Update on "Need Help!" I still need it!!!

[marrone]

Having an acrylic tank resurfaced would require emptying it and performing the procedure. I don't know many people that would go through that trouble.

Having an acrylic tank scratched to the point of not wanting to resurface the entire thing and just removing the plethora of scratches requires using multiple grits of 'sandpaper' that would, depending on the size of the tank, take hours and hours of painstaking, backbreaking work. Leaning into a tank for hours is not the most ergonomic position to work in.

I would recommend speaking to Randy (prattreef), Pierce (CaliReef) in addition to myself. There are more people that have acrylic and wouldn't go back than are being represented in this thread.

BTW, if you want good clarity and no 'green corners', just get starphire glass. There are alternatives to acrylic and every one of them is better than acrylic. I'd use a paper cup before I'd buy another acrylic tank. :lol2: Now I'll use a smiley.

swimmer

Russ

Randy, Pierce and yourself are just a couple of people, there are plenty of people that have acrylic tanks and wouldn't go back to glass and they're also not represnted in this thread either.

If you take care of your tank you shouldn't develop scratch, and if you do they can easly be taken out. Unless the scratch is very bad you can actually remove the scratch without empting the tank. It's not hard to do and it works very well. Resurfacing a tank would only be if the tank is really badly scratch, which after it's been resurfaced the tank will look and be brand new.

I've seen many Starphine tanks and none of them are even close to what an acrylic tank looks like.

 

[FRY]

i dont like dealing with fish town been going there for 30 years only buy fish there and thats a chance you take,if you can get weldon #16 tommorrow moring i can come over and do it, does anybody know were in queens whould have it the only place that i know of is canel street

 

[cali_reef]

My Starphire glass tank have scratches too, around 6 that I put on while aqua-scaping, the tank is at least 3 years old. I can run my magnet cleaner on it all day long and not worry about putting more scratches on it. It is also much easier to clear coraline algae with a single edge razor blade than the old credit card deal on the acrylic.

Some people love acrylic and some like glass, they all have their own reasons.. This is like a skimmer debate, it will never end.

 

[FRY]

i made my first all glass tank around 1965 and made plexeglass tank around 66 or67 and used acetone to glue it together i whould say about 4 or 5 years ago i thure it out was still holding water the size was 30 wide 33 high and 8 deep made it for discus i still back and forth between glass and plexeglass tanks

 

[masterswimmer]

If you take care of your tank you shouldn't develop scratch, and if you do they can easly be taken out.

I beg to differ, vehemently. I do take great, meticulous care of my tank. Sometimes accidents happen. And when they do happen on an acrylic tank, I again beg to differ, removing scratches is not an easy process. It can be done, but it is extremely labor intensive. Most people don't go through the aggravation to buff out the scratches. Unfortunately they/we live with them.

Unless the scratch is very bad you can actually remove the scratch without empting the tank. It's not hard to do and it works very well.

Absolutley correct. The scratch can be removed without emptying the tank. IT IS NOT as easy as you make it out to be. It CAN be done. But trying to convince someone that it is easy is misleading. What you find to be easy is not necessarily easy for the masses.

Resurfacing a tank would only be if the tank is really badly scratch, which after it's been resurfaced the tank will look and be brand new.

Once again, absolutely right. Before buying a tank, faced with the prospect of setting it up and getting it just the way you want it, why would someone want to invest all that time and money into a tank that WILL scratch at sometime? Then add to it the potential for fixing it might require emptying it to have it resurfaced. That thought is fright inducing IMO. Thinking about possibly emptying it before I even own it just doesn't make sense to me.

I've seen many Starphine tanks and none of them are even close to what an acrylic tank looks like.

I've seen both also. IMO, it's absolutely a viable alternative. The Starphire tank will most likely look a whole lot better when the acrylic is scratched all over. Besides, at the beginning, you're right the acrylic will look better, but that's not to say the Starphire looks bad, just not as good as the acrylic. That's one of the selling features that hooked me. What a fool I was.

swimmer

 

[Lana]

Frank,
Where on Cannel Street I can buy it?

