Brand new European reefer; what reef tank brands to consider?

[AJJ0501]

Hello all,

I have been contemplating entering the hobby for almost a year now. I have been busy drafting a fish/stocking plan, CUC, coral plan, et cetera (my dream is a beautiful mixed reef tank - predominantly soft and LPS corals, as hammers and torches appeal to me very much. In the future I would love a branching montipora and other SPS)....I'm digressing.

Currently, I'm looking all over European versions of Ebay/Craigslist, in order to find my first second-hand reef tank. However, up until now, I have only considered Red Sea reef tanks (I am unaware of other high-quality reef tank brands). Are there any European reefers out here, that know what brands (besides Red Sea) are high-quality and allow for a beautiful mixed reef tank?

I'm asking Europeans, but Americans feel free to answer my question to the best of your ability as well All input is valued.

Kind regards,

A brand new enthousiastic (soon-to-be) reefer.

 

[Jekyl]

There is no right answer to this. All of the manufacturers out there put out good products. Decide how big, sump/sumpless, cabinet or not, AIO or build your own. There are an amazing amount of things in this hobby that require attention to detail. However I've seen SPS growing like crazy in fish bowls. Pick the one that suits your needs and space the best and go with it. I went the route of building my own setup rather than an AIO kit. From the time you set your hardscape and mix your first batch of saltwater you have weeks before putting fish in, and months before coral. Gives you plenty of time to mull over the details and get used to testing parameters. Welcome to reefing!

 

[AJJ0501]

Thanks for responding Jekyl! For the most part, I have decided what tank I would like (in terms of size, AIO, et cetera). However, I am unsure which brands to consider. What are the (for example) the top 5 manufacturers besides Red Sea?

I currently know of Red Sea, Waterbox, Innovative Marine and Juwel. Are those the most reliable reef tank suppliers?

Thanks again!

 

[Phil D.]

I have a Red Sea E-260 with the sump upgrade and love it!! I would highly recommend them seeing they have improved the whole line, (stands, silicone, etc).

 

[Bob The Reefer]

Thanks for responding Jekyl! For the most part, I have decided what tank I would like (in terms of size, AIO, et cetera). However, I am unsure which brands to consider. What are the (for example) the top 5 manufacturers besides Red Sea?

I currently know of Red Sea, Waterbox, Innovative Marine and Juwel. Are those the most reliable reef tank suppliers?

Thanks again!

What size are you looking for?

 

[Viking_Reefing]

Personally I would be on the lookout for second hand custom tanks.
Two builders I’m familiar with are akwarium szczecin out of Poland and diamanten aquarium out of Germany.

Not sure where you are located but here in Sweden I see them pop up not to infrequently.

 

[FishyFishFish]

I had an Aqua Medic AIO whilst I was in the UK, which was quite nice and the older version of the Blenny Qube was quite popular. They are based in Germany.

They sell a variety of aquarium sizes but I am not sure what they are like at the moment as mine was bought several years ago.

 

[AJJ0501]

What size are you looking for?

I'm looking for a 3-4ft tank in width. My biggest concern is fish not getting enough space to swim.

I have made up my mind for the most part and will probably buy the Waterbox AIO 65.4 - However, they have just released a peninsula version of said AIO. I'm a bit undecisive whic version I will buy. The peninsula has better aesthetics IMO, but limited space for heater/skimmer/return pump/ATO.

I have opened a thread regarding the new Peninsula 65.4 version of WB AIO - I might bump it later today.

 

[Bob The Reefer]

I have no experience of the Waterbox tanks but I have a Red Sea Reefer 350 which is great my local fish shop here in Belgium has a Red Sea peninsula which looks very nice