Glass Aquariums

Glass aquariums are by far the most popular choice for a lot of reasons.

They are readily available at most pet stores and quite a few of the larger chain stores as well.

They are relatively inexpensive and come in a large variety of standard sizes. Stands are easy to come by to accommodate these standard sizes.

The picture to the right is of a 24 gallon nano tank with curved corners.

Some manufacturers are starting to make glass tanks with curved corners.

This technique is fairly new and you should have a real good look at the corners before you purchase one of these. You are looking for any small cracks and/or lines. These will lead to a failure and the tank will leak or worse, break.

Glass is a very hard material and is difficult to scratch, but care must still be taken when cleaning the walls.

Some manufacturers are starting to offer aquariums made with Starphire glass, on the front and side panels. Starphire has higher visual and light transmittance than traditional glass. That simply means, it is much clearer than the normal glass.

For big aquariums that require thick glass, it is something worth consideration. It is a little more expensive but in my opinion, worth every penny.

Ultimately, you will be spending a lot of time looking into your aquarium, so why not have it as clear as possible.

Here are some other things to take into account when deciding which kind of tank to purchase.

Glass is heavy when compared to acrylic, almost twice as heavy for the same thickness.

Because it is so hard, it cracks easily if enough force is put on it.