Kessil

Need help picking a new DT

phatduckk

phatduckk

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Hi folks,

I recently tore down my Reefer 350 as I was remodeling the room it's in. The remodel is all done so now I'm tank shopping... I figured I'd take the opportunity to upgrade the tank too.

Realistically I can fit a 6ft tank in the room but feel like a 5ft would be "better". "Better" here is defined by some combination of not making the room too crowded, price and maintenance needs (less gallons for water changes etc etc).

The options I've been eyeing are:
  • WaterBox Infinia Tanks: not shipping till late spring (per WB support)
  • WaterBox Reef LX: being redone and not shipping till Nov. additionally they're wide which has negative impact on my room layout
  • Red Sea S Series: these are backordered and somewhere in the 2-5 month range. plus they don't come in 5'
  • WaterBox standard Reef tank (backordered - didn't ask how long)
  • Red Sea 625 XXL - Aquatic Collection can have one at my house in a few days. I'll also admit that the new ReefMat is quite intriguing and should retrofit to these tanks (per their website)
With all that said the Red Sea 625 is tempting me as 1) I can get it fast 2) AC can deliver & setup 3) it's my preferred size of 5ft

The problem is the whole "Red Sea XXL tanks have failed" issue. On one hand this has me spooked: I've read many threads dating back over a year. But, on the other hand they've made changes and added an additional support etc & I figure nobody in their right mind would risk their company reputation instituting a new warranty and making the changes/fix that don't actually work.

So, dear reef friends, what do I do? Do I wait? Do I get the 625 and trust their fixes?
 
Is this a tank that you don't anticipate moving for a long time (3 years?) I would get the tank you want to look at 3 years from now. I agree RS has some historical issues, and any design that big (in my opinion) should have a euro brace. Especially in the bay where tremors are common. At the WB Infinia Price, I bet you could get a crystal dynamics with all the fixings, and a stand in whatever style you like. I didn't see a euro brace on any of those tanks listed above and that makes me nervous.

The RS 625 only is a 135 gallon, so I would consider this tank too.

www.scaquariums.com

120 Gallon Starfire Tank Drilled for 16'' Synergy Shadow Overflow 48x24x24'' 12mm

www.scaquariums.com


Amazon.com : SC Aquariums 120 Gallon Starfire Glass Aquarium 48x24x24 12mm Eurobraced with Built-in Overflow Box : Pet Supplies

Amazon.com : SC Aquariums 120 Gallon Starfire Glass Aquarium 48x24x24 12mm Eurobraced with Built-in Overflow Box : Pet Supplies
www.amazon.com
 
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H2OPlayar said:
Is this a tank that you don't anticipate moving for a long time (3 years?) I would get the tank you want to look at 3 years from now. I agree RS has some historical issues, and any design that big (in my opinion) should have a euro brace. Especially in the bay where tremors are common. At the WB Infinia Price, I bet you could get a crystal dynamics with all the fixings, and a stand in whatever style you like. I didn't see a euro brace on any of those tanks listed above and that makes me nervous.

The RS 625 only is a 135 gallon, so I would consider this tank too.

Amazon.com : SC Aquariums 120 Gallon Starfire Glass Aquarium 48x24x24 12mm Eurobraced with Built-in Overflow Box : Pet Supplies

Amazon.com : SC Aquariums 120 Gallon Starfire Glass Aquarium 48x24x24 12mm Eurobraced with Built-in Overflow Box : Pet Supplies
www.amazon.com
Click to expand...

Ya I don't have any plans to move it but who knows... its not impossible. I've never been too keen on custom tanks but now that you mention it - I might as well take a look. Thanks
 
H2OPlayar said:
I just saw you wanted a 5 foot tank. I have the 4 foot 120 as a freshwater tank if you want to come see what it looks like. They have in tank or drilled for shadow overflow.

www.scaquariums.com

150 Gallon Starfire Tank with Center Overflow 60x24x24'' 12mm

www.scaquariums.com

Here is the 5 foot, 150 gallon one.
Click to expand...
oh man - that's interesting. I don't know why im averse to custom... its almost too many choices and I get decision paralysis. What stand, what options, which overflow? then a bunch of sump research & I have to plumb it myself. etc etc its too much

It feels like building a PC ... id rather just walk into the apple store and choose A, B or C and call it a day. I tend to overthink everything & the unlimited options generally mess with my head :p
 
Yeah, I have built every pc I have owned for the last 2 decades, lol. We can help with the decisions! Basically, just copy what I did.

Going down your list.

The stand it comes with is fine, but getting a custom one is nice. I got my stand built through Clearwater. Synergy 2 ghost overflow. Center drill, or peninsula if you like that. Big sump! Plumbing isn't hard, especially with the club around.
 
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There are really 3 options.
1) Buy a pre-set option A/B/C, like Apple store.
2) Do it all yourself, like buying PC parts on Amazon.
3) Working with a local store, using their expertise, to order semi-custom.

