Glass or Acrylic? Which Tank is Right For Me?

When you have yourself a little pet or a fish that you need to put in an aquarium, you will want to keep them happy and healthy as possible. The type of tank you buy, glass or acrylic, could make all the difference. Whether you pick glass aquariums or acrylic tanks there are some variations that you should be aware of.

Acrylic aquarium positives

• Crystal clear clarity
• Stronger than glass for less chance of breakage
• Lots of shapes are available for that extra touch in your home or office
• Lightweight to cause lower stress on stands
• Crack resistant
• Leak proof
• Holes may be cut into them to help with the addition of accessories
• Greater insulation than glass
• More readily available for delivery from online stores

Cons of Acrylic Aquariums

• Expensive
• Easily scratched
• Not easily repairable
• They have a little amount of visual distortion
• Acrylic yellows

Acrylic aquariums come in more shapes, since acrylic is more easily molded, than glass is. They can be great decoration and conversational pieces, although if you have fish the fancy shapes may not be the prime purchase for you, as they have less air to water ratio (surface air) than glass and the fish could suffocate.

For this reason your choice of fish tank supplies need to be correctly picked out for your application so your pets stay healthy.

If you think that you are not going to move your tank once it is filled then glass may be the best material for your situation. Since it doesn’t yellow, even though its less clear than an acrylic fish tank, it will give you a better viewing experience for many years to come.
Glass aquarium tanks are more breakable than the acrylic tanks, however if you keep your aquarium out of the mainstream of traffic in your home or office, this should not pose an issue. And unless you throw yourself or something else at it, it’s not going to break on you.

Some Advantages for Glass

• Lots of different shapes and sizes
• Durable
• Almost scratch resistant
• Cheaper than acrylic
• Won’t change color
• Very strong. Will not flex or bow
• Very popular

Glass Aquarium Negatives

• Not as light as acrylic so will need a much stronger stand
• Has a larger risk of breaking or fracturing
• Making modifications like holes for additional accessories is very difficult
• Not very mobile after it has been filled
• Custom work for glass is very limited
• Poor insulator
• Less selection if purchasing online

With the many differently odd shaped acrylic aquarium tanks on the market, you should be able to find a great conversation piece for your room. Don’t stress over design decision making just enjoy the experience and if you can’t find something you like you can always get something made exactly to your preference.

If you are wanting to put a lot of rock, decorations, or water into your tank, you will probably want to stick with a glass aquarium. The acrylics may bow under too much pressure, wherein the glass will only expand and breath to facilitate the added weight.

Just keep in mind what your end game is with your pets, and you should be able to choose the correct glass or acrylic aquariums tanks to sustain them.
One choice that is proving to be very popular with many new and seasoned aquarists is the biorb aquarium. What makes this a top choice is the fact that it is kind of old school meets new school. It is small enough to fit on top of a table or shelf but large enough to still be a popular center piece for any room.

Choosing Between a Saltwater or Freshwater Tank

One of the hardest things that you will find when you start the aquarium keeping hobby, is figuring out whether you want a saltwater or a freshwater aquarium. Saltwater tanks are very complex, you have to constantly maintain chemical balances to ensure a healthy environment for your specimens. Pictured to the right is a neat saltwater aquarium. Because of the complexity of a marine tank, you'll find that the type of people to use them are more dedicated aquarists, and in some cases, more advanced in their aquatic knowledge.

For most people, they choose freshwater because of its simplicity and ease of use. Pictured below is a sweet looking freshwater aquarium. You'll find that with the right lighting and decorations or life, you can make both freshwater and saltwater tanks look pretty darn cool.

And then you have to ask yourself if you want to have a planted tank or just fish. Plants or corals can be a very cool looking addition to your tank. Freshwater plants can look neat, but if you really want to have a showcase aquarium, you have to go with saltwater. I personally think that nothing looks quite as good as a coral tank with some clown-fish. Not to mention that live rock in a saltwater tank acts as a natural water filter. I am biased because I prefer marine tanks over freshwater.

So the question comes down to you, how hard do you want to work on your aquarium? Saltwater tanks require heavy maintenance, but in my opinion they are gorgeous and worth all the effort. Like I mentioned above, I am biased so you really have to ask yourself what you think will work best for you. So whatever tank you choose, good luck!