# ADA or Optiwhite, cant decide :(?



## k-hult (1 Jan 2014)

Hi everyone, i am looking to start up a large planted tank in my room but am having trouble deciding between an ADA tank and a custom Optiwhite tank. The ADA tanks dont come in the optimum size , At least in the UK, i would like, 180l x 60w x 60d, but are a higher quality tank and also a lot more expensive. So i am stuck between this decision between a larger tank or a smaller higher quality tank.

I suppose my question is is there really a huge amount of difference in glass clarity between an ADA tank and an optiwhite tank from somewhere like the greenmachine?. I have been looking through images and the water does seem a bit cloudier through optiwhite glass than the glass of an ADA, especially towards the back of the tank. 

Money isnt the issue as i have saved up a fair bit for this project, i just cant decide between bigger tank or better quality, i sort of want the tank to take up a fair bit of my wall.

Many thanks people and any help would be appreciated.


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## kirk (1 Jan 2014)

Hi,  I think it all depend on your builder/ assembler. I've not owned ada but do admire the quality/ finish. I didn't realize that optiwhite is clouder than ada?   not sure what size tmc go Upto but the finish on those that I've seen though has been good. cheers Kirk


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## darren636 (1 Jan 2014)

I think the question is: do you think its important to have an ada tank? If not, get a custom tank made and spend the vast amount of money saved on other goodies.


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## OllieNZ (1 Jan 2014)

I own a tgm tank and it is very well made and no noticable cloudyness.


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## k-hult (1 Jan 2014)

Hi Kirk, thats why im tempted to go for the ADA tanks as im a bit of a perfectionist and they look crystal clear. Based on tank images i have looked at it looks a little cloudier, although that could just be due to it being a new tank or the lighting .

Hey Darren 
Im not at all interested in the branding, only the quality and clarity of the glass, the sticker in the corner means nothing to me ha ha.   

thanks for replies guys


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## kirk (1 Jan 2014)

I'd like to Down size again sometime. I've been looking at that 60p on eBay for under 100 squid. Shame it's too far from me


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## k-hult (1 Jan 2014)

Just had a look on ebay Kirk and thats very good money for an ADA tank, its always either too much or too far away though like you said


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## Trevor Pleco (1 Jan 2014)

If you can seriously tell the difference in glass clarity between an ADA vs Opti white tank from a web pic I would be astounded !

Perhaps if you saw the tanks in the flesh side by side with identical lighting, then took a deep breath steadied yourself and cast your verdict.. you would get a more realistic answer or comparison if indeed there is one ?

Oh I wish I had my young eyes back


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## sanj (1 Jan 2014)

Maybe you should consider an NA aquarium.


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## k-hult (1 Jan 2014)

ha ha, that's very true god sir. I wish i had the opportunity to do that but it seems very unlikely, im sure there would be a difference but it would probably be minute. Im just not sure i should sacrifice the size for the perhaps minute amount of quality that would be gained... grr decision decisions  .


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## Trevor Pleco (1 Jan 2014)

I know what you are going through and also dither with these type of decisions, so if it's of any comfort you are not alone !
I have never seen them side by side, but for what it's worth getting the size you really want would be my priority over the small quality difference unless the seams really bother you.

I also have a 1.8m planted tank, 600 wide and 700 height, having this height really helps with the photography side and general proportions, as anything shorter starts to give the feeling of a really long tank and a bit out of proportion to the more aesthetically pleasing 16.9 aspect ratio.


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## Andy Thurston (1 Jan 2014)

Nd aquatics custom tank with minimum silicone might be worth looking into


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## Ben C (1 Jan 2014)

I agree with trevor. If youre a perfectionist and have a project already in mind,  then settling for a smaller tank is surely the bigger compromise. Get your water crystal clear and the difference in glass (if any) will be impossibly minimal. Just don't by an ADA tank next if you go for an optiwhite this time  

Sent from my GT-I8190N using Tapatalk


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## LondonDragon (2 Jan 2014)

For a tank that size have you considered NA?


