Oceanic Unveils The Ultimate Aquarium Series With Starphire™ Glass

By RC Moore

Oceanic Systems has just unveiled it's new aquarium line up, the Ultimate Aquarium Series featuring Starphire™ glass in the front. Adding to the craftsmanship and elegance of the aquarium series, Oceanic beveled the front glass and precision polished the edges. Unveiled at the Global Pet Expo held February 22-24, 2007 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, Oceanic's Ultimate Aquarium Series took second place for best in show.

So what is starphire glass and what makes it so special? Starphire™ is a brand name from PPG Industries. It is an high end optically clear glass that has no iron content like regular glass. For years the reef aquarium enthusiasts have had two choices when it comes to aquarium materials; regular glass which has a green tint or plexiglass that is optically clear, but scratches easier than glass. With Starphire™ glass, you have the best of both worlds, the durability of glass that is optically clear. The best way to note the difference between the clarity of regular glass and Starphire glass, is to look through the length of a 72" Starphire™ glass and be able to see objects on the other side. If you do the same thing with a regular piece of glass it's dark! The colors of the corals and fish seem to come alive in an aquarium with Starphire™ glass.

Starphire™ glass has been around for a while, used in custom high end aquariums and very expensive. Oceanic uses Starphire™ in the front of the new Ultimate and Tech series aquariums at a surprisingly affordable price. I would say that early supplies are limited. Loveland Pets, a major pet wholesaler, held a trade show for it's retailers at the Cincinnati Aquarium on March 4-5, 2007. 200 of the top retailers were invited the first night and the second night was open house. Only a few of the top retailers received a catalog with photos of the new aquariums. One of these retailers was Brothers Pets from Kansas City, Missouri. Since Oceanic does not warrantee aquariums that are not shipped by authorized wholesalers to retailers, it would be well worth the drive if you live within 100 miles of a retailer that carries the new aquariums.