Kessil

glasscages.com group buy possible?

I am planning to buy a 300 to 400 gallon tank from them but the shipping is a great portion of the tank because they are in TN. I was thinking if anyone of you would be interested in joining me, making a group buy possible, and maybe I can negotiate with them to give free shipping if I get enough orders for them for one truckload to the bay area.
I am hoping to get my tank no later than this summer.
Anyone interested?
 
What made you choose glasscages vs. Crystal Dynamics or SCA (both in California)? I just ordered a 240 gal. from Crystal Dynamics and they charge $265 for curbside residential delivery to Oakland.
 
Glasscages I'm guessing is significantly cheaper than CDA, now I don't want to say "You get what you pay for" because largely I feel that motto is overused as a sign of quality (Who here believes Monster brand cables are like 20x better than a standard cable just because they would charge $80 for a HDMI cable to hook up your TV :D), but they definitely are a different beast.

To the OP, I almost guarantee you will not negotiate free shipping with glasscages, they just don't work that way. If you're looking into a large aquarium I'd also give a company like https://www.customaquariums.com/ a looksy, may not be as cheap but they do allow you to customize quite a bit to get a precise size that you want.
 
Glasscages is the poor man's choice. I can't justify paying double even others might have "better" quality and workmanship. Right, I don't buy "monster cable". I will pay by credit card and be protected. I will specifically state all the features I want - black silicon, eurobracing, cross bracing, where to drill holes, etc, with pics... If they sell me something not as described, they are asking for trouble.

The 300-400 gallon tank I want is 84 x 36 x 26 with 1/2" glass (unless they recommend 3/4".) That should be around 325G.
Price should be around $2000 last time I talked to them more than 6 months ago. Shipping was around $800 if I remember correctly.

2019_06_26_08_03_54_Glasscages.com_Glass_Aquariums.jpg


http://www.glasscages.com/?sAction=ViewCat&lCatID=2
 
People say their version of "starphire" is not really the "starphire" but it is cheaper version.
Overflow, I will use external box like shadow or Eclipse. I will provide them the template to drill holes. I want my tank peninsula and I want 2 holes at the bottom for closed loop.

I will say by this Sunday if I don't hear enough interest, I will call this off and order one myself and pay for shipping. Maybe we will at least get a discount of some sort if we get 4 or 5 tanks as a group buy? Maybe you tell me exactly what you want and I will make the deal one shot with them?
 
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A few of us just ordered a "special" deal tank from CDA and that may have removed a few folks that might have been interested prior to last month. We're just waiting on delivery.
 
Not trying to sound like I'm shilling for custom aquariums but check their standard tank sizes, while it is more than Glasscages I think it should be comparably priced when you factor in shipping.

But yeah any "discount" tank builder isnt going to recommend 3/4" glass for a tank of that size. Usually using only the height as a deciding factor, but the reality is the length does make a difference too since the longer it is the less stiff it'll be which means possibly pulling away from the silicone. Now with 3/4" the price typically jumps substantially, maybe closer to the "high end price", but that largely does depend upon availability of materials as glass shortages are real.

Ultimately though you want what you want at the price you're willing to pay, and I respect that
 
Yes, I understand 3/4" is overkill because the height is the main factor. I prefer 1/2" because it weighs less and the magnetic stuff we use on the glass work better. Also I believe 1/2" has less reflection when you view at an angle.

So, no one interested in this group buy or even getting a quote?
 
I've worked with Glass Cages on sheets of glass and have relatives who have gotten tanks from them. A few things to keep in mind:
1) They have a history of inconsistent quality. When I got a sheet of glass from them (100" x 24" x 1/2") it was spot on. I also looked at the other tanks in the van and while clearly high end they all looked very good. Certainly on par with most builders, and nicer than your typical Aqueon tank. On the other hand, the tanks my relative got from them (as in more than a dozen) had absolutely awful silicone work. Thick smeared seams with extra globs in places, silicone finger prints all over the inside, etc. Now, these experiences range from 2-10+ years ago, so they may have improved, but do some research.

2) They have already cut a lot of the costs out of shipping. When I've seen orders come in they had a well filled truck of their own on a reasonable route. They are depending on you to unload the truck, and meeting at a common location. As a result they are already sharing the cost of shipping your item with lots of other people (as is any efficient shipper) and eliminating a lot of the things most shippers charge for (residential locations, lift gate, etc). There is some economy to having more items dropped at one point, so it doesn't hurt to ask, but don't expect a big difference.

I estimate 9/10 times they are nice to work with, particularly when you keep the above items in mind. Just consider that they've already done a lot of the cost cutting for you (both in quality assurance and in logistics), which is why the prices are what they are.
 
$800 for shipping sounds reasonable to me. I have an account set up with Old Dominion because I have stuff shipped to me from all over the country. The two biggest factors that go into the shipping cost is weight and mileage. Both of which is relatively high with your shipment.

Does that $800 also include the crating? You can look for your own shipping company but most often the seller will add a crating charge and I’ve found shipping companies are ridiculously expensive if you don’t have an account.
 
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