Just sold my 220 and 240 acrylics. I used micro fiber cloths from day one. No noticable scratches. I would never own a glass tank over 125 gallons. A well made properly cared for acrylic will never leak. I'll take peace of mind over some scratches any day. Awesome tanks and fish!
@Ali-Muscle8 ай бұрын
Exactly
@zombiez8mybrainz5 ай бұрын
100% agree! The last glass tank I had leaked. I have had 4 acrylic tanks since and never had one leak a drop. Acrylic's durability is unprecedented, but can scratch.
@HalfManHalfCichlid3 жыл бұрын
My 500 gallon acrylic bowfront no longer gets new scratches. I have learned to use magnetic cleaners with sheets of magic eraser sandwiched between the magnets. Zero new scratches in two years. I also learned how to buff the scratches out with the tank full and little disturbance to the fish using progressively finer sand paper and magnetic cleaners. Silicone on glass tanks does break down. I have had to reseal my 200 gallon glass aquarium and I can see degradation of silicone on all my glass aquariums. Time does fly and you end up with worrying about tanks breaking when they are glass. I can send you a youtube link on how to buff out acrylic scratches?
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
Thats a great idea with the magic eraser/ magnetic scrapper combo that i'll be trying. I'll take that link if you have it. Thanks
@HalfManHalfCichlid3 жыл бұрын
here is part 1 of 2. I used this information to re-do the front panel on my 500 gallon acrylic bowfront aquarium. The fact that it was a bowfront made it more difficult. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j2nIhYqQiLN_ja8
@HalfManHalfCichlid3 жыл бұрын
Once I redid the front panel, I started using the Mr. Clean majic eraser sheets on the inside and outside, sandwhiched between the magnets. Have not created a new scratch in more than 2 years. I discovered that the majority of the scratches I had in the past were because of a grain of sand or gravel getting into the mag cleaner. Using the sheets solved this problem and they do a good job of cleaning off the algae- better than the mag cleaner by itself. Hope this helps. May seem like a lot of work, but when you are done, and with this new approach you will never do glass again for large aquariums.
@DjPosey3 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for this info as I'm about to buy an acrylic 135
@mmh5481 Жыл бұрын
Let me get that link. My 300g has a few scratches
@onehundredhourchallenge8362 жыл бұрын
I have an acrylic aquarium my parents bought me in 1972, and they bought it as a USED tank, then. It's still in use today. No glass aquarium can match that.
@c.miner573 Жыл бұрын
There are still glass aquariums around fully functional from the victorian era with steel framing without ever being resealed
@hopelfreyamikaelson934811 ай бұрын
?? Little knowledge is dangerous
@Ali-Muscle8 ай бұрын
Acrylic is the best , hands down
@MarijkeWillemsen9908 ай бұрын
I have a glass tank with silicone from the firm Juwel from 1970, still working perfectly, with an all aluminium gold colored light unit! Will easily last another 50 years.
@keyonsylvester254518 күн бұрын
Can't go wrong with arcylic
@underthebus58013 жыл бұрын
I equate owning an acrylic aquarium (my 180 gallon) with my watch or car: They'll all eventually get scratched. As much as I hate those scratches, I embrace the item, regardless, because they bring me joy.
@amnr75882 жыл бұрын
💯
@100bgeagle2 жыл бұрын
Can easily be buffed out.
@emanuellgustea122 Жыл бұрын
So if I have this right, you saw that the way you were cleaning your tank was scratching it, and you continued to clean it the same way every time?
@JasonSupremebeing3 жыл бұрын
I have the same problems with my acrylic 40 gallon. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to get rid of it.
@robg9152 жыл бұрын
I've had my acrylic tank a few months and no scratches but I don't have sand in mine. I'm just really careful and I do daily water changes. I use suction cups with no problem.
@fernandomonramos112911 ай бұрын
Suction cups for what
@robg9158 ай бұрын
@@fernandomonramos1129for the heaters and inlet tubes. The trick is to use a microfiber cloth to clean. I've had mine 2 years still no scratches.
@anthonymarkowitz6824 Жыл бұрын
Beautiful, beautiful, BEAUTIFUL TANK! I love it man, inspires me to up my aquarium game, and did I say how being it is?!?! Seriously I give this a 10 out of 10 I give you props on your tank!
@scottgordin97093 жыл бұрын
I have a large glass aquarium and it does have a couple scratches on the inside from the sand substrate from weekly maintenance, I can only imagine how many more scratches there would be if it was acrylic. It would make me crazy after spending 4x more for acrylic just to scratch 4x easier, Beautiful set up by the way.
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
Thanks, yes after my experience I'd say acrylic is over priced!
@calcifiedbonecollector322211 ай бұрын
Yeah but can you polish out the scratches from a glass aquarium ?
@annie.7610 ай бұрын
Thank you! I’m only looking to get a 40 gallon and was considering changing from my glass cube to acrylic because I heard acrylic is safer and I’m worried about possible leakage. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for this review.
