Where to buy a 6 to 8 foot rimless tank with a stand?

[gobble]

I'm looking to upgrade my Reefer 450 to something larger. It looks like Red Sea and Waterbox limit their tanks to 6 feet or just under. Where are you guys buying larger tanks, like 6 to 8 feet, rimless and with a modern looking stand?

It seems like so much of what I'm finding is ugly oak'ish stands with old-fashioned plastic rims around the top of the tank. This is going in a nice modern room and I'm looking for something nice looking.

Does anyone know of anything out there non-custom like the Red Sea or Waterbox tanks in larger sizes.

 

[TaylorPilot]

Reef Savvy is top of the line bar none...but you'll need to either rob or own a bank...But like most things in life, you get what you pay for...also, they typically have a wait....

 

[gobble]

If I can buy a 6 foot Red Sea tank with stand and sump for ~$3,000 shouldn't I be about to buy a 7 or 8 footer similar spec somewhere for maybe $4k?

I did look at Reef Saavy. Their website leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[JumboShrimp]

CustomAquariums.com has lists of videos/testimonials and a price configuration page, where you choose your dimensions, glass type, etc. Their stands may be a little more traditional than you are looking for, but you can always get the tank from them and a stand elsewhere. Check out their Seamless Sumps, while you are at it

 

[Quinn123]

You can try ELOS aquarium

 

[Quinn123]

You can try ELOS aquarium

 

[Quinn123]

You can try ELOS aquarium

 

[TaylorPilot]

If I can buy a 6 foot Red Sea tank with stand and sump for ~$3,000 shouldn't I be about to buy a 7 or 8 footer similar spec somewhere for maybe $4k?

I did look at Reef Saavy. Their website leaves a lot to be desired.

Yea, their website is old, but honestly, they have a 6 month wait and make the highest quality and highest priced tanks in the industry. Why would they waste time and money on the website?

 

[Halal Hotdog]

Yea, their website is old, but honestly, they have a 6 month wait and make the highest quality and highest priced tanks in the industry. Why would they waste time and money on the website?

I don't follow your logic. Typically a company targeting a higher end client tries to impress the client throughout the entire experience. Websites are inexpensive in relation to most operating costs. If a good site attracts one person to their business then it would have paid for itself a 1000x over, even if there is a 6 month wait.

 

[TaylorPilot]

I don't follow your logic. Typically a company targeting a higher end client tries to impress the client throughout the entire experience. Websites are inexpensive in relation to most operating costs. If a good site attracts one person to their business then it would have paid for itself a 1000x over, even if there is a 6 month wait.

I guess I am saying they have reached the limit of the business that they want to do with their current level in infrastructure through word of mouth. A website doesn't do much good unless you have SEO or advertise on these forums. I have never seen them advertise on any of these sites. They have such a good name that anyone looking to spend 20k on a full blown "piece of art" system knows exactly where to go already within 10 minutes of asking for a custom builder on these sites. They could add more work force, get a larger facility, increase production, hope to keep quality up and process more orders. But they seem to have found a level that they like to operate at, and don't want to grow or "rock the boat". They might have one "guru" who really knows what they are doing, and that is all he can do at the level of quality they want. I have seen and heard of a lot of profitable businesses getting driven into the dirt trying to grow. Restaurants are notorious for it. You have a small local place that serves good food with the owner being in the kitchen every night (dinner service only), and every customer tells them they have great food and should expand into a bigger building and start serving lunch. Well now he can't be there all the time so he has to start to delegate. He doesn't have those systems in place. Add that to the fact that they take on more overhead and they go bust...Contractors also...You can run a profitable 2 million a year construction business from a cell phone driving around in your truck, but a lot fail going from that 2 million to 5 million because the owner can't oversee everything anymore and doesn't have the systems in place to take it to the next level. Stuff fall through the cracks, quality and margins go down. Before you know it, you have a few bad months and can't make payroll. Now you are up a defecation tributary without sufficient means of locomotion...

I agree with you though. I would keep growing or die trying...

 

[gobble]

So nothing really out there non-custom? Given that I want to move my rock and coral from the current tank and go fallow for 76 days before moving the fish, something with a 6 month wait gets me into a new tank probably a year from now. I'm not that patient with anything.

 

[TaylorPilot]

The largest non-custom tank I can think of is a Marineland 300DD. Those are 6' by 3'. Maybe try planet aquarium near Dallas. They are pretty popular here in Texas, and they aren't too crazy on their pricing from what I have seen.

 

[Reefrookie220]

Planet aquariums.

 

[JoshH]

So nothing really out there non-custom? Given that I want to move my rock and coral from the current tank and go fallow for 76 days before moving the fish, something with a 6 month wait gets me into a new tank probably a year from now. I'm not that patient with anything.

There are plenty of excellent custom tank manufacturers out there that do not have a 6-9+ month wait time. Yes you will be facing atleast some kind of wait but nowhere near that. Miracles, Planet Aquariums, Crystal Dynamics just to name a few of the many. All are excellent quality and at a decent price point. For anything over 6 feet your going to have to go custom that's just the way it is. And yes your custom tank alone will come in around the $3500-6000 range just for the glass. Add more for a decent stand. BUT you're talking about what's hopefully your dream tank. A tank that will hopefully last you many many many years. Going custom is a solid option. Oh and FWIW when you get into those lengths most manufacturers will suggest you use eurobracing for added strength. You could go with a one piece which is a little sleeker looking but worth keeping this in mind.

I'll add a base price list for Miracles as they are the only ones that post some standard tank prices. Keep in mind these are for basic (non starphire) trimmed tanks with bracing but it will help you get a general idea of what you're looking at for pricing (In Canadian dollars).

 

[Scubafrog]

Have you checked Waterbox Custom for a quote?

https://www.waterboxaquariums.com/custom/

 

[TaylorPilot]

@JoshH A link to that price sheet? Didn't see it on their website.

 

[JoshH]

@JoshH A link to that price sheet? Didn't see it on their website.

It's a downloadable list of there 2016 Prices listed in the bottom corner of there product page on there site.

This is why I was saying to use it as a baseline for pricing as obviously glass prices may have changed since. But it's a REALLY good starting point to go off of. Here's the PDF from there site.

 

[TaylorPilot]

Their prices are pretty good. $1000 for a 36x36x24 rimless cube with starphire on 3 panels.

 

[JoshH]

Their prices are pretty good. $1000 for a 36x36x24 rimless cube with starphire on 3 panels.

They are definately reasonable price wise and there quality is pretty darn good as well. I love my Miracles tank and it's still sitting dry lol My tank which is 60" L x 30" W x 17" H Peninsula with external overflow, Starphire on the two long sides and end and one piece starphire eurobracing ended up costing me $3400 (CDN) after shipping and taxes and that includes the $850ish additional charge for changing the width of the tank after the original pieces were already cut lol

 

[gobble]

Thanks guys. I didn't realize it was such a huge jump in price to go from 6 to 8 feet, about double the price of just buying the 6 foot red sea or waterbox when you add a stand and sump.

I did try calling waterbox for a custom quote, but they never answer the phone.

 

[roberthu526]

7-8 feet rimless is a big challenge for the silicon. Personally I would never go rimless with that size tank. The pressure put on that size glass panels are huge and relying just on silicon is very risky.

 

[Scubafrog]

I did try calling waterbox for a custom quote, but they never answer the phone.

Maybe try filling out your information and requirements on their webpage for custom aquariums. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and there are boxes to enter your personal requirements.

https://www.waterboxaquariums.com/custom/