Custom Build Aquarium - Suggestions

[attilak]

Hopefully I am posting this in the right forum. I have been doing a lot of research on tanks as I am about to do an upgrade to my 210, which is 72" L, 24" D and 25" H (FOWLR tank). Unfortunately I cannot go longer, which would require some major reconstruction of my kitchen / family room area. I have many larger angels, triggers and tangs and really think the 210 is getting to be a bit on the smaller side. There is also other reasons that when I purchased the tank from a friend I didn’t think it through the that over flows are in the back (not corners) and the tank sits between two rooms so the one side looks bad. I will take some pics tomorrow to post here…

Because of the 72” limitation of the length of the tank. I was considering doing a 72” L by 34” or 36” D, still 25” H. This would increase my tank to about 280 G. The overflow I was going to choose is island style…. This way no obstruction on either side for one.

I would like to get some opinions on doing a 36” D tank…. Any advantages, disadvantage? I want to keep 25” H mainly due to being able to do aquascaping…. I want to really think this through and get some ideas from ones who have done custom tanks as it is very expensive and want to think everything through. I also don’t need to worry about under tank sump, equipment. All of my equipment and sump is in the basement.

The one decision I did make is to do a low iron, glass aquarium vs. acrylic. Acrylic is good because of the weight and clearer but scratches very easily - I figure that going with low iron glass would probably be comparable to the acrylic.

I looked at two companies so far, glass cages (https://build.glasscages.com/) and https://www.fishtanksdirect.com/. Anyone have experience using either of these companies, or suggest other ones?

Thanks!

 

[mehaffydr]

I would also go with the LIG. I had acrylic and over time I hated it. Way too difficult to clean coraline. I would recommend @glasscages They are great people to work with and a lot of years of experience building tanks.

 

[attilak]

cool, makes me feel better. The guys at the fish tanks direct was really pushing acrylic telling me that they are far superior then glass. However, as I did more research I learned that there are definitely big disadvantages. Thanks!

 

[mehaffydr]

Acrylic does have a couple of advantages but I think the glass is better.
1. Acrylic is clearer but LIG is great unless it gets really thick.
2. Acrylic does insulate better but if your in a conditioned house thats really not a factor
3. Acrylic is lighter but as long as you have strong friends that should not matter.

 

[Joe Glass Cages]

I would also go with the LIG. I had acrylic and over time I hated it. Way too difficult to clean coraline. I would recommend @glasscages They are great people to work with and a lot of years of experience building tanks.

Thanks so much for the support @mehaffydr. We do love doing what we do!

 

[shred5]

Hopefully I am posting this in the right forum. I have been doing a lot of research on tanks as I am about to do an upgrade to my 210, which is 72" L, 24" D and 25" H (FOWLR tank). Unfortunately I cannot go longer, which would require some major reconstruction of my kitchen / family room area. I have many larger angels, triggers and tangs and really think the 210 is getting to be a bit on the smaller side. There is also other reasons that when I purchased the tank from a friend I didn’t think it through the that over flows are in the back (not corners) and the tank sits between two rooms so the one side looks bad. I will take some pics tomorrow to post here…

Because of the 72” limitation of the length of the tank. I was considering doing a 72” L by 34” or 36” D, still 25” H. This would increase my tank to about 280 G. The overflow I was going to choose is island style…. This way no obstruction on either side for one.

I would like to get some opinions on doing a 36” D tank…. Any advantages, disadvantage? I want to keep 25” H mainly due to being able to do aquascaping…. I want to really think this through and get some ideas from ones who have done custom tanks as it is very expensive and want to think everything through. I also don’t need to worry about under tank sump, equipment. All of my equipment and sump is in the basement.

The one decision I did make is to do a low iron, glass aquarium vs. acrylic. Acrylic is good because of the weight and clearer but scratches very easily - I figure that going with low iron glass would probably be comparable to the acrylic.

I looked at two companies so far, glass cages (https://build.glasscages.com/) and https://www.fishtanksdirect.com/. Anyone have experience using either of these companies, or suggest other ones?

Thanks!

Just so you know low iron glass is softer than regular glass and scratches more easily also. Not as bad as acrylic but it defiantly is easier to scratch.

