Acrylic is an ultra clear plastic that looks similar to glass but has properties that make it far superior to glass. All our aquariums are constructed using acrylic, this enables our aquariums to be stronger, lighter, and have a superior finish compared to glass aquariums. Shock Absorption: Acrylic is more shock resistant than glass allowing it to absorb accidental bumps without breaking. If damaged, glass aquariums are more likely to shatter and explode leaving sharp and dangerous fragments, acrylic won’t do this.
Lighter: Acrylic aquariums are approximately 50% lighter than glass aquariums. It would be difficult for someone to carry an empty 60 Litre aquarium while our 60 Litre acrylic biOrb is light enough for a single person to pick up and carry without a problem.
Stronger: Acrylic aquariums are up to 17 times stronger than glass aquariums, considerably decreasing the risk of the aquarium breaking. In fact acrylic just over one inch thick (32mm) is bullet resistant. Acrylic can also be drilled and cut without losing strength, unlike glass.
Better Colors: Acrylic aquariums allow you to see the true colours of your fish. Acrylic has a transparency rate of 93% making it the clearest material known. Glass only allows 70% of light to pass through, and thick glass will have a green tint.
Insulative: Acrylic holds heat much better than glass, so if there is a power failure the aquarium will cool down slower than a glass aquarium.
Seamless: Unlike glass aquariums acrylic tanks don't require silicon to join the faces together. Acrylic can be moulded into shapes and joined to form a seamless aquarium. Seams in acrylic are stronger than the original material because the two surfaces join at a molecular level actually 'melting' seams into one piece of solid material. This prevents problems like leaks or joins splitting which can be a problem with glass aquariums.
Perfect finish: Acrylic can be made with a flawless finish and unlike glass if an acrylic aquarium becomes scratched, it can be polished out. However, scratches in glass are permanent.
Why aren’t all aquariums made from acrylic?
Virtually all major large public aquariums build display tanks out of acrylic and not out of glass for the reasons listed above. However, acrylic is more expensive than glass but because of its superior properties we construct all our aquariums using it.
|