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Disappointed with Micro Reefs Aquariums

Please read here before posting. Outside comments are not permitted per R2R's feedback forum policy. This is to allow the buyer and seller to have a streamlined conversation and hopefully come to a mutually satisfactory resolution in a negative transaction. If you would like to contribute your own feedback experience with either the buyer or seller, you may do so by creating your own feedback thread. Only the thread starter and vendor will have posting access. Thank you.

FishyFishFish

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This painful saga started to go wrong at first contact and I should already have been wary, but here is my experience with Micro-Reefs Aquariums.

I was in the market for a small (5 gallon) frag tank and was initially looking at a different vendor but they, unfortunately, had very poor reviews. Whilst conducting my research on that tank I came across Micro-Reefs Aquariums, and saw their construction thread on another forum of a tank that was exactly what I wanted.


I sent them a message, using the form on their website, about a custom frag tank and received a reply within minutes. Awesome, I thought. I replied to that email and then nothing.

After a few days I sent another message on their webform and received an instant reply. I replied to that email and then nothing.

I did this one more time and then gave up.


A couple of weeks later I decided that I really wanted this tank so sent one more message; I had given up ever trying to get a tank made to my requirements so I just said that I would take any small frag/pico tank that they could make. I finally received a quote and I paid immediately. This tank is very small (approx 12x12x8) so presumably shouldn't be too complex to manufacture.


The tank was delivered shortly afterwards but it was literally garbage; I could see that the acrylic had not been bonded correctly and I immediately emailed them back with my observations. I had received an email in the interim telling me that they had forgot to leak test it so later that afternoon I filled it up and it leaked straight away. I emailed them again and requested a replacement tank. I was told that they were too busy to manufacture a replacement and that as a gesture of goodwill they would refund the tank and I could have it as a freebie for me to fix, which I agreed to. I then conducted some research and discovered that, without major surgery or the addition of extra pieces of acrylic, the repair of an incorrectly bonded acrylic tank would be difficult if not impossible; in any case, the adhesive to fix it was not particularly cheap. I decided to try one more thing before disposing of it and pulled at the front panel to see how well bonded it was (to see if I could completely remove that piece and bond it back in place) and the front came off almost completely cleanly. There was, however, a small section at the bottom front that was bonded correctly and this snapped off and the tank then went into the trash (which is where it would have had to go anyway if I hadn't looked to try to fix it).

I then emailed them back to explain that it wasn't just a small leak and the bonding was almost non-existent. I did this simply for their information and did not ask for anything in return (I had already received a full refund).

The owner then told me that it was a different fabricator (not him) that had made my tank and he seemed very genuinely apologetic for the poor quality of the construction. He insisted that he should make me a second tank, completely free of charge, as an apology (I did not request this at any point - in fact I even told them that if they made a replacement that I would pay for it). He told me that he would start making it 'tomorrow' and that it should be finished by the following Saturday (this was on the Monday). I was also told that they would send me photos of the build to show the quality of the bonds during the new build.

10 days later I email again and ask for an update. I was then informed that this tank that I had been promised would be started 9 days earlier, and was being specifically made to overcome their previous shortcomings, had not even been started as they had been working on something else for another customer. I was then offered either a tank that they had in stock (which was from the same batch and by the same fabricator that didn't bond my first one correctly) or they would start making me another one 'tomorrow'. I wouldn't have been too concerned by this delay but even after the previous issues they didn't think it was worth a quick email to let me know.

At this stage I have given up and will be buying elsewhere.

I am somewhat gobsmacked that a company would be so concerned about shipping a sub-standard tank that they would offer to replace it free of charge, only to subsequently break their promises again within a couple of days. I am also pretty shocked that a professional acrylic tank manufacturer can't correctly bond a tiny 5 gallon tank in the first place.

I have attached pictures of what I received (it was me that pulled the front panel off, but you can see the sides have broken off completely cleanly as they weren't bonded at all).

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Micro-Reefs Aquarium

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Dear Fishyfishfish,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, I had to ask permission for R2R to allow me access to respond, as I am not a sponsor here on R2R and I signed up to be a hobbyist only. Thank you again R2R for allowing me access to reply back to Fishyfishfish.

I don't wish to drag out this thread into a heated debate, but will again apologize for the lack of communication that I had with you during your purchase with us. When I discovered that the tank had left the shop without a 24 hour mandatory freshwater test, I emailed you to let you know, I should have pulled the shipment from UPS, back to me as that is what I have access to, I however, made a mistake in allowing it to arrive in your possession.

When we spoke after you announced that it arrived and was leaking from the front panel, I called you on my personal phone to express how much I was sorry to you, you made it clear during that conversation that the seams were poor and the craftsman ship also poor, but that you were okay with it because of the price $79.99 plus cost to ship.

I felt horrible and said, let me build you a brand new system, with pump, media basket, bulkhead and fittings, since you were having a hard time with what arrived, the tank came as a naked series system, not what you saw on the link, offered to others where I sponsor at nanoreef. Again, you said you should have read the invoice to see what you were purchasing it was clear on that invoice it was just the tank.

As, I had you on the phone I logged into paypal and refunded you 100 percent, I ate up the material, shipping and labor I paid an associate to do a batch of aquariums all that configuration.

When we hung up, I read more emails from you, that indicated you first just wanted your money back but then again, objected to a free tank and wanted to pay, I admire that but I was not going to take your money, I wanted to show you that a defective tank had arrived to your home.