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## Samjpikey (2 Jan 2014)

Optiwhite is another name for low iron , this is the most transparent glass you can get by minimizing the amount of sunlight it reflects , I bet Ada just use a low iron glass and the pictures you have seen had different water qualities or they had used effects to make it look clearer  
Cheers 


Sent from my mobile telecommunications device


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## soton_dave (2 Jan 2014)

Like Sam said optiwhite isn't a type of glass but a brand name.pretty much like Hoover.low iron glass is low iron glass regardless of the name.

Like others have said NA is what id be looking at if moneys no object,lovely stands that imo are nicer than ADA .ADA is just a brand that you pay a premium for but will it make you plants grow better or your scape nicer.

Cheers Dave


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## Rob P (2 Jan 2014)

My ND Aquatics custom Optiwhite is quite cloudy 



Sure it will be better with the wrapper off though 

Nice silicone work and 50% cheaper than nearest size comparison I can find on TGM Optiwhites


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## Iain Sutherland (2 Jan 2014)

hey, i had a 90x75x45 tgm tank and cant say the glass was an issue however the amount of silicone was! I know they have changed who makes them since then though.
There is a reasonable amount of difference in optiwhite glass and ive seen a few self builds etc that arent what ill call optiwhite, once full of water though its a negligible difference.

Natural Aquario would have been a good option with their super clear glass which is awesome, sadly since they have been sold they are only doing full set ups now i believe, could be worth a PM to one of our sponsors; freshwatershrimp to ask the question, you may get lucky.

I do think the glass isnt the biggest point its the quality of the build and how much silicone is used, thick lines of silicone is quite distracting and an algae magnet.


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## OllieNZ (2 Jan 2014)

Iain Sutherland said:


> hey, i had a 90x75x45 tgm tank and cant say the glass was an issue however the amount of silicone was! I know they have changed who makes them since then though.


I must have a newer one then because the silicone work on mine is on par with any of the pics I've seen of ada or na tanks.

As the others have said Optiwhite is Pilkington's name for their low iron glass. If you're concerned about clarity then have a look at this:
Pilkington Optiwhite


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (2 Jan 2014)

OllieNZ said:


> I must have a newer one then because the silicone work on mine is on par with any of the pics I've seen of ada or na tanks.
> 
> As the others have said Optiwhite is Pilkington's name for their low iron glass. If you're concerned about clarity then have a look at this:
> Pilkington Optiwhite



How many ADA tanks have you seen?
Because I can guarantee you that it's not as good as ADA.


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (2 Jan 2014)

I've even lightened the second image to highlight the silicon work more.


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## darren636 (2 Jan 2014)

Nathaniel Whiteside said:


> How many ADA tanks have you seen?
> Because I can guarantee you that it's not as good as ADA.


 Even if ada san  was on a bender in lunch hour?


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## OllieNZ (2 Jan 2014)

Bearing in mind I'm looking at it on my phone I cant see any difference. Im sure viewing in the flesh would be different but the bits on mine I've just looked at have zero overspill just dead straight silicone only on the ends of the glass Ill try get a pic at some point just for you nath


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## k-hult (4 Jan 2014)

Cheers everyone, lots of helpful advice on here . I'm definitely waging towards the bigger Optiwhite (low iron  ) tank now as the verdict seems to be there is very little difference in terms of glass clarity. A picture would be brilliant Ollie if you could, that way i can compare the two, would help me make the final decision  I will say that the silicone work looks very tidy.


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## k-hult (4 Jan 2014)

Just looked at the Natural Aquario tanks and they look awesome. I couldnt find the prices on the website though, does anyone have any idea how much a 180l x 60h x60w
would cost?


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## OllieNZ (4 Jan 2014)

k-hult said:


> Just looked at the Natural Aquario tanks and they look awesome. I couldnt find the prices on the website though, does anyone have any idea how much a 180l x 60h x60w
> would cost?


Pm Freshwater Shrimp(forum sponsor) they sell NA stuff. Ill try get a pic for you tomorrow.


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## k-hult (4 Jan 2014)

cheers Ollie, just done it, now to wait for the reply. Would be great if its not to much hassle, thanks a bunch .


