Equipment Review and Discussion :: Acrylic Aquarium for my Turtle (need some info plz...)

[munkly]

oki guyz .... im plannin to build an aquarium for my keechu (turtle) 3.5 feet long nd 1.5 m wide frm acrylic instead of using glass ... so i need some info frm u guyz ... is acrylic good fr turtles aquarium? or is glass preferred fr turtles aqua? ... and plz tell me few pros nd cons regarding acrylic! ... and as to my knowledge acrylic tends to get scratched easily is tht true? .... i hvnt used acrylic before so plz enlighten me a lil bit hehe

[jozzep]

You've answered your own question...
Pros : It's light weight, thus fairly easy to put together.
Cons : It's expensive and gets scratched from turtle claws and rocks.

[mike hill]

Yes - It will scratch easily. You will have a hard time putting it together without scratching it. Good Luck!

[TheComputerGremlin]

Turtle claws are notorious for destroying acrylic. Check out Craigslist for cheaper glass tanks, and if you want to make a "plastic" pond, go with a rubbermaid stocktank. They are made for livestock to drink out of, so they are very durable. TheBean made an excellent tank for his turtle out of a stocktank, so search the forums for his post!

[jay2487]

Acrylic is good for small tanks but when you get over say 55 to 75 gallons they become a real problem. This isn't so bad if you buy a brand new one but if your going to make your own you better get your geometry book out and make that tank perfect and straight and level. The least little bit of not being level will cause the whole thing to come crashing down. This isn't a big worry with glass as my 110gal is about a half inch out of level right now but with an acrylic tank that big it would already be on the ground. Also basking lights will turn it white from the heat where you can't even see through it and any little thing will leave a scratch. A pro to acrylic is that scratches can be buffed out where with glass it is harder to scratch but once you do that's that it's scratched forever. Even plecos feeding will scratch up an acrylic tank so that should tell you how easy it is. If it's going to be bigger than a 55gal then I would most definitely not use acrylic

[freshprince2146]

Hey check out this video of a acrylic tank!! This tank has to be 200 gal +

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3mn7imoPEc

[jay2487]

Yeah see how many cross braces it has and it looked to be less than 2ft tall! acrylic will bow like crazy if you let it

[Chrisbarnett]

Everyone is so afraid of acrylic. I have a 55 gallon acrylic aquarium for my turtle. I can assure you that turtle claws do not scratch the tank. I've had my turtle in this tank for over a year and there are no more scratches than there were when I got the tank. If you aren't clumsy with your tank, it will be fine.

Acrylic tanks is a get what you pay for situation. The more you pay and the more reputable place you buy from, the more you will be satisfied with the tank and its construction.

People make acrylic tanks or buy them in 1,000+ gallon sizes all the time and they are great quality and do not need a huge bunch of bracing. If you use the right thickness of acrylic, know what you are doing, and have a top that is designed right, you wont need tons of bracing. You will need a piece that goes all the way around the top of the tank with usually two open bays and then you custom drill the back top for filter hoses, etc.

Yes, the bottom must be fully supported and level, and yes plecostamus' can scratch it to hell. But basking lights will not turn it white from heat or UVB rays. In the days of older acrylic, this was a concern. But now acrylic has progressed and this isn't a concern any longer.

If you are a beginner, I would suggest not building a tank. Just buy an Acrylic or glass...

[jay2487]

I've seen to many acrylics that were burnt and scratched to hell to ever get one or use it to build but I did see this new product that looks pretty promising
http://www.gcip.co.uk/EP/perspex_sheet.htm#faq
ever heard of it? I like the part about EXTREMELY abrasion and UV resistant

[Chrisbarnett]

Never heard of it.. but if someone is building a tank, I'd suggest glass. You can't silicone acrylic together and all that, you have to use special fluids which melt the surfaces together.

But overall, just pick up a tank off craigslist. lol.

[jay2487]

yes craigslist is where its at. My tank came off craigslist for $75 and is 6ft x 20in x 18 in. It is in great condition and it's been a while since I bought glass but I bet I couldn't buy one side piece of 1/2" glass for that much.

[munkly]

oki guyz sorry fr replyin late my DSL wasnt workin grrr ..... thank you all sooooooo much fr all yr support i guess i have all the info for glass vs acrylic! u guyz made my work really easy! ill let u knw whichever i decide! and ill def upload the pics nd vid when my turtle tank is ready! GOD BLESS U ALL!


P.S lucky to hv u guyz nd luv this forum