@dwsdarius10 ай бұрын
Acrylic is less likely to leak, however unless your glass tank is old (10 years or older), I don't think the acrylic is worth it, its much more expensive. As long as you give your glass tank a level (balanced) stand and it's still young, I wouldn't worry. BTW not saying you should worry about a 10 year/ older tank, I have glass tanks that have been running for 15 years with no problems. It comes down to wear and tear on the silicone over the years, and you should be able to visible see if a tank has that problem
@cutefish73173 жыл бұрын
I prefer acrylic. Everything looks better in an acrylic. I don't have many scratches in my acrylic. I love how light weight the acrylic is. The only thing I don't like is acrylic is 10 times more expensive than glass.
@tessloneill79783 жыл бұрын
I am thinking about buying an acrylic because of how light it is. I think my goldfish need a bigger tank -100 gallon, but you are right. The cost is quite a bit difference. Also, I heard that your fish look so more clearer. But how do you attach the air filter if they don’t stick to acrylic?
@cutefish73173 жыл бұрын
@@tessloneill7978 I use Zoo Med Magnetic Suction Cups for all my aquarium heaters and airline tubing, etc. Never replace your suction cups again! You can buy Zoo Med Magnetic Suction Cups at Amazon. I use sponge filters in all my tanks.I have one 29 gallon acrylic tank. I have three 10 gallon glass tanks. I like the acrylic tank the most.
@brihan242 жыл бұрын
can you show us how your filter works? Thanks, i like your setup looks cool!
@dwsdarius2 жыл бұрын
Coming soon
@driftindriftwood73013 жыл бұрын
Nothing worse than a scratched tank. I hate scratches. But remember it is only us who see the scratches. In time I have learned to live with scratches on the tank, and don't fuss over it like I used to.
@jeffk464 Жыл бұрын
you can buff them with acrylic, glass you are kind of stuck. Glass is more scratch resistant but gravel and rock aquascapes have no problem etching glass. Now reef tanks with coraline algae you should probably have glass. You need to remove the coraline algae with a razor blade. By the way ich is easy and cheap to treat, all you need is kosher salt. Treat with kosher salt, or the salt they use for salt water aquariums, as soon as you see ich and you wont have any losses.
@100bgeagle2 жыл бұрын
How many tanks do you have? Exactly I have 2 one acrylic one glass. I take my time cleaning and still looks beautiful no scratches yet. I'm sure you can't take the time I can to clean.
@dj.excess5 ай бұрын
Yea my ocd wouldn’t allow me for a scratch magnet like that. They do look nice though. But def that view you showed the scratches, it drives me me nuts
@dwsdarius4 ай бұрын
Whats worse is that algae grows in the scratches and highlights them
@TheReal19533 жыл бұрын
I built acrylic aquariums, custom, for a summer job......pet shop in St.Louis. There are a lot of reasons for a acrylic aquarium;MUCH clearer than glass, light weight and easy to do custom shapes/colors. We also sold standard glass aquariums. The shop had both in service for yrs....both hold up about the same. But since then acrylic has gotten a lot more expensive. I would talk to a plastic company about wiping tanks underwater....there has to be a way without scratching. We also custom built the filter on the back with an acrylic enclosure...even slid a saltwater pump into acrylic rails glued to the back. It was a three stage filter system with glass wool, glass marbles and a ultraviolet bulb.....all based on a six foot long tank.....undergravel was custom built, again with acrylic. We were pulling the water in a loop which started at the top, ran through the filter system and up through the undergravel. We had very low death rate with the salt water fish and that filter system. We used black acrylic for the back....made it look like the fish were swimming into infinity. We made tops out of acrylic that were sectional and easy to take off. We had some sort of sealed fluorescent lights that just laid on the top.....pick different color bulbs etc. Acrylic for me......
@Cichlids233 жыл бұрын
nice share bro...always good to hear the good the bad and the ugly, from someone that actually has a big tank!
@carlespr Жыл бұрын
For me the best point of an acrylic aquarium is that plastic "sheets" are not glued or siliconed, they are kind of soldered, so there are no joints, another story is if under heavy stressful forces the plastic would break, but in that case it would rather break in the middle or close of a flat panel than in an edge. Asuming that the unions are correctly done. But for normal weights the acrylic is safer than glass. Another point, yes, acrylic scratches much easily than glass, but acrylic can be fixed and look like new while a scratch on glass will stay there forever. It only needs a mistake using somethig with a grain of sand to have a line that won't ever go away. Acrylic is also more transparent than glass, even than that so clear glass. And that so so so clear glass, according to the experience from a colleague, scratches easier than normal glass, acrylic still scratches easily but he threw two aquariums because of that, without doing anything out of normal, nor having any incident. And without the aim of giving a lesson, but with shrimp, some fish and snails, plus UV light, plusless nutrients in the water, maintenance is very reduced. Add plants, many, to get rid of the excess of nutrients floating in the aquarium so water also looks nicer.
@marktopp745 Жыл бұрын
Just found your video. Great but I have one question. The last section with those beautiful cichlids. The orange fish could you actually tell me what it is please. Mainly because I acquired 2 Light coloured convicts and it they were the spitting image of your gorgeous fish. If it is a convict sorry for wasting your time. Thanks from the UK. Mark.
