# Acrylic tank



## Tinky Winky (26 Mar 2011)

Hi I was just wondering if anyone has experience with acrylic tanks?

I am looking to build a rimless 50cm cube in acrylic, I have looked on a couple calculator sites and they all say that if I have a 50cm high tank I would need to use 15mm sheet otherwise if I made it 45cm high I would only need 12mm sheet. Although the exact thickness for 50cm was 13mm thick sheet I would have to go up to 15mm.

•	Do those thickness calculations seem correct?
•	would 5cm height / 1mm thickness less make that much difference? 
•	Would it be ok to build the tank up to 50cm but only fill the water up to 45cm?
•	would there be excessive bowing with these thicknesses?

One other question that is off topic, would I need to have a heater for a plant only tank?

Thanks in advance for any help.


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## Lord_Lucan (1 Apr 2011)

Hi there

I am about to have an acrylic made 113 x 48 x 70. The guy who will be making it has been doing it for over 20 years and he is going to make it in 12mm. There is likely to be a small rim so not sure how much that effects things. Maybe a good idea to get the guy I will be using to give you a quote and see what spec he is working to. Maybe as well to buy off him anyway and save yourself the hassle? Prices seem keen http://www.fistafiltration.co.uk/

Rgds


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## Tinky Winky (1 Apr 2011)

Hey

Thanks for the reply however i have totally changed my mind and will be going with rectangular nano glass tanks.


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## greenjar (1 Apr 2011)

Good decision I think....could be troulble to get the build to look clean and neat and just have this notion that acrylic looks worse with time and wear


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## fizzy (30 Jul 2011)

just to let you know acrylic is 10x stronger than glass, 38% light in weight than glass and holds the heat alot better than glass, the only down side is the scrathing, also some people say that it goes yellow, acrylic DOES not do that.


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