I would suggest really working with a good local fish store on buying a semi-custom one from CD.
(Note that one LFS has been posting nice build threads recently)
You can give them the basic dimensions, and let them give you advice on the details.
They can probably also give you advice on matching skimmers, powerheads, sumps, and so on.
Especially if you buy everything through them. <- key.
You get exactly what you want.
It takes a while, but it looks like you will have to wait no matter what.
 
rygh said:
3) Working with a local store, using their expertise, to order semi-custom.

I would suggest really working with a good local fish store on buying a semi-custom one from CD.
(Note that one LFS has been posting nice build threads recently)
You can give them the basic dimensions, and let them give you advice on the details.
They can probably also give you advice on matching skimmers, powerheads, sumps, and so on.
Especially if you buy everything through them. <- key.
You get exactly what you want.
It takes a while, but it looks like you will have to wait no matter what.
Click to expand...


This is what I did for my reef tank. I was happy with it in the end. The ghost overflows in general could be better engineered, but that is a hobby wide issue, not a tank issue.

The SCA aquarium I use for my freshwater
 
H2OPlayar said:
This is what I did for my reef tank. I was happy with it in the end. The ghost overflows in general could be better engineered, but that is a hobby wide issue, not a tank issue.

The SCA aquarium I use for my freshwater
Click to expand...
I actually have a CD frag tank I bought used for which I did all the plumbing etc; so I'm not totally foreign to dealing with a custom tank. Perhaps working with an LFS would be the way to go so I can just take a base suggestion and tweak a few things as opposed to starting form scratch!
 
I have the Red Sea Reefer 750 XXL. It’s a great tank. I got it when it first released and people were talking about it failing. I never had that problem at all but I was happy they sent me a retrofit bracing kit, and I installed it.

I think custom tanks are great for tank setup tinkerers who like that aspect of the hobby. For the other 90% of us getting a system where everything is already perfectly designed to work together is better. I bought my tank before Red Sea started making all their own equipment, but if I was buying now I’d consider getting their equipment for everything (except maybe lights).

I would be happy to go with Red Sea again.
 
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To riff on what @H2OPlayar and @rygh said about quick turn custom tanks that could be optionally bought through LFS, CDA also has this 60x24x24 tank option

cdaquarium.com

EL Tanks: Short Turnaround, Attractive Price

PLEASE NOTE! The 28-day turnaround is temporarily not available on the EL Tanks. Please inquire via email (sales@cdaquarium.com) for current lead times. What Are the Limitations? As of yet, we are only offering our 4 most common sizes in the Express Lane section: 100 gallon, 120 gallon, 150...
cdaquarium.com

and IIRC @Bruce Spiegelman may have had a hand in convincing CDA to carry these tanks!
 
lol as soon as I posted I noticed CDA has a shipment delay notice on the quick turnaround tanks. I guess this is the reality of going into a third year of COVID ha.
 
The EL is actually pretty tempting. I think that and a reefer s 850 are currently the 2 in the running.

Main decision I have yo make is whether I want to go for a 5’ or a 6’ tank. Hmmmmm

I’ll try the Red Sea AR thing when I get home and see what I think. Plus I have to plan out how I’d get AWC etc setup (what size reservoirs, where to put them etc) to take off a bit of the maintainable burden
 
Here’s approximately what a Red Sea S-850 would look like.

1640326452982.jpeg


The garage is right on the other side of the wall so I’ll be able to stash a large RO & salt water reservoir nearby.

Main downside is that I’ll have the tank off center so the entryway isn’t too cramped.

Not bad though…
 
I'm a huge fan of Innovative Marine tanks.

The EXT 170 is 60"/30"/22".

Stand is aluminum so no issues in the long run, super easy to build and is very sturdy. Has 5 doors so access under the tank is super easy. There is no sump so you have the choice to pick what you want vs being stuck with what the manufacturer provides.

AND its in stock and on sale both in black and white!

www.innovative-marine.com

Shop | Innovative Marine Products

Shop Now | Innovative Marine's Official Store | Free Shipping on all orders* | NUVO aquariums and saltwater reef supplies.
www.innovative-marine.com www.innovative-marine.com
 
Vhuang168 said:
I'm a huge fan of Innovative Marine tanks.

The EXT 170 is 60"/30"/22".

Stand is aluminum so no issues in the long run, super easy to build and is very sturdy. Has 5 doors so access under the tank is super easy. There is no sump so you have the choice to pick what you want vs being stuck with what the manufacturer provides.

AND its in stock and on sale both in black and white!

www.innovative-marine.com

Shop | Innovative Marine Products

Shop Now | Innovative Marine's Official Store | Free Shipping on all orders* | NUVO aquariums and saltwater reef supplies.
www.innovative-marine.com www.innovative-marine.com
Click to expand...
I was actually thinking of you and your tank but somehow completely spaced and started focusing on other stuff.

I’ll give IM another look. Thanks for the reminder!
 
Check Aquatic Collection's after Christmas sale. With a red sea set purchase they're giving $100s in store gift cards as a bonus. E.g. $750 with the 525xl
 
It’s gonna be a great tank. Looks like they made some real improvements since I got my gen1 RSR750, basically addressed everything people had issues with. I really like the aluminum frame for the stand, the split sump, dual return nozzles, and the top bracing.
 
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