Connect with us

Acrylic Aquarium

Do Acrylic Aquariums Crack?

Published

on

Do Acrylic Aquariums Crack?

Acrylic aquariums are the best choice if you’re not considering a glass aquarium for yourself and your fish. Acrylic aquarium has some advantages over glass aquariums but in some aspects, glass aquariums have the upper hand. One thing is that acrylic aquariums are much more expensive than glass ones.

It is a known fact that getting scratches on an acrylic aquarium is as easy as pie, it is ridiculous how easily acrylic gets scratched. Be that as it may, acrylic aquariums are very resistant to any kind of damage such as crack or breaking as it is highly effective in withstanding impact.

But if you are not a fan of scratches on your aquarium it’s a no-brainer to choose a glass aquarium.

In this article you will be availed of whether acrylic aquariums crack or not and even if they do, methods to fix it.

What is acrylic and why for aquariums?

Acrylic or Polymethyl methacrylate is a transparent thermoplastic. Acrylic is made from acrylonitrile. Acrylic is a great substitute for glass when it comes to aquariums. The kind of acrylic that is used for making aquariums are the Cell Cast Acrylic Sheet. This Cell Cast Acrylic Sheet can hold a lot of weight consistently and constantly.

This Acrylic Sheet is also capable of having a high level of mechanical strength even after it absorbs water.

You might be thinking there are already glass aquariums which is a good and a strong one, but there are a lot of reasons why acrylic is used for aquariums. All the reasons which account for acrylic being used for aquariums are the ones in which glass aquariums lack the advantage.

Acrylic aquariums are very much lighter than glass aquariums. Even though they scratch easily it is extremely hard to get a crack on an acrylic aquarium as they are highly resistant to impact. They are easier to drill. But they are expensive.

Do Acrylic aquariums crack?

When it comes to cracks on aquariums, glass aquariums are highly prone to it rather than acrylic aquariums. Acrylic aquariums are less likely to develop cracks on them which are then followed by leakage. Acrylic aquariums do not crack as easily as to how they get scratched, but they do crack. It is not that they are immortal to cracks.

Why and how do acrylic aquariums crack?

Even though acrylic aquariums are very resistant to impact and less likely to get cracks, it doesn’t mean that they don’t get one. Well, nothing is perfect in this world. Acrylic aquariums don’t just crack out for no reason. They crack because of the following reasons or shortcomings.

But keep in mind that they take time to crack. They don’t just straightaway crack right after installing it. It just so happens that cracks begin to appear after some time, maybe a year or so if your aquarium is exposed to the following reasons.

One major thing by which acrylic aquariums can crack is poor manufacturing. The acrylic panels also need to be of good quality and manufactured properly. If they are not manufactured properly the following aquarium will not have the strength and will lack the qualities of what you would expect from an acrylic aquarium. It can also easily crack if it is not bonded together properly. If it is not bonded in the ideal way it is most probably very fragile.

As you know acrylic aquariums can be molded and shaped into various shapes and when talking about different shapes the number of shapes that they can be made into are almost infinite. It is a known fact that acrylic aquariums can be easily molded into any shape but it doesn’t mean that the acrylic is not affected.

The molding will expose the acrylic to stress resulting in the weakening of the aquarium. Not just that drilling into the acrylic aquarium also exposes it to a lot of stress. Drilling is also easier on acrylic aquariums than glass ones. Although similar to molding, drilling also is not that good for acrylic aquariums even though it is easy.

One thing you have to keep in mind to prevent cracks is to install it accurately and correctly. If you don’t manage to do so it can lead to your aquarium developing cracks.

Can cracks on an acrylic aquarium be fixed?

As mentioned before acrylic aquariums have an edge over the glass ones in many aspects. Acrylic aquariums are less in weight, can withstand impact very much effectively, have more clarity and the thickness doesn’t change its clarity at all. They are also very less likely to develop cracks.

If you have an acrylic aquarium and cracks have appeared on it don’t worry you can fix it. Although if the crack goes through the whole thickness of the acrylic panel you are advised to buy a new one.

The most relevant and easier way to fix a crack on an aquarium is to use an adhesive. There are a lot of adhesives that can be used to fix cracks on an aquarium such as silicone, acrylic glue, and so on. The most effective and worthwhile ones are silicone and acrylic. The acrylic comes in two variants. There is one which liquid one and you will need a squeeze bottle with it. The other one is the thicker one and you can use the thick one if the crack is wide.

When buying silicone or any other type of substance to fix the crack on your aquarium remember to understand the product before buying it. Don’t buy the ones where there are additives as it will harm your fish.

Don’t ever compromise on the health of your fish. The best ones on the market are Aqueon Silicone Aquarium Sealant and ASI Clear Aquarium Silicone Sealant. In terms of acrylic, the best one is WeldOn and Gorilla Super Glue Gel.

How to fix cracks?

Before all else, you will have to get yourself silicone or acrylic. You can get them from a local store that sells aquarium appliances or a hardware store. If such stores are not around you then you can just buy them online.

First, empty the tank, take out all the fish and place them somewhere else, clear away all the water, heaters, filters, everything. Rinse the tank to get rid of the leftover substrate. Wipe the tank and let it dry. Position your tank the ideal way and get your silicone or acrylic.

If you have the silicone just squeeze in the silicone in the crack. If you have acrylic then it is already mentioned you will need a squeeze bottle. Put the required amount of acrylic on the squeeze bottle and apply it to the crack. Now, all that is left is to let it dry.

Cracks are the worst nightmare of an aquarist. If a crack is left unattended it will not take much time to spread around and widen. A crack on an acrylic tank is the most unfortunate. Yes, they are highly resistant to cracks and even if they get on it is easy to fix. But if the crack goes all the way the thickness of the acrylic tank it means that you have to bring in a new tank. So look out for cracks and install your tank properly.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Affiliate Disclaimer:

Our website contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you click on or make a purchase through these links. This comes at no additional cost to you. We only recommend products and services that we believe will provide value to our readers and visitors. These affiliate relationships help support and maintain our website, allowing us to continue providing valuable content. Your support is greatly appreciated, and we thank you for trusting our recommendations. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.”

Trending