@dwsdarius11 ай бұрын
Hello, thats my red devil cichlid, amphilophus labiatus. Pink convicts are often described as mini red devils because they do look similar
@Igor-q3f4 ай бұрын
I don’t think the cleaning pad you’re using 4:53 is acrylic safe. I’m using seachem algae pads and don’t have any scratches.
@kevinkeagan48963 жыл бұрын
What chemical was that u used for ich? Couldn't see
@dominickdesante39183 жыл бұрын
Formalin MS
@Barakon2 жыл бұрын
Is this tank over stocked? It looks a bit overstocked in my opinions…
@MagnaRads Жыл бұрын
If the water is good the fish are good 👍
@mikesanders283 жыл бұрын
I am considering this same tank. I actually like acrylic tanks but was wondering if you’ve had any trouble with it bowing?
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
So far no signs of bowing and and feels like a solid built tank
@dreamqueen3173 жыл бұрын
Those fish are GORGEOUS!!
@MagnaRads Жыл бұрын
Better clarity with acrylic
@wonderfulworldofwater370 Жыл бұрын
They are easily scratched. The clarity is unmatched though. I have a 50 Gallon SeaClear and I am noticing Bowing on the back panel. Is this normal or should I be worried?
@elementsoflife000 Жыл бұрын
Do you have a tabetop fishstand?
@wonderfulworldofwater370 Жыл бұрын
@@elementsoflife000 what do you mean a table top fish stand?
@elementsoflife000 Жыл бұрын
@wonderfulworldofwater370 unlike glass aquariums, if acrylic aquariums aren't on a tabletop/flat surface it can cause bowing
@wonderfulworldofwater370 Жыл бұрын
Oh...ok. I want to think that it is a tabletop, but I am not sure. Thanks.
The bad thing about big glass aquariums is, they always run the risk of an old one busting a seam. I had a 125 bust a seam one time and flood me dining room.
@LarryWater3 жыл бұрын
That’s my worse nightmare.
@Aquascape_Dreaming3 жыл бұрын
An understandable and legitimate concern. I have a 26 and a 28 gallon tank in my living room and even they worry me plenty. Especially the 26g. It looks really old. I bought it 2nd hand and had it for 10 years 😱😰
@raoulwilliams38173 жыл бұрын
I have 3 125's & 3 150's i bought used *very old* I reinforced all 4 corners on them with a piece of glass on the inside
@danielsanders14793 жыл бұрын
Well if you’d ever want to know an aquarium needs to be resealed., use gasoline to completely dissolve the old sealer! No half measures. If your going to do a complete tank rebuild don’t try covering old sealer! Start clean sheat and gas just completely melts clear sealer! Mineral spirits to completely clean the glass and I could get really involved in explaining how to build a plywood box on 5 sides to secures large glass and using large wood clamps to put necessary pressure on the glass for a bullet proof seal!
@raoulwilliams38173 жыл бұрын
@@danielsanders1479 gas only works on clear sealer? I do remove the old sealer, reseal it & add another strip of glass top to bottom with sealer for reinforcement Lol The price of wood right now is ridiculously expensive 😫😩😭
@erick61025 ай бұрын
I use Mr clean magic eraser sheets with magnets. You do have to be careful with sand though. I push all the sand back from the edge of the acrylic before cleaning the glass down low.
@dwsdarius4 ай бұрын
Thanks for the tip, I'll try it
@escapefromthematrixnow3 ай бұрын
What magnets do you use?
@erick61023 ай бұрын
@@escapefromthematrixnow mag float “large plus, 410 acrylic”. The bigger ones are pricey but worth it.
@robertjohnston253 жыл бұрын
I’ve bought quite a few used tanks, and scratches are the main reason I decided to buy my 210g brand new. So no I don’t think you’re crazy lol. I fully understand the annoyance of cleaning algae out of scratches.
@danielsanders14793 жыл бұрын
How do you feel about the Waterbox aquariums I’m debating purchasing the reef LX 320?
@barafisk96332 жыл бұрын
may i ask how much ish the 350 g acrylic costed ? i got my 190g glass for 200 dollars ( used ) , and its about 3k dollars almost brand spanking new... ( just the glass + stand not including pumps + fish )
@dwsdarius2 жыл бұрын
Mine was $3600 but since then the price has raised +$1000
@barafisk96332 жыл бұрын
@@dwsdarius ouch, and im sure u have said this but , how much ish did u spend on the plywood 880g then ? thinking of maybe building one instead honestly , cheaper and might be a bit more fun as a experience any advices and what would u do differently ? bigger / smaller :)?