I have seen allot of customaquariums and they are top notch.
GC used to have a bad reputation but were low priced. I have not seen anything by them lately but it seems like they have turned things around from what others have told me.

I am thinking of a custom tank myself. Something like a 48x30or36x16or18
I have a few other frag tanks I need also to finish my basement up and since DeepBlue no longer makes aquariums I need a 24x36x12.
Customaquariums isn't exactly local but I could pick it up from them because they are not to far.
Was considering GC but there online price is actually higher.

 

[attilak]

thanks for this and never heard of customaquariums.com. When I do the comparison in price w/ glasscages the price seems to be about the same. I was talking to my LFS guy and he said years ago glasscages did not have a good rep. I hope that they changed because it is a lot of money for a large aquarium of what I am looking to purchase - 70" L, 25" H, 36" D. about 300 gal. plus they do charge about $400 which will be shipping.

 

[shred5]

thanks for this and never heard of customaquariums.com. When I do the comparison in price w/ glasscages the price seems to be about the same. I was talking to my LFS guy and he said years ago glasscages did not have a good rep. I hope that they changed because it is a lot of money for a large aquarium of what I am looking to purchase - 70" L, 25" H, 36" D. about 300 gal. plus they do charge about $400 which will be shipping.

Prices are close. The size I am looking at is a couple hundred dollars though and then add shipping.
I have allot of tanks too so money counts.

I am thinking of doing something like this:
Something different.

The Basin Tank Reef Aquarium of Kyle Verry

Here at Advanced Aquarist, we like to showcase unusual and unique aquarium builds and this one definitely fits that category. I've never actually seen a hobbyist tank quite like this one.

reefs.com

I have not heard of any issues lately with Glass cages and they seem to be on the forums here allot lately.
It seems like they are really trying. I will say this though there were some people who said they had no issue even back then.

It stinks but I think there will be failure's and sometimes the manufactures get the blame when it is not their fault.
There are also people who want a cheap aquarium and then expect it to be the highest quality.

 

[Joe Glass Cages]

Just so you know low iron glass is softer than regular glass and scratches more easily also. Not as bad as acrylic but it defiantly is easier to scratch.

I have seen allot of customaquariums and they are top notch.
GC used to have a bad reputation but were low priced. I have not seen anything by them lately but it seems like they have turned things around from what others have told me.

I am thinking of a custom tank myself. Something like a 48x30or36x16or18
I have a few other frag tanks I need also to finish my basement up and since DeepBlue no longer makes aquariums I need a 24x36x12.
Customaquariums isn't exactly local but I could pick it up from them because they are not to far.
Was considering GC but there online price is actually higher.

Thanks so much for the consideration @shred5. We are a New Glass Cages for sure.

Here to support even if you select a different builder.

You shared that Low-Iron is softer than regular glass. I have done a ton of research on this topic in addition to speaking with many glass suppliers and manufactures. None of the suppliers or manufactures could support this claim. I can only find this being discussed on forums. Do you have a supporting qualified source for this? I sure would like to review that information if possible. Thanks so much.

 

[Joe Glass Cages]

Prices are close. The size I am looking at is a couple hundred dollars though and then add shipping.
I have allot of tanks too so money counts.

I am thinking of doing something like this:
Something different.

The Basin Tank Reef Aquarium of Kyle Verry

Here at Advanced Aquarist, we like to showcase unusual and unique aquarium builds and this one definitely fits that category. I've never actually seen a hobbyist tank quite like this one.

reefs.com

I have not heard of any issues lately with Glass cages and they seem to be on the forums here allot lately.
It seems like they are really trying. I will say this though there were some people who said they had no issue even back then.

It stinks but I think there will be failure's and sometimes the manufactures get the blame when it is not their fault.
There are also people who want a cheap aquarium and then expect it to be the highest quality.

Thanks for the mention @shred5. We have done a lot of listening and adjusting as to serve the best we can with a better product. And offering more solutions. Creative solutions. Thanks again for the mention. Here to support.

 

[Joe Glass Cages]

thanks for this and never heard of customaquariums.com. When I do the comparison in price w/ glasscages the price seems to be about the same. I was talking to my LFS guy and he said years ago glasscages did not have a good rep. I hope that they changed because it is a lot of money for a large aquarium of what I am looking to purchase - 70" L, 25" H, 36" D. about 300 gal. plus they do charge about $400 which will be shipping.

