Tank materials inquiry

[Boxcar Muzzdogg]

Does anyone know if plexiglass is safe, and strong enought to use to build a tank?

 

[bigmick474]

i read a post yesterday about how someone made a 20 gallon betta tank (split into sections) out of plexiglass.
it worked fine for him
i dont know how big you could go tho.

 

[daudy_dojo]

here is the problem with plexiglass:

after a while minerials begin to peel off the glass and it starts to dissolve! So you cant have that tank running for to long or else your gonna come home one day to a new pond inside your house so no its not a good idear and please PLEASE dont ever use anything that the pro's dont use!! plexi-glass is a no-no ... and mick tell that guy that he is gonna lose those fish in a matter of months plexi-glass can only stand so much! there for it isnt as durable and as long lasting as glass or acrylic.... go with glass or acrylic plaese i dont want to find you in the emergency section because your DIY "plexi-glass" rule breaker tank has just blown a big hole in it!!

 

[Boxcar Muzzdogg]

Lol, "rule breaker" tank. Thats why I'm asking. Thanks for the info. Where can I get acrylic?

 

[SRC]

here is the problem with plexiglass:

after a while minerials begin to peel off the glass and it starts to dissolve! So you cant have that tank running for to long or else your gonna come home one day to a new pond inside your house so no its not a good idear and please PLEASE dont ever use anything that the pro's dont use!! plexi-glass is a no-no ... and mick tell that guy that he is gonna lose those fish in a matter of months plexi-glass can only stand so much! there for it isnt as durable and as long lasting as glass or acrylic.... go with glass or acrylic plaese i dont want to find you in the emergency section because your DIY "plexi-glass" rule breaker tank has just blown a big hole in it!!

[snapback]811142[/snapback]​

That is actually very incorrect. Plexiglass IS acrylic.,...that is just a "brand" name for it.

All your "plastic" tanks are made from plexiglass/acrylic. As long as you use 1/4" for the outside walls you will not come home to a floor full of water. If you go larger then 20 you will need a support in the middle though..just like with glass.

You can buy huge expensive plexigalss/acrylic tanks. The only problem with plexi is making sure you don't use an abrassive cleaning utinsil or you can scratch it very easily (they sell plexiglass aquarium sponges and cleaner...so if you use products made FOR plexi you won't have a problem. And if you don't and it gets scratched they have scratch removal kits as well).

I have a DIY 22 gallon plexigalss tank divided into 8 sections...I have had it up and running for over 6 months now..with no problems.

(the water isn't dirty BTW it has IAL in it lol)
http/photobucket.com/albums/b70/JenniesB.../Boys/Assembly/

I dunno where you got your information on plexi from.....but it's wrong.

 

[Rivermud76]

DANG SRC beat me to it.

Exactly, Plexi Glass is a brand name. Acrylic is the product. Acrylic is very commonly used in aquariums and there has never been to my knowledge a problem with acrylic dissolving in tank water.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

dang, shouldve waken up earlier to beat src to it anyways, plexiglass is the same as acrylic. if fish tank companies said that their tanks were made of plexiglass, well, they would have to pay plexiglass or get sued.

 

[SRC]

You have to get up pretty early in the ...

HEY..wait a cotton-pickin minute....it was after noon when I posted that ...you guys need to get up earlier lmao.

 

[Yenko]

You have to get up pretty early in the ...

HEY..wait a cotton-pickin minute....it was after noon when I posted that ...you guys need to get up earlier lmao.

[snapback]860258[/snapback]​

Outside of the internet we have "time zones".

 

[kenneth_kpe]

yup time zones, anyway related to the topic..

scratches can be removed from acrylic i need to get me one of those products!?!?!!? o ya whats wrong with plain old glass btw ?

 

[SRC]

I doubt it was that big of a time difference...it couldn't have been over 6 hours..and I doubt it was that.

But anyways...
Nothing is wrong with glass persay...it's just...when trying to build a tank from glass vs building one from acrylic it's 2 different worlds.

Acrylic is much easier to work with..as you don't use sealant...you "weld" it together...and by weld I dont' mean with a torch...you use acrylic weld liquid. It simply melts the 2 pieces together and voila...you have a tank. Once it holds water it will always hold water..unless you drop it and crack it.

Acrylic is MUCH lighter then glass and can be abused a little more then glass...try thumping your glass tank with a hammer and then thump a acrylic one (I don't mean draw back and whap it with all you got tho lol).

Moving a acrylic tank is MUCH easier then movinga glass tank...acrylic doesn't break nearly as easily.

 

[kenneth_kpe]

i see i see ! i found acrylic tanks expensive ! i asked a friend of mine whos into the glass business to make me a 8x8x8 acrylic tank and it would cost me around 15 dollars i think ? and then i just asked him to use glass and he gave the tank to me hahaha btw glass is clearer the acrylic ? no ?

 

[SRC]

If he's in teh glass business he probably had waste glass to spare..he probably had to buy the plexi.

I don't see where glass is any more clear then plexi myself.


Go to your local pet store and look..they have them. Most all your 1-3 gal tanks are acyrlic.