@dwsdarius2 жыл бұрын
@@barafisk9633 My plywood tank was just under $3000, that's because I got a good deal on my glass though. I would definitely go bigger if I had to do it again, at least 10' long because the fish filled in in no time! I would have also looked to get a bigger front viewing window and perhaps a side viewing window. The extra glass could easily bump up the price by $1000 or more. The piece I currently have is very small compared to my front wall but I found it on craigslist for$350 which was a steal
@Gil334 Жыл бұрын
Thanks.. Your tanks look nice..I've had probably 50 tanks in various sizes, since the 1980's. In my experiences all glass tanks will eventually leak, or break. I eventually went to all acrylic. Yes the acrylic scratches very easy, but just don't get grit get in your cleaning tools, and be careful moving things near the plastic. And although it scratches easy, if a rock falls/rolls into the panel, it won't shatter like glass. If you keep salt tanks, salt creep is much more manageable with acrylic too. And as far as fading/discoloring, In my experience, only poor quality Mexican acrylic does this.
@djknox2 Жыл бұрын
May I ask why salt creep is more manageable with acrylic?
@Gil334 Жыл бұрын
@@djknox2 Acrylic doesn't have an open top. They are generally sealed around the perimeters, with several inches of acrylic. Maybe a slot in the back for a hanging filter, and feeding/light holes cut into the center of the tank.
@djknox2 Жыл бұрын
@@Gil334 agreed and that was my point - if the wall thickness was increased to limit the stiffening to what one would see on a glass tank, the pane thickness would double and the weight difference would not be significant. Light acrylic tanks necessarily come with a lot of top bracing. So it's exact apples to apples...
@IsabellaM._3 жыл бұрын
Have you tried the magic erasers? They're terrific for removing algae and won't scratch. I find them at the dollar store for pretty cheap.
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
I just bought some to test out, you can use them inside of the tank too?
@IsabellaM._3 жыл бұрын
@@dwsdarius, yes,it says it's safe for acrylic.
@im.smooth80583 жыл бұрын
@@dwsdarius i would not use a magic eraser inside the tank.. they use a cleaning agent in the sponge which will be toxic to the fish when you fill it back up
@azanositepu93813 жыл бұрын
What kind of sand did you use?
@luigigreen9823 Жыл бұрын
Will a pleco scratch acrylic?
@dwsdarius11 ай бұрын
No, I'd say 100% of scratches come from the fish keeper
@andersontaylor293310 ай бұрын
Very informative man. Its my dream to one day have a tank like you bro. Nice setup
@dwsdarius10 ай бұрын
Thank you
@markwolek80263 жыл бұрын
Usually green pads are for glass, white pads are for acrylic, that one you showed looks like a glass algae pad, weird it was labeled for acrylic. Buffing out the scratches is a royal pain in the ass, almost not worth the work. While I've never had a glass tank bust or leak, after having my 75g for 25 years, I am thinking about going acrylic for a 280g just for piece of mind there. Not being able to use a razor blade to clean hard algae, and cleaning near the sand has be on the fence though cause I know what it's going to be like. I used to do aquarium service for a living.
@franmorr19662 жыл бұрын
Which brand acrylic did your purchase? Maybe you mentioned it in the video. The thought of the safety of reducing the chance of leaking glass seams is SO desirable.
@LevelUpSimRacing2 жыл бұрын
I can deal with some scratches. Just had a glass 125gal start cracking on me.
@heatherRebekah772 жыл бұрын
I have owned two since I live in a travel trailer and wanted the more even temperature fluctuation and lighter weight. I just use a microfibre cloth in Circular motions and have kept scratching to a minimum thankfully.
@Raitis.F2 жыл бұрын
Grat video… I was split between two options and I’m sure to stay with glass… might do DIY from harden glass, but that is a new choice to make. Thank you!
@danielflorio77283 жыл бұрын
That tank is awesome...
@bgs9man Жыл бұрын
This is an excellent video of pros and cons. Thanks for sharing. 👍
@InteraktywneAkwarium3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this opinion!
@jbondmont12562 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the info. I have a 110 glass aquarium that's super heavy so I am considering an acrylic upgrade for that reason alone!!!
@edwardippoliti6262 жыл бұрын
Hi ,and thank you for your great advice ,and awesome looking fish, I was wondering aside from the scratches ,is an acrylic tank stronger ? I have a 100 gl. Glass tank for my Cichlids ,a green Texas cichlid ,a Jack Dempsey,and a Convict ,I just recently moved ,and had to remove the the fish for the transport ,the fish survived, but I noticed the tank is showing signs of minor leaks , I found a 100 gl. Plexiglass tank for online for 80 dollars ,but not sure if it's safe ,since I don't know the difference between acrylic or plexiglass ,and if they're the same ,any advice you could give ,the glass is not leaking real bad ,and I could probably be alright for awhile ,the water here in Arizona is real hard too ,so it creates alot of calcium ,thank you
@dwsdarius2 жыл бұрын
Acrylic is less fragile, but I can't really say which is stronger because it depends on how it was built, what epoxies were used and a few other elements. 100 gallon plexiglass tank for $80, sounds unreal. I'd ask questions and even ask to see if it holds water in person because the price is unrealistic to me...far too cheap. As for your leaking glass tank, I recommend that you reseal it ASAP. The longer you wait the worse it will get. If its a tear in the silicone thats an easy fix, if the glass is cracked then the tank is totaled.
