Reef Aquarium Advice-Glass or Acrylic for Beginners?

Beginners-Glass or Acrylic?
If you are interested in setting up a reef aquarium, as a beginner you may wonder, should you have a glass aquarium or an acrylic one? This is a basic concern of many new marine reef keepers but I think it comes down to personal preference.

Advice About Glass and Acrylic Aquariums
One of the advantages of glass is it doesn't scratch easy. However, the bigger your tank the more costly it is and the more heavier it is. Plus, you have to worry about the seams leaking.

Some of the big advantages of acrylic is it has better clarity, it's lighter, it's a better insulator, it's easier to drill, and no seams. But, it scratches very easily and this has been a huge downfall for acrylic by a lot of reef keepers. If you want to have a huge tank,(like 300 gallons), then acrylic is the way to go, but if are not going to be having a large tank, then you may want to consider glass. Many have been very impressed with acrylic aquariums but have become very disappointed when it comes to cleaning. You have to be extremely careful when you clean, especially if you end up with an algae bloom, and many end up scratching their tanks all up. Now you no longer have great clarity because the scratches stand out like a sore thumb.

There is a type of glass that you can get that is almost as nice as acrylic except it costs a lot. It is a low-iron glass, like for example Starfire glass. This type of glass will make a noticeable difference when looking in your tank as the colors will be more vivid and "true". But as I said before, it is rather expensive and it is still glass and it is a little harder to work with when it comes to drilling for other setup options.

Conclusion for Beginners of Reef Aquariums
As I said in the beginning it comes down to preference. It also comes down to how you want to set up your aquarium and what you are trying to accomplish. If you are wanting to display an award winning reef aquarium, then probably acrylic is the way to go. But if you are just into the hobby to have your own slice of the ocean, and you are not planning on doing a bunch of drilling, then consider glass. As a beginner in reef aquariums, my advice to you is it's totally up to you with what you want. Good luck!