SeaClear Acrylic Aquarium Combos
The cast-acrylic tank you can buy off a pet-store shelf: 20, 29, and 50-gallon combos with a fitted hood and light, a lifetime leak warranty from CASCO Group, and thirty-plus years of owners who dropped them and kept using them. Small top openings and a weak stock light are the trade-offs.
By Sergio Igartua, Founder & Editor · Updated · How we research
Key facts
- CASCO Group makes SeaClear cast-acrylic aquarium combos under the SEA CLEAR mark, registered in 1991.
- SeaClear combos come in 20, 29, and 50 gallons with a fitted hood and light.
- CASCO Group warrants SeaClear tanks for life against leaks for the original purchaser.
- Petco listed the SeaClear 50-gallon combo at $349.99 in 2021.
- AcrylicWindow.com rates SeaClear 4.1 out of 5 as a first acrylic tank.
Pros
- Cast acrylic at about half the weight of the same glass tank; a reviewer dropped one twice in two years with no cracks
- Chemically bonded, near-invisible seams and a claimed 4 percent clarity edge over glass
- Lifetime warranty against leakage to the original purchaser (send the card within 30 days)
- Combo ships with a fitted hood, reflector, and light; clear, black, or cobalt blue backs
- Stocked at Amazon, Petco, and PetSmart; no lead time, no freight truck
Cons
- Top access openings are small, which makes aquascaping and cleaning awkward
- The stock fluorescent light is too weak for plants or corals; newer sets bundle LEDs, older stock does not
- Filter and heater are not included despite the 'combo' name
- Retail listings omit the warranty terms; you have to go to the maker for them
- Acrylic scratches, and a store-shelf tank gets handled more than a custom one
Specifications
| Material | Cast acrylic, chemically bonded seams |
| Sizes | 20 gal 24×13×16 in; 29 gal 30×12×18 in (20 lb); 50 gal 36×15×20 in |
| Included | Aquarium, fitted hood, reflector, light fixture (LED on current sets); filter and heater sold separately |
| Colors | Clear, black, cobalt blue |
| Weight | About half of an equivalent glass tank |
| Warranty | Lifetime against leakage, original purchaser, warranty card within 30 days |
| Maker | CASCO Group, Inc. (California Aquarium Supply Corporation); SEA CLEAR mark registered 1991 |
| Distribution | North American Pet Products; Amazon, Petco, PetSmart |
| Price | Petco listed the 50 gal black combo at $349.99 (2021); earlier listings $210–$280 |
CASCO Pet (SeaClear) is listed in our directory. See CASCO Pet (SeaClear) in the directory →
Our Verdict
The right first acrylic tank if you want the weight and shatter advantages without ordering custom, and the 50-gallon is the size to get. Plan on an LED upgrade, buy the filter separately, and register the warranty the day it arrives.
Overview
SeaClear is the acrylic aquarium most people in the United States have actually seen, because it sits on the shelf at Petco and PetSmart next to the glass tanks. The brand belongs to CASCO Group, Inc., the California Aquarium Supply Corporation, which registered the SEA CLEAR mark in 1991 and SEA CLEAR ACRYLIC AQUARIUMS in 1992; current Amazon listings are sold under North American Pet Products, the distributor. CASCO says the tanks are built from cast acrylic at half the weight of glass and warrants them against leakage for as long as the original purchaser owns them, provided the warranty card is mailed within 30 days.
We have not set one up. This review draws on the maker's warranty language, a hands-on owner review that ran two years, a 2025 buyer's guide, and retail price records, listed at the end.
What you get
The combos come in three rectangular sizes: 20 gallons at 24 by 13 by 16 inches, 29 gallons at 30 by 12 by 18 inches and about 20 pounds, and 50 gallons at 36 by 15 by 20 inches. Each ships with a fitted hood, a reflector, and a light fixture; the current Amazon sets specify LED lighting, while older stock and the 2015 review below describe fluorescent tubes. Backs come in clear, black, or cobalt blue.
What you do not get is a filter or a heater. Every listing and guide we read makes the same point, and "combo" here means tank plus hood plus light, not a running system.
Build and durability
The Aquariphiles review is the most useful owner account we found. Over two years the reviewer dropped the 50-gallon tank twice without finding a crack, described the chemically bonded seams as invisible, credited the acrylic with a 4 percent clarity advantage over glass, and called the tank half the weight of the glass equivalent. The verdict was "well worth the money" and "an asset you'll treasure for life." Forum owners on SimplyDiscus report the same longevity, and a brand explainer quotes owners keeping SeaClear tanks 10 to 20 years.
Two complaints recur. The top opening is small: the reviewer wanted "some more space for easier access to the inside," and anyone who has reached into a 20-inch-deep tank through a hood cutout will know why. And the stock fluorescent light "doesn't provide sufficient light to grow algae and corals"; the reviewer's fix was LED bulbs, which the newer sets now ship with. Neither is a reason not to buy; both are reasons to budget for a light and to think about what you will plant.