@edwardippoliti6262 жыл бұрын
@@dwsdarius I think it is just the silicone, and since it's empty right now ,I'll just reseal it ,thank you ,awesome !!
@migueleespinosa2632 Жыл бұрын
I use a lot of heavy Texas Holley rock. I love to change things up bit. If one big dense rock slips it would kill an acrylic tank.
@nateavis56863 жыл бұрын
Great video. I have the same tank based on one of your videos. Still love mine. Its been set up just over a year. I have a few minor scratches. I use Fritz acrylic cleaner with a microfiber cloth on the outside. Check out the Tunze Care Magnet. There is no way to get sand trapped in there to scratch it.
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
Thank you, thats awesome that yours is still in tact...I guess part of the blame is that I clean my tank rough and reckless...which has painful consequences!
@nateavis56863 жыл бұрын
@@dwsdarius Time will tell. I guess the scratches can be buffed out. A little difficult to do with fish in the tank. But you are correct glass doesn't scratch that easy.
@toriless3 жыл бұрын
My acrilic tanks are 6 years old and not scratched up. I have internal filters hanging off the acrylic with section cups along with the usual heater.
@jesse0M2 жыл бұрын
Have you noticed any yellowing ?
@MagnaRads Жыл бұрын
They will also last 10x silicone glass
@CarlosAlvarez-fv3di2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the video. I was trying to make up my mind on my upgrade and I think I just did that would bug me like crazy sorry you’re dealing with that issue .but that’s a beautiful tank . 🐟🐠
@dwsdarius2 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@glowwurm93653 ай бұрын
Although I’ve not done this yet I will be 100% using an acrylic tank on my dream build. Why? Peace of mind, it won’t fail and when it’s holding 1500 litres I’d prefer to sleep safe… During research I’ve also seen numerous videos of ppl buffing out scratches in stocked tanks with no ill effects using might magnets and finer and finer sand paper. I’ll test this before I buy myself but, given it’s likely true I don’t see why anyone would go glass for larger systems.
@BType13X23 жыл бұрын
I've always been of the mind that when you go large you go plywood and put in glass viewing panels, you can move 1 panel at a time to your desired location, build everything in place and use the weight of the glass as an advantage for holding itself in place while the silicone cures.
@scottmerrow14883 жыл бұрын
Put in an acrylic panel.
@BType13X23 жыл бұрын
@@scottmerrow1488 where I live glass panels are half the price of acrylic and when you are talking glass that is 3/4" thick and 7' long x 40" high were talking in the 3,500 to 4,000 range for the glass. Hard pass on spending 7- 8k on acrylic and having to deal with something that is so easily scratched.
@scottmerrow14883 жыл бұрын
@@BType13X2 You'd be better off buying a tall 8ft long aquarium to get your window
@Qthepug2 жыл бұрын
You have to use an acrylic sponge, found in dollar stores, or a rag for cleaning vinyl records-high-end. The rag works better but you have to use more elbow grease. Not a microfiber rag because it will scratch records and acrylic- a special vinyl cloth. and continue to rub. As you rub you have to rinse the sponge or cloth outside in clean water occasionally, otherwise the algae itself will scratch the glass. Also be diligent about not getting sand between the cloth and acrylic. Buffing out scratches should be done by a professional IMHO. These days people only want to argue but if your actually thinking of getting one this is a best practice.
@Ralfscho2 жыл бұрын
Thx for the video. I hate scratches in my aquarium too. After seeing your video. I know for sure, I'll be sticking to glass tanks.
@andersontaylor293310 ай бұрын
Im sure you have figured this out but take a scraper and scoot your sand over from the side of the glass then let the sand settle for aprox 30 minutes then clean the bottom of your tank
@dwsdarius10 ай бұрын
I use microfiber cloths to clean it and its much more effective
@theadventuresofmooseandluc47372 жыл бұрын
Wow!!!! Your aquariums are incredible!!!! My dream!!!! I always go saltwater, but I haven’t had one in 10 years, and the itch is back! Only thing, I literally can’t figure out where to put a new tank! I don’t want it in my basement as that’s my studio, so, I need it upstairs. I never thought the struggle would be so hard! Keep up the great work!!
@filiplaskovski99933 жыл бұрын
Bro sand substrate can scratch glass glass let alone acrylic gotta be careful when cleaning near the sand bed. Other than that love the tank set up and the filtration, that some decent engineering!!
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
Thanks, yes I learned that the hard way. If I ever get another acrylic tank it'll be bare bottom
@wyzemann3 жыл бұрын
Based on all your concerns, I won't invest my time & money on acrylic aquariums. However, I've never noticed the numerous scratches until you made them seen up close & personal🤣😂.
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
Yes the camera does a good job focusing beyond them, but in person it hurts seeing them!