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## viktorlantos (4 Jan 2014)

k-hult said:


> cheers Ollie, just done it, now to wait for the reply. Would be great if its not to much hassle, thanks a bunch .


 
This should be a very expensive tank anyway no matter where you get it.
These clean rimless tank is different from the ones what people used before and the price much higher because of the thick and low-e glass.
For a 180x60x60 tank you need a 15mm opti glass if you do not use framing or glued in parts. That glass is heavy and expensive even if you build with a custom builder.

Still a nice one.
Green Aqua Showroom | Flickr - Photo Sharing!


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## tim (4 Jan 2014)

viktorlantos said:


> This should be a very expensive tank anyway no matter where you get it.
> These clean rimless tank is different from the ones what people used before and the price much higher because of the thick and low-e glass.
> For a 180x60x60 tank you need a 15mm opti glass if you do not use framing or glued in parts. That glass is heavy and expensive even if you build with a custom builder.
> 
> ...


Omg viktor, saw that show room thought I'd had a heart attack and sat in heaven still reading ukaps  that looks absolutely stunning.


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## viktorlantos (5 Jan 2014)

tim said:


> Omg viktor, saw that show room thought I'd had a heart attack and sat in heaven still reading ukaps  that looks absolutely stunning.


 
Thanks Tim  Still in progress, but at least we see the light at the end of the tunnel.

However as we went through the production issues, now we see the challenges investment etc. Just wanted to note the cost side of it.
And i am not speaking of the equipment, hardscape, soils etc what is still have to be bought.

Honestly speaking this full setup would cost like 5600 £ here (when all included like soils plants etc). Yeah some stuff can be saved, but going the rimless way and have a good filter lighting etc this is a big investment.
Monthly running cost is another thing


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## k-hult (5 Jan 2014)

hi viktor. Ive put a fair bit aside for the tank, i just want to make sure i get the right one. I was wondering, as you clearly have a lot of experience with ADA tanks ( just looked at your showroom... jawdropping!) is there a huge difference between ADA glass clarity and silicone quality compared to low iron alternatives? I kno ada do a 180-p, but i dont think you can get hold of it in europe .


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## viktorlantos (5 Jan 2014)

k-hult said:


> hi viktor. Ive put a fair bit aside for the tank, i just want to make sure i get the right one. I was wondering, as you clearly have a lot of experience with ADA tanks ( just looked at your showroom... jawdropping!) is there a huge difference between ADA glass clarity and silicone quality compared to low iron alternatives? I kno ada do a 180-p, but i dont think you can get hold of it in europe .


 

There was a thread before on ADA glasses a few month ago. Did not find it. Anyway to give you an answer it will be a little longer 

Short story is. Yes ADA tanks are great, better than any custom built i've ever seen.

Long story......
OptiWhite as it was said before is a glass brand of Pilkington. This was the first glass which used in Europe for low-e tanks mainly by ADA.
Since ADA manufactured all of their aquariums in Germany in the past. And Pilkington's Opti was manufactured in G as well as i know.
There were clear glass on other side of the world like Starphire in the US etc. So this is the EU market only.

Since this was the first clear glass in europe what used for aquarium build, people started to learn the brand and for today all aquariums are optiwhite which is lowe. But that is not true.
There are at least 3-4 other glasses in the EU from the largest glass manufacturer who produce lowe glasses. The clarity is similar, but the overall appearance could be better with other glass.
OptiWhite glass has greenish hue on the edges. Others has light blue and now the latest what i've seen was kind of a light grey. When you see these glasses next to each other you prefer the light edge ones. Colorless.
So Clearglass from Guardian is a nicer one in appearance.
Than there's the gluing. I would say this part is improved a lot in the past years, but sure there's a difference in a premium tank and a custom one. The nicest tanks has a perfect almost non visible and everywhere even gluing. It is up to you how much it worth for you.