I was told that my tank is acrylic. However, now I am not so sure. My husband and my friend think that it is glass. How do I find out for sure what it is? Sorry for the confusion.
And to be on the safe side maybe I should use silicone? What do you guys think?

Thanks,
Lana

 

[masterswimmer]

If it's acrylic, silicone won't work.

glass = silicone
acrylic = weldon

What size is the tank? If it's acrylic, it most likely has what's called a eurobrace around the top. Like a permanent cover with large openings in it.

swimmer

 

[romain]

Acrylic tanks are so much more clear and brighter than glass. Also they're very sound and you don't have to worry about they breaking or leaking as you would with a glass tank. I've had my 2 tanks for over 5 years and they're in great shape.

Acrylic tanks are great.... for use as a sump after you get tired looking at the scratches.

I buffed my 90 gallon twice in the 16 months I had it, then it when under the stand as my new acrylic sump.

Russ

Randy, Pierce and yourself are just a couple of people, there are plenty of people that have acrylic tanks and wouldn't go back to glass and they're also not represnted in this thread either.

If you take care of your tank you shouldn't develop scratch, and if you do they can easly be taken out. Unless the scratch is very bad you can actually remove the scratch without empting the tank. It's not hard to do and it works very well. Resurfacing a tank would only be if the tank is really badly scratch, which after it's been resurfaced the tank will look and be brand new.

I've seen many Starphine tanks and none of them are even close to what an acrylic tank looks like.

I agree with the above. I have my acrylic tank since day one and I love it. When I upgrade some day in the future, I'll go with acrylic again and use the current one as a sump. But like Pierce said, some love acrylic and some like glass, the debate will never end. Everyone has their own preference.

Chacun a son gout. J'al le mien.

 

[FRY]

look at the joints of the tanks if its glass you can see the silicone between the the 2 pieces of glass, if its plexeglass you just see the 2 pieces togethercan you take a picthure of it

 

[marrone]

I think if the tank was acrylic it would mostly be one piece of acrylic bent into the shape of a Hex tank. Where if it was glass it would have seperate glass panels on each side. And like Fry said if you see silcone between the glass panels then it's different a glass tank.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Weldon is the stuff used to make and repair these tanks right Marrone? Silicone will just fall off right?

 

[cali_reef]

Mike, clear your PM box

 

[Lana]

There is about 1/4 inch of silicone between the 2 pieces at the joint. So, it is glass. I learned a lot today about my tank!!! I have it for about 7 year and today I learned more then for the 7 years that I have it.

So, what should I do now? Use silicone?

Thanks a lot,
Lana

 

[FRY]

silicone did you get it today

GE Silicone II Window And Door from HD

email m eyour address and phone # what time tommorrow moring

 

[masterswimmer]

I was at HD this past weekend and the newer GE Silicone II Window and door stuff now also have anti-mold additive, I was able to find an old tube without it.

Lana, be aware of the above. I was unaware that the new GE Silicone II Windows and Doors now has fungicides/mildewcides in them. You need to find the Silicone that doesn't have any of those chemicals. Like Cali said, you should be looking for the older tubes.

swimmer

 

[FRY]

thanks russ

 

[masterswimmer]

thanks russ

No problem Frank. I learned something with that as well.

Man would that stink unknowingly applying the silicone with the chems in it. :anger2:

Good luck Lana.

swimmer

 

[Lana]

Thank you very much guys!!!

Frank, I didn't get the right type of silicone. The Home Depot didn't have the other one. I will try to look for it tomorrow. Maybe another store will have it.

Thank you,
Lana

 

[masterswimmer]

You should be able to find the GE Silicone II Windows and Doors in most all hardware stores. Also try Lowe's, even Walmart has a hardware section, mom & pop hardware stores, True Value, etc.

swimmer

 

[Lana]

Thank you. I'll check these stored tomorrow.

Lana