@Loophole23742 Жыл бұрын
What about if you catch the algae early before it builds up and clean the inside of the tank with a soft sponge, weekly? I’m getting an acrylic Fluval flex 123L. I’ll probably test what clean cloths work best on a single piece of acrylic before I clean my tank so I know what works best. What some people find helpful is to have clean up crew, snails and other things that will eat the algae. Would be hard to have them with your selection of fish. I’m going to go with dwarf African cichlids. I wouldn’t want an acrylic tank with large cichlids and the fish you chose either, the kind you have like moving rocks and gravel around so scratches would come about quite easily. I had many of the fish you have in your tank over the years and I know how messy they can be.
@danielsanders14793 жыл бұрын
I did calculations to build. 1500 gallon starfire aquarium and I am to understand you can go with 1 inch glass tempered! Now here is what I e found out! The 1 inch glass tempered is as strong as 4 inch non tempered correct? And push that bad boy to 2000 Gallons! Let me know, you kick ass and any help would just be awesome!
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
I have heard the tempered glass is stronger, my 880 gallon has 3/4 inch tempered glass and it feels very strong so I imagine 1 inch should be significantly stronger. Now is it the same as 4" non tempered I'm not sure.
@danielsanders14793 жыл бұрын
@@dwsdarius I know because I’m dropping half in the LX320 from Waterbox and they use a very thick baseplate on this one! I think an inch of Starr fire glass. When I did contact a company that I advertising 1 inch ultra low iron glass, they said, oh we don’t temper one inch low e glass! I was playing around with one of those thickness calculators and well it says you could go 36 inches on the height! So somewhere around 1500 to 2000 gallons safely!
@danielsanders14793 жыл бұрын
@@dwsdarius your damn awesome! Your in the level with me and firearms! I can about tell you anything and I’m in total awe when I watch your videos on utube! My next big one is on my property, envisioning a 1 acre pond lined and set up with filters and it stays DAMN near 80 degrees, being in Hawaii I have a natural water source from Ko olau mountains but the thing is if you can shield it from mosquiters! Think of how big the oscars will grow in that bugger 😀
@h2okeeper1063 жыл бұрын
Prefer acrylic but the cleaning is definitely a pain versus glass. The selling point for me was the durability and the insulation it provided for temp heating and stability
@OriginalMindTrick2 жыл бұрын
The selling point is lower weight, a clearer viewing window, and can handle larger tanks as well. For a real monster tank acrylic is the only way to go. It gets very expensive though when you go up in size and thickness.
@rofishy22 жыл бұрын
Your not supposed to use magnet algae scrubbers I know that much if it were me I would find either a very big actual algae eater or try pathos plants in the filter somewhere paired with a Uv clarifier should keep algae out
@ABones-bm3vq2 жыл бұрын
well, at least it looks good on camera! I was looking into getting a 4ft acrylic and now I really dont want to. Itd bother tf outta me
@v3700 Жыл бұрын
you can polish out scratches mate
@davidyoules95682 жыл бұрын
You can polish the scratches out of course.
@mikeyoung60393 жыл бұрын
Mr Clean magic erasers are the best! Sand is always gonna make it a little difficult.
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
I haven't tried that yet I'll have to test it
@moonlightman78853 жыл бұрын
Been following you for years now....I wish you more subscribers ✨
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@stephenfrisbie31087 ай бұрын
I owned an aquarium shop for 7-8 years back in the late 80s and early 90s, had both glass and acrylic tanks, fresh and salt. No scratches except where big coral heads got knocked over. We were cleaning those tanks all the time, but we used the acrylic safe pads. The saltwater tanks were loaded with crushed coral, so we’d just be careful when working down low.. fan it away, clean the spot, fan it back. I used to have people tell me all the time they’d never get an acrylic tank because of the scratches. I had a keyring with about a dozen keys on it and I’d pull it out of my pocket then I’d lob it at an acrylic tank, not super hard but not super soft either, and then I’d pick it up off the floor and rub the tank with it, not super hard but not super soft. Then I’d say ‘I’ll never try that on my glass tanks”. Never scratched until some guy said “Yeah, but what if you hit it with something sharp like the blade of a scissors?”. Well you know what? It cuts like butter. I had to sand it out. From straight on it was hard to tell, but from an angle there was an obvious spot the tank had been worked. After that I’d say just don’t hit them with a razor blade or those pad cleaners for glass, use acrylic safe cleaners. Can’t say if people had luck with my advice or not, but I’ve seen plenty of scratches on glass tanks over the years, and those generally aren’t readily buffed out.
@stephenfrisbie31087 ай бұрын
Note, we used the white acrylic cleaning pads, those multi colored blue things in the video don’t look the same. Those sure don’t look like what we used, look more like the typical glass cleaner pads. Not sure if that’s the difference or not.
@logiq1012 жыл бұрын
You need snails, shrimp and pleco and they'll keep your entire tank clean - no scratches and almost no maintenance needed. You also need more pothos - there's too much nutrient in the water.