ADA moved the manufacturing from Germany to China 2-3 years ago to cut cost on logistic. By moving the production they also found a partner who produce higher quality tanks than the earlier provider.
They added in extra thickness for safety, changed the glass to a clearer one and nicer edge one, and improved the gluing. So you can see in their ADs that the new glass is nicer etc etc, that means compare to the old one which produced in Europe this is a much nicer aquarium and this is true. ADA has one of the best QC in place and they are selling a lot of stuff. TMC glasses and NA tanks (NA seems to be in a premium league so higher level than TMC) are good ones, but sometimes when you're on a higher level, you have more possibilities to use more machinery, money etc to give better result.

So without sounding an ADA rep here these tanks are superb, but only for logistic reason ordering a giant tank like this from Japan is not so efficient.
it is up to you to go the custom build way or select a brand who you feels ok with like NA or others. If you go on the custom way make sure the builder has a lot of reference in transparent rimless gluing on larger tanks too.


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## OllieNZ (5 Jan 2014)

I'll let you make up your own mind. This tank is 4-5 years old too.


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## Andy Thurston (5 Jan 2014)

I'd be gutted if i'd shelled out £500-£600+ on a tank and then seen these photos. The difference in quality is definately not worth the difference in price. Sure if you have the spare cash and want to be an ada snob, go for it. Personally id rather spend the cash on me and my family than amano


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## OllieNZ (5 Jan 2014)

Just had look at the tgm website and the ada equivalent tank is £240 ish more expensive but is made from 12mm glass instead of 10mm


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (5 Jan 2014)

Big clown said:


> I'd be gutted if i'd shelled out £500-£600+ on a tank and then seen these photos. The difference in quality is definately not worth the difference in price. Sure if you have the spare cash and want to be an ada snob, go for it. Personally id rather spend the cash on me and my family than amano



I'm not.
But they look pretty good. Id go as far as to say better than some NA photos I've seen.


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## Andy Thurston (5 Jan 2014)

Nathaniel Whiteside said:


> I'm not.
> But they look pretty good. Id go as far as to say better than some NA photos I've seen.


You saved more than the difference by making a better cabinet. Im guilty of buying an equivalent with thicker glass for more money in my single days and would probably done the same then and been happy. It would be interesting to see how much tgm would do it for in 12mm glass


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## parotet (5 Jan 2014)

I've been reading this forum for 6 months and even though I've seen sooooo many times this kind of threads about ADA or not ADA!!!!

You like it, you can afford it, you pay for it.
You think it is not worth it, just don't pay for it.

It is that simple... And it happens the same with cars, washing machines, phones, bikes, TVs, perfumes, clothes, wines, etc. whatever you can imagine. It's business.

The money people spend on luxury cars, for example, is absolutely stupid to me, though I don't consider they are stupid. I just wouldn't do the same. Are you aware that the money we spend on aquarium stuff (regardless you buy ADA or not) is absolutely stupid for 99% of the people? Hopefully they don't consider me stupid as well.

Come one, let's discuss about plants


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## Samjpikey (5 Jan 2014)

My wife thinks I'm stupid every time I buy something new for my plants/aquarium etc ..... In fact most people think I'm stupid as they say - 

'it's a plant Sam' ..... 

Haha 


Sent from my mobile telecommunications device


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## k-hult (6 Jan 2014)

Thanks for the very in depth lesson on ADA glass Viktor, was very helpful, just dont think i would be able to justify the amount of money it would cost to import one of that size to here, if even possible. Looking at the pictures (thank you very much ollie  ) There doesnt seem to be a great deal of difference in silicone work or glass clarity. I think ill see what freshwater shrimps reply is in regards to the natural aquario tank and if that fails i reckon it will be a custom tank from tgm. Maybe one day ill sell the tank and get an ADA but theres no way i can afford to import a tank of that size atm.

Ha ha, that sounds all to familiar with my girlfriend "cant you just buy a fish bowl?"


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## Samjpikey (13 Jan 2014)

Sent from my mobile telecommunications device


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## ourmanflint (19 Feb 2014)

Hasnt acrylic got the highest light transmission characteristics of all aquarium materials? And acrylic joins are seamless.


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