Acrylic tank quality question

[ellisz]

Hello again,

While looking for Acrylic tanks online, we have ran into some almost to good to be true deals. We found a place in Nashville(kind of local) that sells tanks that they make for really good prices shipped. Comparing to Tenecor.com, we are talking anywhere from 150.00-200.00 difference.

Are there any build issues that need to be considered? I know these don't come with tops, rounded corners or colored back grounds. How cheap is too cheap

 

[vega]

you must know that acrylic tank is EASYLY scratch ...

imagine spending couple of $$$ and within 6 months or so during typical cleaning you accidentally leave a 2 inches scratch in the middle of your tank.

but if you r looking for tank with fancy shape, from what i know you can get a glass with rnd corner as well but they do cost some extra $$$ (but then you alway have to think the long term as typical tank require you to clean it at least twice a month; and FYI most of us here clean it at weekly basis).

 

[Beerman]

Tenecor is a ripoff.

 

[ellisz]

We found a 75 gal with built in overflow on the side at a LFS. They wanted $150 for the tank and the overflow was $100 extra. So $250 for just a 75 gal glass tank. He then told me that that they make no money on there tank sale.

This seemed high to me.

I do worry about the scratching but big glass tanks are harder to ship. We have been looking at the local classifieds too ...

 

[goldy]

acrylic tanks do scratch easier but they are lighter then glass , they have a crisper vision then glass, most come with a lifetime garentee of not leaking, and they retain water temperature better than glass.as for the scratches you can get scartch remover kits for them. i'm still tring to find the best one though.

 

[ellisz]

But would anyone buy a "no name" acrylic tank? Is there a standard thickness of the walls? The place we found has been making tanks for awhile but I think mainly for lizards and such.

 

[triggers]

Like stated above about lifetime guarantee's, I have not seen a manufacturer not have a lifetime warranty. With the thickness, I believe it depends on the size of the tank. ex/ If you buy a 75 gallon acrylic but you want the demensions to be 36"long, 12"wide and 36"tall (not exact measurements) the walls will have to be thicker because of it being so tall compared to width. As for the stratch problem, yes they scratch easier than glass, however, glass scratches to and when glass scratches that scratch is permanent (you won't get the scratch out). They make special cleaning supplies for acrylic tanks to keep from scratching and they are not expensive. (cost the same as glass supplies) I really recommend having a built in top. Prevents salt creep, less evaporation, and less worry about fish jumping out.

Hope this helps

 

[Sam]

I actually just received my Tenecor acrylic tank. As stated already, there are scratch removal kits, but do not get the impression that you will scratch the tank just by looking at it. It is just easier to scratch than glass, being plastic. This means you need to take extra care when cleaning and moving things in/out or around it. By the same token couple of the reasons that drove me towards acrylic and not glass:

Weight: About 1/3 the weight of glass, with the total weight of the tank setup, this was a factor for me
Shape: I like the flat back Hex. This is available only in acrylic
Joints: no seams or support frames to worry about, the tank if formed from one piece with sealed tops and bottoms
My tank is a 135G reef-ready package. Agreed that Tenecor is pricey, but I am happy with their construction and set up.

In any case there are pros and cons for either, it will be just what you are happy with that matters.

 

[fishfreek]

When people say it will scratch just by looking at it they really are trying to say that you really have to pay attention to whats going on when your working in and around the tank as something as small as a single grain of sand getting under your cleaning mit or your magnetic algae cleaner can scratch the surface.

I avocate removal of any jewlery when working around the tank as well as making sure buttons and zippers are not in contact with the tank.