Thanks for the sharing @attilak. Yes we are a New Glass Cages.

Appreciate all the conversations and honesty.

During October of 2019 there was a major transformation at Glass Cages.

Glass Cages Transformation:

• Leadership Change
• Quality Assurance with QA Check Points
• Digital Production Tracking
• Improved Customer Service
• CAD drawing and approval processes
• Major Investments in Fabrication Equipment
• Polished Edges are now standard on all builds

We are not stopping with these improvements. Please see our reviews after October 2019 on Facebook, google, instagram and Reef2Reef. We have asked our new customers to share the truth. Being a humble organization and knowing the truth allows us to reinforce the good and correct our challenges.

I am so excited and proud of our Glass Cages Team. We look forward to hearing from you about how we can serve you better now and in the future.

 

[ca1ore]

I would like to get some opinions on doing a 36” D tank…. Any advantages, disadvantage? I want to keep 25” H mainly due to being able to do aquascaping…. I want to really think this through and get some ideas from ones who have done custom tanks as it is very expensive and want to think everything through. I also don’t need to worry about under tank sump, equipment. All of my equipment and sump is in the basement.

The one decision I did make is to do a low iron, glass aquarium vs. acrylic. Acrylic is good because of the weight and clearer but scratches very easily - I figure that going with low iron glass would probably be comparable to the acrylic.

I looked at two companies so far, glass cages (https://build.glasscages.com/) and https://www.fishtanksdirect.com/. Anyone have experience using either of these companies, or suggest other ones?

Thanks!

The challenge with a 36" deep (front to back) tank is reach .... but if you have access from both sides, then it would be like having two 18" tanks. I have an 96"x36"x30" acrylic tsunami tank from fishtanksdirect and have been very happy with it. Not sure they do custom glass tanks though. Frankly, I have never really felt that the clarity difference between regular float glass, low iron or acrylic is all that meaningful, particularly once the tank is up and running. Acrylic does scratch more easily of course, but it can also be repaired relatively easily. I personally prefer acrylic tank corners, and am just very careful when I clean the sides. I did get a quote from glass cages for this tank (back in 2017) and the price and build quality was good. The 'problem' was weight - the empty tank was pushing 1,100 pounds. Acrylic was not light, at almost 700, but it was lighter LOL. I have a friend with a glass cages tank that has to be close to 15 years old. Prior ownership, I get that, but the build style seems the same. Maybe even better as his does not include the bottom euro-bracing.

 

[shred5]

Thanks for the sharing @attilak. Yes we are a New Glass Cages.

Appreciate all the conversations and honesty.

During October of 2019 there was a major transformation at Glass Cages.

Glass Cages Transformation:

• Leadership Change
• Quality Assurance with QA Check Points
• Digital Production Tracking
• Improved Customer Service
• CAD drawing and approval processes
• Major Investments in Fabrication Equipment
• Polished Edges are now standard on all builds

We are not stopping with these improvements. Please see our reviews after October 2019 on Facebook, google, instagram and Reef2Reef. We have asked our new customers to share the truth. Being a humble organization and knowing the truth allows us to reinforce the good and correct our challenges.

I am so excited and proud of our Glass Cages Team. We look forward to hearing from you about how we can serve you better now and in the future.

looks nice and about what I am looking for. I can drill myself.
What is the dimensions on that tank right there?
That is Eurobraced?

 

[Joe Glass Cages]

looks nice and about what I am looking for. I can drill myself.
What is the dimensions on that tank right there?
That is Eurobraced?

for sure. details below.

Glass Aquarium
96 x 49-1/2 x 18 Tall (Overall Dimensions) 3/4” Glass
1/2” Low-Iron Perimeter Bracing
NO TRIM
Low-Iron Front, Back and Short Side
Black Silicone
Black Vinyl on Short Side
Divider Wall Overflow with 5 Holes
Black Acrylic Overflow Cover

 

[shred5]

for sure. details below.