@jaisonwoodard72672 жыл бұрын
The dealbreaker for me now on an acrylic fish tank is the scratches and dealing with the maintenance like you were saying and then none of the equipment being able to suction cup that’s a bunch of bullshit man well luckily my 210 is glass😮💨😮💨
@mattmonteith21752 жыл бұрын
I agree with you this why I have all glass. And salt water don't mix to well
@chevyfish40283 жыл бұрын
I am with you on the acrylic cons. Also, if you have hard water, it leaves a calcium crust line which I have found absolutely nothing can erase. After many years, my acrylic tanks got so opaque that it was hard to see the fish. So, to acrylic, I say no thanks. They could be good for growing live food but who wants to spend that kind of money to grow daphnia, scuds etc when a 5 gallon bucket works just fine.
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
Wow I didn't get the calcium yet 😫
@Ali-Muscle8 ай бұрын
Acrylic is the absolute best ! Definitely the most bang for your buck, HANDS DOWN.
@dwsdarius8 ай бұрын
I love how light weight they are, but that's about all I like
@pdiz2 жыл бұрын
idk, I'm more scared of a seam leak... I mean, I can't imagine that amount of water dumping onto the floor... Think of a car leaking oil after about 10 years/100K miles, it's more or less expected right? Except usually when glass tanks burst, they burst, an all-or-nothing affair... I think I would live with scratches...
@davidleach46898 ай бұрын
Acrylic aquariums are way better than glass they don’t have to be resealed they are ten times stronger they are way lighter they insulate a lot better they are clearer and you can get scratches out don’t use sand
@MagnaRads Жыл бұрын
They make scratch kits you can use in a stocked aquarium!
@amx18203 жыл бұрын
Had you tried garlic?
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
I cured the ich with meds
@amx18203 жыл бұрын
@@dwsdarius my herbivores cichlid and fish do good with garlic, salt and warm water but it took way more time to cure jaguars and cubans
@lowtidekass44683 жыл бұрын
Half my tanks are acrylic, I agree with all of the things you said. My least favorite thing about acrylic as someone that breeds, sells and trades a lot of fish is the way the tops are cut. You have to net the fish differently and in my experience takes twice as long at least.. Glass tanks are way easier for netting fish. Have a great day🤙🏽
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
That's true, my tank has 4 small openings and its a pain working inside the tank
@ryanryans34383 жыл бұрын
I love seeing all of your wet monsters in that 350! Especially love the Viejas. I’m inspired by your success & hope that I can mix some Vieja species myself & have some semblance of peace or power balance in my tanks too. Good luck with that Ich. Have you ever used any Fritz Copper safe Ich treatment? Just curious.
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
Thanks, no I haven't. I use Kordon's Rid Ich and that got the job done
@ttp5193 жыл бұрын
The new tank arrived had hole thru bottom I had seal it
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
A plumbing hole or a damaged hole?
@ttp5192 жыл бұрын
@@dwsdarius damage hole
@TripleJAquatics3 жыл бұрын
great info! thanks
@awilderireland8 ай бұрын
I scratch my glass tank. Clumsy Oaf. 😂😂 I have thought about acrylic as they hardly ever leak or explode. That's a big plus.
@dwsdarius8 ай бұрын
Yes nothing worse than a busted tank
@Sugaree433 жыл бұрын
No one likes a scratched tank. I never considered one I don't like the tops on them. Glad the camera doesn't show the scratches LOL. I hope you have no issues with the ick 😣 I don't know how you do it with those monsters, I'd stress to much 😅 I good with all my nano tanks and fish 😉
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
Thanks, the ich has been successful cured with no losses. I just need to make some changes so that they don't cause it to come back from aggression
@lw72382 жыл бұрын
I really believe you don't like scratches on your tank! I really do!
@leagueleaders Жыл бұрын
HOLY SMOKES THATS AN EPIC ROOM!!!
@_jurist3 жыл бұрын
And that is why you have a bare bottom tank if you have acrylic, get some nice tile and put that in and the tank will still look good and you won't have the sandpaper to scratch your aquarium that comes from the sand substrate. Don't blame the aquarium for your issues.
@saifal-badri2 жыл бұрын
High clarity glass all the way, can’t agree more!
@oscardean63513 жыл бұрын
Your setup is beautiful you definitely know 100% what you’re talking about I love the way your tanks look so natural proper beautiful no other channel has natural looking beautiful well-kept Environments like you you’re a credit to the hobby dream fish room keep it up Son 😳🤙🏼
@Aquascape_Dreaming3 жыл бұрын
Sorry Dean, but you're not watching many other channels if you think this is the only one with naturally scaped aquariums. There are literally hundreds more.
@oscardean63513 жыл бұрын
@@Aquascape_Dreaming not as common with very large fish most want to keep their aquariums easy to clean because they’re quite lazy I have seen others with nice aquariums nicelyDecorated I was begin this guy up because I was on his channel you’re very touchy aren’t you 🤫🤮😡
@CopperCityPatriot2 жыл бұрын
Throw a couple Pacu or a red-tail catfish in there and see what happens. We made a homemade diatom filtration system using Oase filters for both 275 gallon tanks. never have a issue with Ick, in thirteen years. The strangest is our tank with a Golden arowana(has brought us no good fortune), four tiger oscars, a humongous plecostomus, a dozen discus of the green & cobalt variety, mass amount of driftwood and Amazon plants, which hides the 18-inch zig-zag eel. Tank 2, has local fish(trout, pike, bullhead, perch), so don't let the DEC find-out. Have always kept to glass aquariums. And keep all in our basement(man cave), just in case of flooding, which we had a plumber install drainage holes. The Oscars leave the Discus alone, but tend to bully the arowana, especially when the oscars have eggs to attend to. Awesome aquariums you have, and admire that filtration system.