Any fabricator on this board that works with acrylic, knows that the seals were not cemented properly, as no human hand can tear off a panel, after 1 week of it being cured. I spoke to you that when I found out you tore off the panel, it was indeed defective, improper cementing.

Now, you showed everyone on R2R what an improper seal looks like. Let me explain those seals, again any fabricator of acrylic knows that feed rates and RPM need to be dialed in on the table router in which the edges passes, too fast or to slow, you will not have what we like to call a baby butt soft run. The edges of a bad router run, will have grooves in them where air bubbles will form when using capillary action to seal.

Edge prep on 3/8 inch down to 3/16 inch material needs to be perfectly prepped feed rate and RPM to allow for smooth edge, like that of sanding it down, that smooth.

1/2 inch and up thick acrylic requires pin method and next to perfect routing is not required, because Weldon #4 would melt it down where you would never see bubbles, since the clamps remove all the trapped air bubbles that could form.

So, there is a process that has to be done for next to perfect edges in the acrylic trade. One of my competitors makes the exact frag tank that you received for $199.99, naked series. So, perfection of zero micro bubbles was not going to be found on this tank. I had sold them before with some micro bubbles but they didn't leak and the customers were happy for all they got in $79.99.

You sir, are a perfectionist and I admire that in a reefer. You have made me aware of my shortcomings and how I may strive to correct them, you have given me initiative, to drive to excel and do better for my young company, that I brought to in 2011 from a hobbyist only, to small entrepreneur. For that I must salute you!

Lastly, I will post the pictures of the tank that was made in the batch you talk about, I will not hide any of the seams, so that everyone can see what I was sending you back ASAP! I am not in the business to send out defective tanks I would have been shut down in 2011, you sir are the first to receive one since I started.

As a hobbyist, I received two aquariums from two huge vendors in the acrylic industry that forgot to close a seam and sent it to me, it was a disaster water everywhere, since they never water tested it. I went through a defective tank, so I know your frustration, but I sent you an email to prevent such a disaster. I sir, promised you a brand new tank not a penny would I ask in return, but a positive review, I FAILED AT PROMISING YOU A TIMELINE I COULDN'T KEEP. Again, sorry to you for that, and my last email was, I hope you have success with the next vendor that gets to build you an acrylic tank.

Respectfully yours,

Mike Guerrero
Owner/Founder
Micro-Reefs Aquariums LLC
 

Micro-Reefs Aquarium

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Here are the pics of the same tank minus the black bottom as we spoke via email
 

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FishyFishFish

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I also don’t want to drag this out so will make one final response and this will be my last.

I don’t think expecting a tank that does not leak and can’t be pulled apart by hand is being a perfectionist.

The tank that you have pictured here was in your stock when mine failed. You did not initially offer to send me one of those, as you appear to be suggesting, which you could have done at the time. Instead you suggested and offered to make me a new tank starting ‘tomorrow’.

Not only did you not honor this promise of making me a new tank but you didn’t even tell me that you weren’t doing it; prioritizing something for someone else. It was only over a week later, when I emailed you again, that you told me that you hadn’t even started the new tank as you had promised; it was only then that you suggested sending me the tank that you pictured in this thread, which was not your original promise.

I am at a loss as to understand how a new business starting up would have a customer who was sent such a poorly constructed tank that they would offer to immediately build and send a new one and would then break this promise within 1 day. This can’t have been forgotten in 1 day and must have been a conscious decision.

You failed me as a customer, and then you failed again when trying to correct your failure. This is indicative of incorrect priorities in my opinion and there is only so far that apologizing will get you when there are systemic failures.

I did initially say that my preference was for a replacement tank and not a refund. You refunded my money as you initially told me you didn’t have time to make me a new tank. You subsequently changed your mind and additionally promised me another new tank for free (which is when I again offered to pay for it) when you saw just how bad my first one was. It was you who told me that you would start it ‘tomorrow’ (which is not something I has asked for). Why offer these things if you aren’t going to follow through with them?

It might seem that everything is now ‘neutral’ as I have no tank but also didn’t pay anything. However, based on the promises I bought an AI prime, a return pump and the plumbing parts that I needed. Fortunately I will be able to re-use the AI prime and BRS has been excellent in allowing me to return the other parts. I have also had to buy an extra temporary tank to hold the corals that this one was planned for.

As with my correspondence with you, I am not, and have never sought anything for ‘free’ or tried to take advantage of the situation. I just wanted a tank, that I paid for, that didn’t leak. I am not using this thread as leverage or to attempt to getting anything else out the situation, I just want to make people aware of what they could potentially expect when dealing with Micro Reefs.
 

Micro-Reefs Aquarium

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Thanks to you fishyfishfish, I had a fabricator of acrylic email me here, that I should do pin method on all my aquariums. That of I use capillary action I risk dry seams.

I only do pin method on 3/4 inch and up.

Here are the pictures of my build, that I did using pin method. You can clearly see that is museum quality seal.
 

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Please read here before posting. Outside comments are not permitted per R2R's feedback forum policy. This is to allow the buyer and seller to have a streamlined conversation and hopefully come to a mutually satisfactory resolution in a negative transaction. If you would like to contribute your own feedback experience with either the buyer or seller, you may do so by creating your own feedback thread. Only the thread starter and vendor will have posting access. Thank you.
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