Keep an eye on Craigslist for used aquariums if you're looking for a glass tank, since they're absurdly overpriced in stores. I'm constantly seeing 55 gallon setups with wood stand and lighting etc for $100-$150, even out here in Reno where there are only two non-chain fish stores within a couple hundred miles. The same setup from Petsmart or a local aquarium shop will run $500+. Almost all of my tanks I've bought used off Craigslist, and have saved somewhere around $5k-$8k by doing so.
That said, I'm absolutely in love with acrylics. They're light as anything -- my old 55 gallon glass tank took two people to move, and even then neither of the people were very happy about it, while I can pick up my acrylic 55 in one hand when it's empty. They also have far-superior clarity. They do scratch more easily, but you can buff out scratches on the outside with a kit that runs ~$6 or so. Anything smaller than a 29 gallon, though, (or larger than about 120-150 gallons) and I'd stick with glass -- the thinner acrylics they use for the smaller tanks tend to be fairly fragile and prone to cracking.
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Date: 2006-11-20 09:19 am (UTC)That said, I'm absolutely in love with acrylics. They're light as anything -- my old 55 gallon glass tank took two people to move, and even then neither of the people were very happy about it, while I can pick up my acrylic 55 in one hand when it's empty. They also have far-superior clarity. They do scratch more easily, but you can buff out scratches on the outside with a kit that runs ~$6 or so. Anything smaller than a 29 gallon, though, (or larger than about 120-150 gallons) and I'd stick with glass -- the thinner acrylics they use for the smaller tanks tend to be fairly fragile and prone to cracking.