What tank should I trust after an Innovative Marine EXT 200 leak?

[javajaws]

I'm not sure why you'll think a custom tank would be better. I've had 2 custom tanks, both fine/ok - no problems. But the quality of an IM tank is higher (admittedly my IM sample is only a 25 lagoon). Grass is not always greener on the other side...

I'd a pretty demanding person when it comes to quality and getting what you pay for. I would sleep well with your IM replacement and knock this off as a fluke or due to the shipping mishap.

 

[GlassMunky]

I'm not sure why you'll think a custom tank would be better. I've had 2 custom tanks, both fine/ok - no problems. But the quality of an IM tank is higher (admittedly my IM sample is only a 25 lagoon). Grass is not always greener on the other side...

I'd a pretty demanding person when it comes to quality and getting what you pay for. I would sleep well with your IM replacement and knock this off as a fluke or due to the shipping mishap.

Generally custom tank manufactures have much better design on how thick the glass needs to be and how it’s sealed together with most having some kind of supports (euro or trim) and/or with seam safety measures that most mass produced tanks won’t do.

It’s really the fact that all these mass produced tanks use thinner glass than they should and just do fully rimless tanks on things that are way too big for that.

 

[tritonpower]

Generally custom tank manufactures have much better design on how thick the glass needs to be and how it’s sealed together with most having some kind of supports (euro or trim) and/or with seam safety measures that most mass produced tanks won’t do.

It’s really the fact that all these mass produced tanks use thinner glass than they should and just do fully rimless tanks on things that are way too big for that.

FYI, it comes eurobraced.

 

[GlassMunky]

So i just checked the IM site, and saw that the EXT 200 does have Euro bracing, so disregard my comments about that. I hadnt seen any of the ones with bracing in person, all the ones the LFS had were fully rimless.

FYI, it comes eurobraced.

yea you beat me to it. was writing this when you posted.


knowing that..... Is selling the replacement an option to recoup some of the cash and use that for a custom tank?

 

[javajaws]

Generally custom tank manufactures have much better design on how thick the glass needs to be and how it’s sealed together with most having some kind of supports (euro or trim) and/or with seam safety measures that most mass produced tanks won’t do.

It’s really the fact that all these mass produced tanks use thinner glass than they should and just do fully rimless tanks on things that are way too big for that.

Well, OP's tank has 19mm side glass, 22mm bottom glass, and euro bracing. I mean I guess if he wants 1" thick glass and to pay $10-15k to sleep better he could do that. But I just don't see the glass or design being the issue here...and again no guarantees he wouldn't have a problem with the custom one either.

 

[Chrisv.]

So i just checked the IM site, and saw that the EXT 200 does have Euro bracing, so disregard my comments about that. I hadnt seen any of the ones with bracing in person, all the ones the LFS had were fully rimless.

yea you beat me to it. was writing this when you posted.


knowing that..... Is selling the replacement an option to recoup some of the cash and use that for a custom tank?

What do you think about the thickness of this tank? It's 19mm sides, 22mm bottom.

 

[GlassMunky]

Well, OP's tank has 19mm side glass, 22mm bottom glass, and euro bracing. I mean I guess if he wants 1" thick glass and to pay $10-15k to sleep better he could do that. But I just don't see the glass or design being the issue here...and again no guarantees he wouldn't have a problem with the custom one either.

you might have missed the above post where i corrected myself. i see that that tank does have bracing, so my comment on the design should be disregarded.
my LFS has the, i believe EXT 100 in store, and it doesnt have bracing on it (according to the IM site bracing starts at 112 and up), so i assumed that like all their tanks were like that, the same way RS and others do it. i was mistaken.

 

[tritonpower]

So i just checked the IM site, and saw that the EXT 200 does have Euro bracing, so disregard my comments about that. I hadnt seen any of the ones with bracing in person, all the ones the LFS had were fully rimless.

yea you beat me to it. was writing this when you posted.


knowing that..... Is selling the replacement an option to recoup some of the cash and use that for a custom tank?

It is one of the options I am considering. Leaning towards giving the IM tank another chance.

 

[GlassMunky]

It is one of the options I am considering. Leaning towards giving the IM tank another chance.

i had honestly never looked too far into the details of all their models since the ones i had seen at my LFS just seemed like exact RS clones. but it looks like they actually have better specs for their larger tanks than some of the other makers. Im actually slightly impressed at the changes for the larger sizes.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I personally would not have a tank that was not braced (conventional trim or euro). In that context glass thickness is not nearly as important.

With a trimless (rimless) tank (or whatever people call them) the glass thickness accomplishes two things.
1 - it offers extra surface area for silicone in the joints
2 - increases rigidity and reduces panel flex (bending outward) that puts shear and peeling stress on the seams.

A simple top trim prevents most of the peeling stress. The cross brass reduces the bowing and further reduces the peeling and shear stress. A eurobrace stiffens the whole system.

Anyway - in the end, I would never own a rimless/trimless tank. They are far more destined to fail with any reasonable glass thickness, far before a trimmed or braced tank.

 

[Chrisv.]

I personally would not have a tank that was not braced (conventional trim or euro). In that context glass thickness is not nearly as important.

With a trimless (rimless) tank (or whatever people call them) the glass thickness accomplishes two things.
1 - it offers extra surface area for silicone in the joints
2 - increases rigidity and reduces panel flex (bending outward) that puts shear and peeling stress on the seams.

A simple top trim prevents most of the peeling stress. The cross brass reduces the bowing and further reduces the peeling and shear stress. A eurobrace stiffens the whole system.

Anyway - in the end, I would never own a rimless/trimless tank. They are far more destined to fail with any reasonable glass thickness, far before a trimmed or braced tank.

Looks like these do have euro bracing but do not have a cross bar support that spans the middle of the tank. Thickness on the sides is 19mm and the bottom is 22mm. I've been very tempted by these tanks, but I do not own one. The price is insanely good for what you get, except in OPs case! I can't even imagine what I would do if a 200 gallon reef spring a leak in my house. Hopefully the tank was in the basement.