When you start looking for a fish aquarium you’ll be able to choose between an acrylic aquarium and a glass aquarium.

What’s so great about the acrylic aquarium?

Acrylic aquariums are becoming perhaps the most popular type of fish tank because they’re light weight and they have a pretty long life. The acrylic aquarium is lighter than glass and it also has a tendency to last longer than a glass aquarium. This is because glass aquariums have a special sealant around each side. This sealant tends to come apart with age and can cause leaks in the fish tank.

People also like acrylic aquariums because they are crack resistant. They do not crack like glass aquariums, which can give them a longer life. Because the acrylic aquarium is so crack resistant, it’s easy to drill plumbing holes into the aquarium. This is very difficult to do with a glass aquarium because they crack so easily.

Another advantage to having an acrylic aquarium is that it’s generally more insulated than a glass aquarium making the acrylic aquarium less susceptible to temperature changes. Fish are very sensitive to temperature so putting them in a tank that has good temperature control helps keep their body temperatures under control.

What size of acrylic aquarium should I get?

That’s really up to you. Before you decide on aquarium size you need to determine how much space you have for your acrylic aquarium, how much money you want to spend on an acrylic aquarium and what kind of fish you want to place in the aquarium.

Because the acrylic aquarium weighs about half as much as a glass aquarium, it’s easier to find a place to put the aquarium. With a glass aquarium you’re supposed to estimate about 10 pounds of support for each gallon of water. An acrylic aquarium requires about half of the stability so it’s easier to find an aquarium stand that will support the acrylic aquarium.

After you figure out how much room in your house you can devote to an acrylic aquarium, decide how many fish you want to put in your acrylic aquarium. If you want a lot of fish or if you want big fish you should opt for an acrylic aquarium that holds more than 50 gallons of water. Smaller fish take up less room and can be kept in acrylic aquariums that hold less than 10 gallons of water.

Where do I find an acrylic aquarium?

These days you can find an acrylic aquarium just about anywhere including on the Internet, in the newspaper and in fish stores. If you’re having a hard time finding an acrylic aquarium ask your local pet store to recommend a specialty fish store.