Acrylic Aquarium Tanks

January 21, 2009 · Filed Under Aquarium Tank, Freshwater Aquarium Setup · 2 Comments 

chet15 300x225 Acrylic Aquarium TanksAcrylic aquarium tanks have changed the face of aquariums in the last few years. The lightweight tanks come in many shapes and forms such as half spheres, bubble, L-shaped, triangular, tubular, and convex.  With acrylic, the shapes and designs are endless and is up to our imagination.

Before we look at the advantages we start with the disadvantages.

Acrylic Disadvantages

More expensive: Acrylic aquariums are more expensive than the glass aquarium tanks. If you get into custom styles then your budget will go up, these forms of tanks are top of the range in terms of quality, workmanship and beauty. If you can buy one is worth the money.

Scratching: They are quite easily scratched so be careful when cleaning with an algae pad. Moving decorations around can bang and scratch the glass also. There are scratch removing kits available at your local aquarium shop that will remove most minor scratches and blemishes.

Distortion: Acrylic tanks will have some distortion due to the construction process from heating them before bending into the nice shapes but will give a seamless look and allow viewing from all angles.

Acrylic Advantages

Lightweight: Acrylic aquarium tanks are lighter than glass aquariums, which gives the advantages of placing them upstairs in your house and are far easier to move around.

Stronger: They can take an impact and will not shatter easily.

Different Shapes: As mentioned earlier they can be molded into half spheres, bubble, L-shaped, triangular, tubular, and convex.

Stylish: Acrylic tanks can come with colored backgrounds which can be stunning with the correct decoration. You also get more choices in colors and styles to match the interior of your home or office. They can give any room an appearance and generally looks more expensive than glass tanks.

Image: Aquarium Design