glass was far to thin and gave out with the pressure fromt he water.
in either case that is strictly a poorly built tank. its has nothing to do with glass being weak or not as strong as acrylic. if an acrylic tank was constructed with these same inadequate materials and methods, it'd be just as likely to bust. on that topic of strength, it doesnt have anything to do with glass or acrylic, it has to do with the builder.
  #48  
Old 03/14/2006, 09:28 PM
redrunblue redrunblue is offline
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Stick with glass. I keep buying acrylic tanks for my reef tanks and everytime a piece of rock falls or a bit of sand gets wedged in my "glass" cleaner I swear that I will never again buy an acrylic tank. What gets me is the idea that I will lose some (even the smallest amount) of those great colors that I work so hard to get from my corals. And. . . everytime, when I'm planning a larger venture, I somehow sucker myself into buying another acrylic tank. Do it for me--buy glass!
  #49  
Old 03/14/2006, 11:43 PM
asnatlas asnatlas is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by redrunblue
What gets me is the idea that I will lose some (even the smallest amount) of those great colors that I work so hard to get from my corals.
2 words... Low Iron...

If you get 1/2" Starphire its just as good if not even better then acrylic... Trust me I will be the first to say when I heard about low iron glass vs reg float glass I didn't believe it... When I ordered my tank and got low iron I thought to myself did I just pay extra for something that I am really not going to be able to tell a difference on ?? When I saw it in person I can tell you it's worth it... I have 3/4 low iron so with the 1/4" thicker glass there is more iron then starphire 1/2" would have but the 3/4" low iron compared to normal float glass is like night and day... I have 1/2" starphire euro-bracing and WOW, its crystal clear... I kinda wish I would have went a little small and gone with Starphire, but I think once I get the 600gal stocked I will forgive myself
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  #50  
Old 03/14/2006, 11:46 PM
asnatlas asnatlas is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by xdusty6920
why would a glass tank just bust? i can only think of 2 reasons. 1) it had extremely weak seams and little to no bracing
2) the glass was far to thin and gave out with the pressure fromt he water.
in either case that is strictly a poorly built tank. its has nothing to do with glass being weak or not as strong as acrylic. if an acrylic tank was constructed with these same inadequate materials and methods, it'd be just as likely to bust. on that topic of strength, it doesnt have anything to do with glass or acrylic, it has to do with the builder.
I agree with you 110%... If a tank "bursts" then the tank was built under spec... I would hope that the tank is somewhat "overbuilt" so that something like that would not even be possible unless influenced by something/someone 3rd party...
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