Acrylic scratches, and a shelf tank is handled by more people before it reaches you than a custom one is. Inspect it in the store or on delivery, and read our scratch repair guide before you reach for a cleaning pad.
Warranty
The warranty is real and it is lifetime, but you will not find it on the retail page. Fish Tank Advisor's 2025 guide says flatly that the listings "don't have any warranty info, so you'll need to check in with the company first." CASCO's own terms: the aquarium is warranted against leakage to the original purchaser for as long as it is in their possession, and the card has to be completed and mailed within 30 days of purchase. Do that.
Price
Retailers do not publish stable prices for these, and every current listing we tried to check was blocked or unavailable at the time of writing. The price record we can cite is the UPC database: Petco listed the 50-gallon black combo at $349.99 in 2021, and earlier listings ran $209.99 at Meijer in 2016 and $279.99 on eBay in 2018. Treat $350 as the ballpark for the 50 and check Amazon or Petco for today's number. For comparison, a made-to-order Clear-For-Life 55-gallon rectangle is $760 without a hood or light.
Who should buy it
First-time acrylic buyers, anyone putting a tank on an upstairs floor or a light stand, and anyone who wants it this week rather than in five. Get the 50-gallon; Fish Tank Advisor's advice to "get the biggest you can afford" applies doubly to a tank you will otherwise outgrow. If you want a shape other than a rectangle, a built-in filter, or more than 50 gallons, that is Clear-For-Life territory. If you want a wall, it is Reynolds Polymer.
Sources
- Trademarkia: SEA CLEAR ACRYLIC AQUARIUMS, CASCO Group, Inc. and Justia: CASCO Group, Inc. trademarks
- Aquariphiles: SeaClear 50 gallon acrylic aquarium review (2015)
- Fish Tank Advisor: Best rated acrylic aquariums (updated April 2025)
- Pet Fish Tank: Who makes SeaClear aquariums and SimplyDiscus: Sea Clear acrylic tanks
- UPCitemdb: SeaClear 50 gal combo, black, price history and Amazon: SeaClear 50 gal combo with LED lighting
Frequently asked questions
How much does a SeaClear acrylic aquarium cost?
SeaClear prices move by retailer and none of the current listings could be checked for this review. The citable record is the UPC database: Petco listed the 50-gallon black combo at $349.99 in 2021, with earlier listings at $209.99 at Meijer in 2016 and $279.99 on eBay in 2018. Treat about $350 as the ballpark for the 50-gallon and check Amazon or Petco for today's number.
What comes with a SeaClear aquarium combo?
A SeaClear combo is the tank plus a fitted hood, a reflector, and a light fixture, with current Amazon sets specifying LED and older stock using fluorescent tubes. Backs come in clear, black, or cobalt blue. A filter and a heater are not included despite the combo name, so budget for those separately. The three sizes are 20 gallons at 24 by 13 by 16 inches, 29 gallons at 30 by 12 by 18, and 50 gallons at 36 by 15 by 20.
What is the SeaClear aquarium warranty?
CASCO Group warrants SeaClear aquariums against leakage to the original purchaser for as long as that person owns the tank, provided the warranty card is completed and mailed within 30 days of purchase. The catch is that retail listings omit those terms; Fish Tank Advisor's 2025 guide notes the listings carry no warranty information and you have to go to the company. Register it the day the tank arrives.
Are SeaClear acrylic tanks durable?
SeaClear tanks hold up well by owner accounts. The Aquariphiles reviewer ran a 50-gallon for two years and dropped it twice without finding a crack, called the chemically bonded seams invisible, and put the tank at half the weight of the glass equivalent with a claimed 4 percent clarity edge. SimplyDiscus forum owners report similar longevity, and a brand explainer quotes owners keeping SeaClear tanks 10 to 20 years. Acrylic still scratches, so inspect on delivery.
What are the drawbacks of SeaClear aquariums?
SeaClear's top access openings are small, which makes aquascaping and cleaning through a 20-inch-deep tank awkward, and the stock fluorescent light does not provide enough light to grow algae and corals, so older sets need an LED upgrade. The combo omits a filter and heater, warranty terms are missing from retail pages, and a shelf tank is handled by more people before you get it than a custom one.
How does SeaClear compare with Clear-For-Life aquariums?
SeaClear is the off-the-shelf option and Clear-For-Life is the made-to-order one. A SeaClear 50-gallon combo runs about $350 with hood and light and is stocked at Amazon, Petco, and PetSmart with no lead time or freight truck. A made-to-order Clear-For-Life 55-gallon rectangle is $760 without a hood or light. Move to Clear-For-Life for a shape other than a rectangle, a built-in filter, or more than 50 gallons.