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Author Topic: Fish Tanks  (Read 629 times)
Fishy123
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Fish Tanks
« on: June 26, 2010, 07:40:30 PM »
Question 1 - How often does an aquarium break?  I'm looking to buy a 10 gallon but my parents are afraid the tank will break and ruin our floors.

Question 2 - How long does a tank last?

Thanks for any help  Smiley
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Mindemae
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Re: Fish Tanks
« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2010, 08:23:27 PM »
If your parents are worried about a glass tank breaking then there are acrylic tanks available.
They are lighter and clearer than glass but they do scratch easily and are more expensive than a glass tank. Smiley
Personally I have never had a tank leak or break nor do I know of anyone that has.
So I would say almost next to never.
I did own an acrylic tank once, but I prefer the glass so I ended up selling it. Smiley
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Nicole
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Re: Fish Tanks
« Reply #2 on: June 26, 2010, 10:09:38 PM »
Actually, when you fill them up with gravel and water and such, tanks get pretty heavy, so they're hard to tip over.  When you go to look at tanks, be sure to check for cracks.  If there is a plastic crossbar or a plastic ring around the top, make sure that isn't cracked either.  It may look like a small detail, but those form the support system of the tank.
I have never heard of a tank breaking unless you hit it pretty hard, so that's not a worry.  Whatever material you get, when you get scrapers and such to clean your tank, make sure they say what type of tank material they are used for and get the right one.  A glass-cleaning tool on acryllic and vise-versa will scratch it up good.  Most stores stock a large supply of both.
What you DO NOT want to get are the plastic terrariums that you can keep frogs and such in.  Those things might as well be made of tissue paper for as durable as they are.  They may be cheap, but if you want to buy a tank, you might as well invest in a good one.
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Nossie
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Re: Fish Tanks
« Reply #3 on: June 28, 2010, 08:13:50 AM »
A good glass tank will last for ages! The sealant might get old and leak a bit (after a 100 years or so) so you may need to empty the tank and remake the silicone sealant, but you'll notice for sure when this happens.

If you want to be certain to get a tank that will last, you could buy a completely new one from any pet store Smiley Second-hand tanks are cheaper, but they may have been used quite long already, so the risk of leaking might be bigger.

Tell your parents that the floor is the last thing to worry about d:
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katie88
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Re: Fish Tanks
« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2010, 10:14:10 AM »
i've used both glass and acrylic and i must say i prefer glass. my acrylic tank, although light, got scratched quite quickly (pesky nephew likes aunty katies fishys bless him) even though my glass tank is rather large and needs a heavy duty surface for it to be on i find that it looks better. as some of the others have said glass tanks will last years and in the whole time i've had my fish and known peopel that have had tanks i've never known one to break or leak?

 
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