well, i still have my brand new 4x39w powermodule i bought 2 years ago but never used. things changed.

anyways, i want a frag tank to compliment my soon to be up and running ap24.

i am looking at something like 36x12x8 not sure yet but this should be close to what i am looking for and the amount of room i have.

the question is glass or acrylic? i am in no rush. this is just something i want. i want a display and a place to grow the coral for it ( i want to scape my display much how those with FW planted tanks scape theirs) thus the prop tank is for growing out corals i want to show case.

its in my bedroom however, and am leaning towards acrylic for a safety issue ( will be having a lot more hands on time in the frag tank than the diaplay and for the additional temp control.

yes, i realize the AP24 is made of glass...

the reason i hesitate to go with acrylic is the issues with scratching. however since this will not be my display tank, i think i can live with scratches. additionally, the way i want to plumb it i will have 2 drain and 1 return hole all in the same short side of the tank (i think) and am concerned about doing that with glass.

so all in all, which material should i go with.
also, can someone recommend a custom builder. I live in NJ, but would be willing to pay for shipping if the total tank + shipping is reasonable. would prefer local though if possible.

what does having your hand in the frag tank a lot more, and being in your bedroom have anything to do with it being glass or acrylic?????????? if the tank is build right, acrylic or glass doesnt really matter. it all comes down to what you like. having an acrylic tank doesnt mean its resistant to abuse. it will still crack and chip just as easily as glass.

i personally would go with glass since i am done with acrylic. you probably want a rimless frag tank, and if you use acrylic, you probably need at least 1/2" thick. acrylic is not cheap and the craftsmanship to make it is not cheap either. some people would like thicker than normal panels, but you are loosing water volume. and like you said yourself, acrylic tank scratches a lot easier than glass.

My bedroom is on the second floor so leaks are a big deal to me. I also work alot and may not be home everyday (I have been patient in setting up my new display by slowly aquring the items needed for complete automation and remote monitoring).

With that in mind everyone says that acrlyic is stronger and that extra insuarance may be worth it to me if Its indeed real.

This is a concern as I have hardwood floors in my bedroom and the room below so minimizing possible water damage is important.

This may seem silly but please try to understand.


Finally, yes I think a frag tank will see more daily hand time and the stress from the daily contact is again something a person may consider as a possible future cause of failure(tank).

Above all I was hoping to find a reasonable quote locally for either a glass or acrylic tank.

As d999 said all things dealing with acrylic is alot more expensive. Any properly setup tank with the proper foundation will provide you with years of service. Now you go in and toss the "my hands are gonna be in it alot wrench." This being said I feel like you've already made up your mind. If you were talking about a frag tank that was 4' x 8' x 15" I would deff say go acrylic. Yours is small so glass would do fine.

In my experience if your not willing to go to the extents to make a stand that is perfectly true and your gonna put a tank on it that you always gonna be stressing the joints they all will fail. If your willing acrylic will last forever. I've built tanks and have had them up and running for years and years. Then on the other hand I've built tanks and the client didnt go to the mentioned troubles and they had the tanks seam blow out. This was not the tanks fault but the foundation. Glass tanks can only be supported around the outer rim of the tank and be okay for years. Acrylic will blow in a matter of minutes. It has to be on a solid top stand. The acrylic tank will be fine with the holes drilled like you mentioned.

Hope this helps.

My stand is true. It also employs a compltely solid/flat surface rather than just supporting the rim. I understand the importance of the stand being plumb level and square.

It's not the foundation I am worried about. Haha