Aquariums are a great way to bring the beauty of aquatic life into your home or office. When it comes to choosing the right material for your aquarium, you have two options: glass or acrylic. While both materials have their benefits, acrylic is often considered the superior choice for a number of reasons. In this blog post, we'll explore why acrylic is better than glass for large aquariums over 150 gallons.

Strength and Durability:

One of the main benefits of acrylic over glass is its strength and durability. Acrylic is up to 17 times stronger than glass, making it much less likely to crack or break. This is especially important for larger aquariums, as the weight of the water can put a significant amount of pressure on the walls of the tank. Acrylic can withstand this pressure much better than glass, ensuring that your aquarium will remain intact for years to come. Acrylic tanks are made using seamless bonding that molecularly attaches the two sheets of acrylic creating a leak proof seam.

In addition, acrylic is also more impact-resistant than glass. If you accidentally drop a glass aquarium or hit it with a hard object, it is likely to shatter or crack. With acrylic, however, the material will simply flex and absorb the impact, reducing the risk of damage.

Clarity:

Another advantage of acrylic over glass is its clarity. Acrylic is much clearer than glass, allowing you to see the fish and other aquatic life in your tank more clearly. This is especially important for larger aquariums, where the water can often appear cloudy or distorted in a glass tank. Acrylic also does not have the green tint that can be seen in some types of glass, which can further improve the clarity of your aquarium.

Lightweight & Stress free Shipping:

Acrylic is also much lighter than glass, making it easier to move and transport. This can be especially beneficial if you need to move your aquarium for any reason, such as cleaning or rearranging your space. Additionally, the lighter weight of acrylic means that shipping is cheaper and much safer since acrylic does not chip and is 17x more impact resistant than glass. Last thing you want is your custom tank you waited for 2 months to break! This is why we prefer acrylic, its much stronger and can handle rough transport unlike glass.

Design Flexibility:

Acrylic is a more flexible material than glass, allowing for greater design flexibility. With acrylic, you can create curved or rounded shapes that are not normally possible with glass. This can help to create a more unique and visually appealing aquarium that is tailored to your specific preferences. In addition, acrylic can also be easily cut and drilled, allowing for the installation of additional features such as overflow boxes or bulkheads without much extra costs. Main thing is glass tanks are often limited to 36 inches in height due to 1" glass being almost impossible to find. Laminated glass is not as strong as a single layer of glass so we only use them for pools and never aquariums. 

Downsides:

We hear it everyday; "Acrylic Scratches so Easily" and they are right. The biggest downside to acrylic that it is a lot less scratch resistance compared to glass. This is mainly to do with the actual material than production. When scratched acrylic is very easy to polish and repair. This is especially important for large tanks that since any damage makes it too risky to use if glass.

In conclusion, acrylic is a superior choice for aquariums due to its strength, durability, clarity, lightweight, and design flexibility. While glass tanks have their benefits, the advantages of acrylic make it a clear winner for those looking to create a long-lasting and visually stunning aquarium. If you are considering purchasing a large aquariums above 150 gallons, we highly recommend investing in an acrylic tank for the best possible experience.