Still confused about whether you should get an acrylic or a glass aquarium? Many factors are involved when selecting an aquarium for your office or home and more and more aquarium owners are opting for acrylic over glass aquariums. However, before you make a final decision, make sure the space you plan to put your aquarium has been measured and is in a location with minimal traffic.
Take note of the size of the occupants of the aquarium and make sure that you don’t end up ordering an aquarium that is too small for your fish. Remember that the fish you have will most likely grow so be sure to get an aquarium with room for your fish to grow.
After weighing the pros and cons of aquarium options, you will most likely opt for acrylic aquariums as well to house your beloved fish.
Greater Strength
The most important feature that acrylic aquariums have over glass is that it is seventeen times stronger which means minimal repair on your part. Being seamless, there are no cut corners and glue that disrupts the view.
Easy Plumbing
The fact that it is easier to cut acrylic compared to glass makes filtration and plumbing so much easier to install.
Better Insulation
Also, the factor of insulation that acrylic can offer is so much better than glass. Compared to tanks made of glass, acrylic tanks are able to do heat retention of twenty percent more. For your fish, this will mean water temperatures that are more consistent.
Greater Penetration of Light
Aside from insulation, acrylic aquariums allow greater light penetration than glass. For reef tank systems that rely on light sources for growth, this is especially important. In addition, acrylic tanks can take any form which aquatic life including fish will find to be a luxury. They can be molded into shapes such as pentagons, hexagons and cylinders, making your aquarium look like artwork.
Flexible Shapes and Sizes
Without the need for bracing and seams, aquariums made of acrylic can be made in any shape and with much larger capacities. This means your fish will have a lot more space to swim around in with an acrylic fish tank. Plus, in terms of durability, your acrylic tank is not as fragile as glass tanks and won’t break or crack. You can also easily transport your aquarium since acrylic is light and weighs approximately half of the weight of glass.
A Better View
Your acrylic tank gives you less distorted views of your fish compared to glass. In terms of the refractive light index, acrylic and seawater have about the same levels. This means that you can see clearly and check your fish more easily when compared to glass tanks.
While more functional and decorative, fish tanks made of acrylic tend to outlast tanks made of glass. This makes it a better investment.
This article is written by Artchee exclusively for this site. Artchee is also a contributing writer for www.fintastic.us who are dealers of custom fish tanks.