Over the past two decades, acrylic aquariums have become common features in residences, offices, restaurants, and hotels. The construction of large scale projects has grown exponentially in the U.S. and around the world during this same time period.
The versatility of acrylic sheet is evident in the most basic of tanks, allowing designers and engineers to create structures that are truly spectacular. Piedmont carries a range of thicknesses and sizes of clear and colored acrylic that allow you to create an aquarium that is as visually appealing as its contents.
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Best Materials for Aquariums
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Cast Acrylic
Cast acrylic from Piedmont Plastics offers exceptional strength, optical clarity, and weather resistance, making it ideal for applications such as signage, retail displays, protective barriers, and architectural glazing.
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PVC Type 1
PVC Type 1 sheet and rod offer enhanced chemical resistance compared to standard PVC. They also offer excellent strength and versatility, making them ideal for industrial, chemical, and engineering applications.
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PVC Tubing
Piedmont Plastics supplies flexible PVC tubing with excellent clarity, flexibility, and chemical resistance, making it ideal for fluid transfer, food-grade, and industrial applications.
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HDPE (High Density Polyethylene)
HDPE offers strength, low weight, and resistance to chemicals and moisture, making it ideal for food and beverage equipment, industrial components, and marine applications.
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Fluted Polypropylene
Piedmont Plastics supplies durable fluted polypropylene sheets that are ideal for signage, packaging materials, and more.
Advantages of Acrylic
Acrylic for aquariums contains the following advantages:
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Light Weight
Acrylic weighs up to ten times less than glass, which is helpful for design and assembly purposes.
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Stability
Acrylic does not easily shatter if struck. It is ten times as impact-resistant as glass, which is important for the structural integrity of aquariums.
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Clarity
With glass aquariums, water creates a high index of refraction, meaning the fish size and color can change. Compared to glass, acrylic has less visual distortion, giving you a much clearer view of the fish inside the aquarium.
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Strength
Acrylic is roughly 17 times stronger than glass, making it ideal for large commercial aquariums. It can handle the pressure from thousands of gallons of water more effectively and requires a thinner sheet than glass.
Acrylic for aquariums is known for its moldability, which is vital if your aquarium is a shape other than the standard rectangle. If you're building a commercial aquarium and want to include arches and tunnels, acrylic can also give you the look you want with minimal visual distortions.
Piedmont Plastics offers cast acrylic in various sizes, colors, and thicknesses. We also have industrial adhesives necessary to help ensure your aquarium remains strong and vibrant. Contact us today to get started!
