Plastic(s):

Pro: Durable, Clear, Lighter weight than glass, many different shapes possible

Con: Prone to scratching, Prone to discoloration, very, very, very expensive

Glass-

Pro: Hard(er) to scratch, cheap, widely available, many different shapes available, but only in specific configurations, easy to clean, won't fog or discolor like plastic(s).

Con: Hard to work with as an amateur, can break, limited to certain shapes/sizes, heavy.

Now, there are many different types of plastics out there. Some are more resilient than others in scratch-resistance, UV protection, Etc. Since you're looking for a decently-sized unit(not humungous, not small), you can probably find pre-fabbed glass and plastic tanks in 48x24x24.

I have a glass bowfront aquarium that I use. It is 48x18x24. I looked into plastics and for what I wanted, just purchasing the materials would have cost me into the $400 range, so I figured this was the more economical route.

I'm not an expert on tanks though, this is just stuff I picked up when researching my situation. I'm sure someone in here with more experience will correct me if I'm wrong.

Sam

Hi
Would have to agree with Sam's list as to the pro's and cons. For the average person a standand aquarium is probably the easiest and cheapest way to go. They're easy to find and used ones can be very reasonable. The great drawback to them IMO is that they are not deep or wide enough to landscape properly.Of course if not all sides need to be viewable you can go with plywood,cement board or a host of other materials.Depends on how much water will be in the setup.Obviously, the more water the more weight.
If budget is the main consideration I'd go with a standard aquarium,probably 75 to 90 gallon for the dims you mentioned. Somebody is always selling an aquarium and you can pick up cracked or leaky ones very cheap. Of course you could always use the materials from them to make your own setup. I recently got a 150 gallon for free because there is a crack on the back side. I figure the material on the 3 good sides is worth at least 300 bucks. Will be a lot of work separating it up but hey, what's more reasonable than free??? lol
gary

Thanks guys - I'll go glass...

I would like to add a few things to this discussion. I am an acrylic fabricator so I wanted to correct a few things. First, any tank made from acrylic is going to be cell cast which is also UV stabilized and will NOT discolor.....ever. Acrylic is also more optically clear than any glass outside of starfire glass which is low iron and is almost, if not more expensive than acrylic. And finally, I wouldn't say acrylic is VERY expensive, granted it is going to be more than glass, but shop around and get quotes from local fabricators. Buying the material yourself is going to be very expensive because most plastic distributors don't want to deal with the one time sales. I buy acrylic in bulk and it really isn't too bad considering what you get for it. Prices have been going up this year though (4 times already!)

Just wanted to add my $.02 =)

Paul

Thanks Paul. I stand by most of my comments except maybe the ability to discolor of today's plastics. It was a problem in the past and I trust your info on it.

Acrylic is ridiculously expensive, and that is what made me turn tail and run to glass.

Sam

I agree, Sam. Most people aren't looking to buy a tank made entirely from starfire glass, or even just the front panel, so you can't really compare the two. No one on this forum (that I know of) has money to throw away like that! =) I think we're all on budgets, and the main reason I have a glass tank is because it's way cheaper than acrylic. And acrylic does scratch much more easily. Yes, you can get kits to repair those scratches, but that's more money and time and work, and who wants that? I'd go with glass, unless your budget is unlimited. It can also be recyled if it ever breaks beyond repair. Many smaller cities/towns don't have a recycling program for plastics, but they always have one for glass.

Sahoyaref-

I live in San Jose, it's a huge metro area. We have several TAP Plastics, many plastics vendors and lots of hardware stores that sell acrylic.

TAP gave my an awful price of about $400 per sheet. THe hardware stores don't stock large enough sheets and they're still expensive, not to mention thicker acrylic isn't available. The chances of a plastic company taking pity on me as a one-time buyer and offering a great price are just short of slim and none.

So even in large metropolitan areas, it's a bit much to ask for. I don't know where people get the good deals on acrylic that they do. I played all of my possibilities out within minutes of looking!

Sam

Hi
Hasn't anyone ever heard of salvage yards?? I recently bought 2 24x80 3/4 inch glass doors for 40 bucks .They quoted me 350 each at the glass co.lol Another source is used furniture stores all kinds of glass and acrylic tables.
I often go to these places to get hardware. Can buy the whole cabinet cheaper than the hardware alone lol.
Of course you have to check it out very carefully.And have a very clear idea of the new use for the materials.
Acrylic is certainly easier to work with than glass but certainly not impossible.
Probably the best way is to find the glass within your requirements then design the cabinet around that. Avoids cutting the glass.
S. I'm secretly wealthy but I'm an incredible tightwad lol
Gary

I agree with most of you on the price, that is why glass tanks outsell acrylic by over 10 to 1, however if you are looking for a custom tank, or want to keep something in that tank and see it's true colors (ie, reef tanks) acrylic is the only way to go.

And the only acrylic I have paid $400 a sheet for is 1" thick! =)