| Mention aquariums to most people and they instantly envisage rectangular glass aquariums. While the traditional design of aquarium has a lot to offer in the right circumstance, the advent of acrylic as a viable aquarium material means that the design boundaries have shifted massively. Where aquariums had to be rectangular or square shaped, now the only constraints on size and shape are your imagination and the room available.  Acrylic aquariums offer the same visibility as glass while being nearly twenty times as strong and half as light. Acrylic aquariums can also be constructed in any shape and any size – perfect if you have a particular space in mind for your aquarium. Round aquariums, arched aquariums and even cylindrical aquariums than run the full length of your house are all an option with acrylic. Acrylic also offers much greater insulation keeping maintenance and running costs of your aquarium down to a minimum. Another factor to consider is the repair of scratches or surface damage. Because acrylic is easier to work with and more flexible it is also a lot easier to fix any damage that may occur. It is almost standard practice to use acrylic for the creation of larger tanks. This is quite simply because of how difficult it can be to create glass tanks to this kind of scale. Rectangular glass tanks also face the problem of poor visibility around the front edges whereas acrylic tanks generally have rounded corners to provide all round visibility. Another advance in aquarium design using acrylic is that whereas the first acrylic units designed and produced in the 1970s and 1980s tended to discolour over time new acrylic is much more UV resistant. This means that as the tank ages it still keeps its original look and feel. | 
