Aquaria

Yes, this is one possible plural form of aquarium; the other being aquariums.  Use whichever you feel most comfortable with; we’ll understand you.  Aside from the size and shape, the biggest thing to consider about any aquarium you are looking to buy is whether you want one made from glass or acrylic.  This first difference that jumps out at most people is the cost since acrylic is substantially more expensive, but there are also several, less obvious difference between the two materials.

• The acrylic used in the is about 17x stronger than the glass.  It is possible to take a hard swing at a full acrylic tank with a hammer and not break it, while you couldn't even joke about that with a glass tank.  If you have small and/or rambunctious children, you might want to consider acrylic.
• The acrylic is a better heat insulator than the glass.  We usually 2-3 watts of heating power per gallon in an acrylic tank or 5-7 watts of heating power per gallon in a glass tank.
• The acrylic is optically clearer than the glass used in most aquariums.  You can see this simply by looking through the edge of one of the panes; an acrylic tank is clear while the glass is green.  Some glass aquaria are made with a higher quality material, but that also adds to the cost.
• The acrylic tanks weigh less than glass tanks.  This becomes a bigger issue with larger aquaria (over 55 gallons) or if you need to move a tank on your own.
• The acrylic tanks scratch a bit easier than the glass tanks, but those same scratches can be buffed out a lot easier from acrylic than glass.  Also keep in mind that very small, hairline scratches on the inside of any aquarium are not visible when the aquarium is filled with water.  There are plenty of cases where an aquarium (glass or acrylic) looks cloudy when it is dry, but completely transparent when full.

Other things to consider with an aquarium would be whether or not you want a built-in overflow box, a colored background, or a special order on design specifications.  Usually we only have standard sized, clear aquariums in stock, so anything else would be a special order.  Feel free to come in and talk to us about your options.