Acrylic vs Glass tank

[tuajia]

Hi all, during a recent discussion with a fellow hobbyist he mentioned that acrylic tanks (like those GEX 2 feet kind) should NEVER be used for marine setups. This came as a surprise to me as I never thought there was any issue with acrylic as I have been using GEX/Fiveplan acrylic tanks for the last few years for my freshwater tanks. According to him, seawater requires glass as it is more dense and hence requires "stronger" material. Any bros here have experience in using acrylic tanks? Are they really "weaker" than glass tanks?

PS: I have started 2 other tanks using Gex acrylic tanks, seems fine so far...

[tofubox]

No issues using acrylic. Look at public aquariums, don't see them having any problems over many many years. 

[JMW]

All tanks, regardless of material, would be sized up to handle the pressure & weight of the water, having sufficient thickness, seam design, etc.

I would say one good practice would be to avoid resting rocks on the glass which introduces point loads on the glass/acrylic.

[tuajia]

Oh, good point. I never thought about that. What about the rock parts touching the bottom? Should I cushion them with Styrofoam to be safe? Not sure if sand sifters would dislodge then though

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[JMW]

IMO bottom is fine cos the glass is supported underneath by the cabinet or whatever surface your tank is sitting squarely on...

to clarify my statement on resting on the sides, if it's just one rock it may not be a big deal versus the case where the btm rock of your scape is resting on the sides & you have everything else stacked on top of it.. That one the glass will probably feel it

[tuajia]

Ah I see. I better go check my tank now in case haha. That's cool to know

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[SantaMonica]

I'm a new fan of nothing. No acrylic and no glass. Just an open pond, looking down at the corals, just like a real reef  

http://www.tufftubs.com/htdocs/plinoval.htm

[expert]

acrylic or glass, the thickness matters the most. As well as the right calculation to the water pressure. 

[Guest]

From my own understanding acrylic is stronger comparing to glass with the same thickness which is also why public aquarium use acrylic instead of glass.

It is also lighter and easier to mold to shape

[Rainmakersg]

That is not true at all.  Many tanks in the US are made of acrylic.  Many public marine aquarium also use acrylic.

You can watch the show "Tanked" to have an appreciation of the capabilities of acrylic tanks.

The bonds in acrylic tank are stronger than the glue between glass because they are molecular bonds, so a bonded piece of acrylic act as a single piece.

The legendary Chingchai's tank is made of acrylic.