Do you own a Prostar Pro-clear aquarium/stand? Which one and what do you like/dislike? (pics nice but optional)

bpbonds · Mar 22, 2023

I use the MP 40's they work great

StatelineReefer · Mar 22, 2023

Proclear 60 cube here... I think everyone agrees, the aquariums, and even the stands, are fine.... but that godawful sump... TERRIBLE.

bpbonds · Mar 22, 2023

StatelineReefer said:
Proclear 60 cube here... I think everyone agrees, the aquariums, and even the stands, are fine.... but that godawful sump... TERRIBLE.

I agree the sump is garbage the stand is great, tank is great.

DanTheReefer · Aug 15, 2023

mindme said:
I've been running a Prostar 230 since October of 2020. Overall it's been a great tank, especially since I was able to get mine for only $2700 before the big price increase.

What I do not like about it is the sump in general. I would still buy one again, but the entire sump design is just bad IMO.

First, it has 6 socks. That's kind of a pain in the butt. But even more so, I can't find socks that actually fit properly. All the 4 inch socks I buy only are just barely too big, so I have to kind of slide them in kind of sideways and wedge them in the hole. So 1 side of the sock is elevated about 1/2 inch - 1 inch. The socks that came with it didn't last very long either, but they do fit properly.

Next up are the compartments. The first one after the socks is the skimmer section. No real complaints about that area, the way the sump is setup it for the most part maintains a good level. But then the next section, which I guess is the refugium area is kind of narrow. Even worse the water in that section rises and falls with the return sump section, and it flows under the panel. That means you can't really put sand in it, because the sand will just flow into the return pump area. It needs another panel in front of the underflow that will cause the water level in that section to maintain itself and also keep any sand in that area. So needs an over then under, not just an under.

I think the auto top off system that came with it is worthless. I've tried using it. But it only holds 3 gallons when full, and it is a huge pain in the butt to fill up as there is no real room. Also any other top off system isn't going to work well either because the return pump compartment is the one that will get low, but the sump goes all the way to the end of the tank, so the only way to have a top off really is to put something outside the tank stand. I ended up removing the ATO a few months ago, as it had been over a year since I had put any water in it. 3 gallons is only going to last about 2 days anyway, so what I ended up doing is just putting the water into the sump directly, about 3 gallons every 2 days. So I didn't see the point in filling up the ATO every 2 days with that extra pain rather than just putting the water in the sump itself every 2 days.

The only other issue is that it doesn't surface skim well by default. The sliencers for some reason really put a damper on that. I have personally removed the sliencers from my overflow. It's really not loud without them to me, and without them, it skims the surface. Again, I would still buy mine again, but if it was up to me I would redesign the overflow area into a herbie or something that isn't just 2 pipes with silencer caps on them.

Love the stand. It's much taller than most tanks. That was also a big selling point for me. It's more room above the sump, which is in itself extremely important IMO. But if you are over 6 feet tall like me, the amount of bending over to look at the tank is also really reduced. I don't know why that height isn't standard. But if you are a shorter person, you might have trouble reaching the bottom of the tank without a step stool.

And the tank itself is extremely nice. For the 230 it has 3/4 inch glass, and the seems are flawless. No silicone spilling over or anything. MP40's have a hard time with the thickness even though it's in their range. If you use a MP40, make sure you secure the cords above the powerhead. Otherwise, you will wake up with a powerhead in the floor at some point, and you'll be lucky if it doesn't cause it to start making noises from the impact - ask me how I know.

Even at the higher price point it's at now, I still think it's a very good deal.

Ugh I just got mine and love it except for the overflow, you are correct that you need to pick between surface skimming and having noise, I’m not sure why both drains are same height so you cannot dial in the continuous siphon flow rate, huge oversight on my part although I probably would still buy again

BigMikeFlipz · Aug 16, 2023

Curious, would it be possible to modify the sump, or even get a different sump to install? Anyone provide pics of those larger Prostar sumps would be awesome!

Uncle99 · Aug 16, 2023

I did not use the Pro-Star glass sump, kinda basic glass.
Lots of room for a good unit.
Lots of choice.

MarcosTacos · Sep 22, 2023

Did anyone experience a wobbly stand? I bought a used 60 and the stand can move from side to side, even when leveled perfectly. I will try to reinforce it but i don't really know if a small brace on the outside of the back panel will suffice, or if I will need to add some bracing on the inside.

StatelineReefer · Sep 22, 2023

MarcosTacos said:
Did anyone experience a wobbly stand? I bought a used 60 and the stand can move from side to side, even when leveled perfectly. I will try to reinforce it but i don't really know if a small brace on the outside of the back panel will suffice, or if I will need to add some bracing on the inside.

I levelled it using the feet with the tank on the stand half full. I had help though, and I DO NOT recommend doing it alone.

MarcosTacos · Sep 22, 2023

So yours was wobbly too when empty?

StatelineReefer · Sep 22, 2023

MarcosTacos said:
So yours was wobbly too when empty?

Well, I have uneven floors to begin with, the house is twice as old as I am. But not having weight in the tank gave the illusion of level, until it was full. It wasn't wobbly so much as it leaned to the center of the room.