| When a person or family decides they want an | | | | purchase a typical or small size aquarium, and by |
| aquarium they are suddenly and often unexpectedly | | | | typical or small size I am mostly referring to sizes of |
| hit with a series of options they know little about and | | | | less than a hundred gallons or so. Acrylic is |
| likely never would have expected to come from such | | | | considerably lighter to lift, it weighs approximately |
| a decision. After all the life inside is supposed to be | | | | forty percent that of glass aquariums of the same |
| the complicated part, not the aquarium itself. You | | | | size, while in the smaller aquariums this is less |
| could just buy the first aquarium you see but you | | | | important it is not meaningless altogether as they will |
| very well might be setting yourself up for | | | | still have to be moved sometimes. A great |
| disappointment, regret or even the outright need to | | | | advantage of acrylic is that it is a lot stronger than |
| venture back to the store to pick up something | | | | glass, this contrary to weight is much more important |
| different very soon. | | | | for the smaller aquariums where a nicely thrown ball |
| One of the most major decisions to make is what | | | | or dog toy could leave you with an unbelievable mess |
| type of tank to purchase. There are two primary | | | | of fifty gallons of water in your living room, wear as |
| materials that tanks are made out of; glass or acrylic. | | | | larger glass tanks might not be as strong as acrylic, |
| What are the real differences between the two, | | | | they are still thick enough to handle any normal home |
| does it really matter? Depending on what you want | | | | accident. |
| to use it for it might not really matter that much | | | | The view you get of the life within the fish tank is in |
| more than simple preference but the best route to | | | | general better with acrylic, they are less reflective |
| go is always to know the advantages and | | | | than glass if you intend to place the tank across |
| disadvantages of each. | | | | from a bright light or window this reflectivity could |
| There are overall several different factors to | | | | become a great nuisance. Acrylic also gives overall |
| consider, but to many who might not take their | | | | better view ability than typical glass, meaning that it |
| decision as seriously the only real consideration is | | | | has closer to zero distortion when looking though it. |
| price. In most cases glass is a bit cheaper, this | | | | There is special glass available however that has |
| difference in price however decreases as the tank | | | | even better view ability than acrylic but it is |
| size in question increases. As the tank gets larger the | | | | considerably more expensive. |
| necessary thickness of glass over the necessary | | | | One final difference that might be important is |
| thickness of acrylic starts to even out and eventually | | | | scratching. Acrylic is much easier to scratch both |
| glass prices will even become more expensive once | | | | inside from the livestock or moving gravel, as well as |
| this point is reached the existence of glass aquariums | | | | on the outside from the dogs front paws or backing |
| in these great sizes is almost zero. So if you intend | | | | a chair into it. But even though glass is much harder |
| to have an extremely large aquarium acrylic is almost | | | | to put visible scratches in, it unlike acrylic it is almost |
| always the way to go. | | | | impossible to buff out or fix a scratch in the glass, if |
| There are several reasons you might want to go | | | | it gets scratched it is scratched for life. |
| with an acrylic aquarium even if you intend to | | | | |