@jellybeanvinkler4878 Жыл бұрын
I have two 50 gallon acrylics. I bought them used. Both were in great shape. I can move them around myself. Unfortunately, I thought the magic erasers were okay, and when moving one tank for a painting job, I decided to really scrub the algae off thoroughly. Now it is kind of cloudy. 😳 I still use it, but would like to fix it. Any suggestions? Also, there is some crazing in the older one. Can anyone tell me if this is a leak risk.
@dwsdarius Жыл бұрын
Hey, the scratched tank can be buffed and made to look brand new, you would have to drain and empty the tank to do it though. I don't know what you mean as far a crazing on the other tank
@johnmknox2 жыл бұрын
I can't see the scratches when you are filming the tank unless you go close up. The clearness of the tank when you are filming it is incredible. Those scratches would annoy me as well. I have done some calculations and I estimate that acrylic tanks would be a weight saving of around 25 percent over the glass equivalent that is provided they use the correct size thickness of acrylic. Some manufacturers go very thin on that and don't leave much safety margin.
@djknox2 Жыл бұрын
This is correct. Acrylic aquariums being significantly lighter is a myth because if designed with the same deflection and same access from the top, they need to be double the thickness.
@stellarlivingstoned2 жыл бұрын
Glass looks so much more crisp too
@briancooke24352 жыл бұрын
Next time you get itch in your system crank the heat up and do a bunch of water changes and salt it works way better than medicine
@thomaskong53 жыл бұрын
Acrylic is worth it just for the weight savings. Moving large glass tanks is awful
@dwsdarius3 жыл бұрын
That's true, I had the chance to get a 300 gallon glass tank for $750 (which is an absolute steal), but I had to deny it because I knew it would be almost impossible to get into my fishroom in one piece
@scottmerrow14883 жыл бұрын
You had good reasons.... That said, acrylic is way lighter and stronger than glass, more color neutral and holds heat better. Most scratches can be buffed out. But they are way more expensive. I have only a 29 but wish all mine were acrylic and of course larger.
@rockerma19873 жыл бұрын
Acrylic is not stronger, you need to have thicker acrylic aquarium then glass aquarium. Almost double im thickness. Also, it's more expensive at the end.
@scottmerrow14883 жыл бұрын
@@rockerma1987 Acrylic is 17 times stronger at the same thickness and I said it was more expensive.
@jeepsblackpowderandlights43052 жыл бұрын
it isnt stronger than glass when it comes to certan things but yes it is way stronger than glass.. I know people in california who went through an earth quake and all the acrylic tanks cracked, the glass didnt do anything..
@christiangrogan33712 жыл бұрын
Ich is a living organism… raise the temp up over 82 (I think) and it’ll kill the parasite off
@jeepsblackpowderandlights43052 жыл бұрын
Pretty tank, but getting larger tanks up and downstairs you just gatta use your brain.. I moved my 220g tank up 3 flights of stairs by myself man.. and that weighs way more than youir acrylic tank.. probly 400lbs at least. All i did was set it up like you did by your door, then go up the stairs, and grab the end and set it down on the stairs, then walk back down.. and push it up to the first landing... tilt it back up twist it lay it back down, push it up to the 2nd landing, and repeat until up the 3 landing.. Then i pushed it on the floor with a tarp across the house to the room.. Then i picked up one end and set it on the stand, and then picked up the other end and walked the tank sideways and lined it up on the stand.. I hear ya though, i do hate acrylic.,. i have a 65g hex acrylic. my only acrylic tank, and it gets scratched so easily..
@dwsdarius2 жыл бұрын
Wow, I'd have to practice that on a used tank, lol.
@jeepsblackpowderandlights43052 жыл бұрын
@@dwsdarius i aaked for my friends to help.. but one showed up piss ass drunk so i had no choice than to do it alone lol
@toriless3 жыл бұрын
I have faced Ich but it has been years.
@OriginalMindTrick2 жыл бұрын
You don't use algae magnets on acrylic. Never. Personally, I wouldn't use it on glass either. It takes one little microscopic piece of sand and you have scratches, and it can happen both on the inside and outside. I know that from personal experience. You only use acrylic-safe pads. Luckily you can remove scratches on acrylic.
@dwsdarius2 жыл бұрын
Yes now I know!
@danielsanders14793 жыл бұрын
Your frickin awesome!
@AAE-cg1il2 жыл бұрын
Acrylic tanks are more expensive than glass……because the material is expensive. However, for functionality and life expectancy…….they should be cheaper. I spent bucks on a 46 gallon acrylic bow front. 9 years later it looks like a milk container.