Glass Aquarium
96 x 49-1/2 x 18 Tall (Overall Dimensions) 3/4” Glass
1/2” Low-Iron Perimeter Bracing
NO TRIM
Low-Iron Front, Back and Short Side
Black Silicone
Black Vinyl on Short Side
Divider Wall Overflow with 5 Holes
Black Acrylic Overflow Cover

Yea that is bigger than it looks, way bigger than I need. It is super nice looking too.

I have been thinking hard on this tank and what I want to do. I am thinking 48x36 for sure and height around 14"
12" high and a big drop in prices it seems.
I could have a regular rim on bottom but I want rimless or Eurobraced top. I am leaning toward Eurobrace for the top.
Why is Eurobrace more money, you would think it would be less because wall thickness could be less. Rimless looks nice but I just hate rimless because it lets to much water splash out. Everytime I stick my hand in a rimless tank there is water running down the glass.


GC Rimless 48x36x16 1354.00
GC Eurobraced 48x36x16 1435.00

Custom Aquariums Rimless 48x36x18 1288.00 I can get a discount by buying through a local fish store.
Problem is I do not want 18" deep and going less height the price jumps allot because it is custom. 4" less on the sides and it goes up.

I really thinking I may move ahead with this build. I just have to sell the tank that is there right now and get it out first.

 

[Joe Glass Cages]

Yea that is bigger than it looks, way bigger than I need. It is super nice looking too.

I have been thinking hard on this tank and what I want to do. I am thinking 48x36 for sure and height around 14"
12" high and a big drop in prices it seems.
I could have a regular rim on bottom but I want rimless or Eurobraced top. I am leaning toward Eurobrace for the top.
Why is Eurobrace more money, you would think it would be less because wall thickness could be less. Rimless looks nice but I just hate rimless because it lets to much water splash out. Everytime I stick my hand in a rimless tank there is water running down the glass.


GC Rimless 48x36x16 1354.00
GC Eurobraced 48x36x16 1435.00

Custom Aquariums Rimless 48x36x18 1288.00 I can get a discount by buying through a local fish store.
Problem is I do not want 18" deep and going less height the price jumps allot because it is custom. 4" less on the sides and it goes up.

I really thinking I may move ahead with this build. I just have to sell the tank that is there right now and get it out first.

@shred5 Great questions. Custom builds some great tanks. If they are a better fit for you, that's ok. You have to pick the right build for your needs, wants, product, support, customer service, availability and so on. The best choice is your choice. We are honored for the consideration.

Regarding the pricing.

We have 3 glass trim lines available. Euro-Braced with Cross-Braces, Perimeter Euro-Bracing and Rimless.

GC Rimless 48x36x16 Tall $1,354
GC Perimeter Only Euro-braced 48x36x16 Tall $1,435
GC Euro-Braced with Cross-Braces 48 x 36 x 17 Tall $1,088

Hope that help. Here to support!

 

[Oldreefer44]

I have a 180 from Custom and am very happy with the quality. I primarily went with them because the stand style and color which went well with the furniture that I already have. I have to say though that I am very impressed with Joe's communication and desire to please so I think that either would be a good choice. I agree with others that anything deeper than 30 inches makes it much harder to reach all areas of the tank. If you were to ad a canopy then that makes it even more difficult to reach everything.

 

[ReefEco]

Whatever you do, don't use Custom Aquariums - I have a horror story from them when I ordered 5 tanks. Perhaps the most unethical, dishonest company I have ever dealt with. I did my research like you when starting my build, and a lot of people liked them - which is why I chose them. But, you never really know a company and its people until things go wrong. They mis-crated the tank (400g custom) and it arrive damaged, as well as the stand. Took no responsibility, tried to force me to accept the stand we didn't know was viable, etc. Horrible. Then there were the unpolished edges, which they said were "normal." On a $5k tank. They admitted they changed their crating techniques because of the damage, but didn't admit they did anything wrong. LOL. Save yourself the possible headache and use someone else - lots of other choices. Finally had to reorder my tanks through AGE, and they are beautiful and arrived intact.

 

[nhendrix]

I just got my 240g from glass cages about a month and a half ago and love it. Joe was very helpful. It’s my 2nd 240g from them love them both

 

[attilak]

I just got my 240g from glass cages about a month and a half ago and love it. Joe was very helpful. It’s my 2nd 240g from them love them both

Hi, would you mind sharing some pics of the tank?