Habitat - Indoor :: I know acrylic scratches easier than glass & weighs less

[Caphits]

Yeah, you probably cant move that much by yourself, not because of weight, but because they are big and bulky. 2 people would be easy.

[MoreBloodWine]

I think because of the weight alone I'm going to just go with the acrylic, that and they're (the two quoted ones) are cheaper than alot of the glass tanks I've looked at of similar sizes. Once I'm able to get out I'm gonna see if I can start buying ther 4x4's and some other small stuff I need to least get the frame of the stand done. Figure go with the cheap stuff now thats easy to get / build and worry baout the rest later. Still gonna need a few power tools though, should be able to borrow those or rent em from a Home Depot.

[thegrandpoohbah]

You'd be better off with double 2x4's rather than 4x4's. I'm no wood working expert but apparently 4x4's are prone to warping and twisting.

And you probably know this already, but make sure to fully support the bottom surface of the tank. 3/4" plywood with a sheet of styrofoam should do the trick.

[danny123]

i would recommend TRUVU acrylic aquariums. I've seen them on display at almost every single aquarium i've been to. you guys probably arent familiar with this brand because i think its pretty new and located in the bay area. they look amazing!

http://www.truvuaquariums.com/55galto100gal2.html

theres also free shipping on some of the tanks!

[thegrandpoohbah]

TruVu has been around a while. I had one of their 35G Hex tanks a while back but had to sell it when I moved. They make quality stuff.

[MoreBloodWine]

You'd be better off with double 2x4's rather than 4x4's. I'm no wood working expert but apparently 4x4's are prone to warping and twisting.

And you probably know this already, but make sure to fully support the bottom surface of the tank. 3/4" plywood with a sheet of styrofoam should do the trick.

I know about the stryofoam but with acrylic tanks its not really needed because most of them (ones ive seen) have flat bottom tanks. Ive never heard that about 4x4's but I suppose all wood would eventually sucome (sp?) to warping. I dont know if this helps / matters but I'd be using the pressure treated 4x4's.

Edit: Aside from the thin styrofoam layer I'm going to use below the tank the top of the stand itself I will be making from 3/4" thick solid oak. Also, I'll check TruVu out but for the time being Tenecor has me sold.

[thegrandpoohbah]

MBW, as long as the oak is perfectly flat then you should be fine. I think most people (myself included) use styrofoam under the tank on DIY stands because the plywood surface isn't all that flat.

[MoreBloodWine]

MBW, as long as the oak is perfectly flat then you should be fine. I think most people (myself included) use styrofoam under the tank on DIY stands because the plywood surface isn't all that flat.

Even if it's perfectly flat which I hope it will be lol I'll prolly still use a thin layer of stryofoam to protect the bottom of the tank from scratches n stuff.

[danny123]

And nobody said acrylic doesn't scratch. In fact, it scratches more easily than glass. But unlike glass, scratches can be buffed out, even while the tank is full of water.

Is it easy to buff an acrylic tank? will the scratches be completely gone?

[thegrandpoohbah]

Luckily, I've never had to find out so I can't answer that question.

[MoreBloodWine]

You know, I've been thinking... I think for Nikos permanent tank I might just go with a 48x18x24 90g tank. Its about the same size as the last one I had picked out but a foot shorter. Reason I wana do this is because I wana leave a foot of space ontop of the stand (beside the tank) for a small UPS system to run the air pump and heaters during power outages. Plus it will mean alot of weight reduction compared to the other tank when full etc and that will make placement easier for a second floor tank. So I guess here in lies the question, would a 90g tank still be perfect for Nikos as a life tank even if "it" becomes the larger of the two sexes ?

Right now I'm still workin on staining the custom stand I bought so back to that I guess heh.

[thegrandpoohbah]

Probably not a good idea to have a UPS right next to the tank. What if you (or Niko) accidentally splash water on it?

[theartbook35]

Glass is heavier than acrylic, but I'd rather have a glass tank than plastic, because the plastic as said does scratch easier. The only thing is acrylic is harder to break than glass.

[MoreBloodWine]

Probably not a good idea to have a UPS right next to the tank. What if you (or Niko) accidentally splash water on it?

ood point but I'd still like to have that space beside the tank. Also, anyone got an answer for my question.

[scottpkura]

glasscages.com seems to offer the best prices on acrylic