whalewhalewhale
Active Member
I didn't see too many posts about the Eshopps Mariner M40, so I decided to share my build and hopefully answer some questions for anyone else interested in this tank!
I am coming from a previous well established 5+ year old slightly smaller system, and I wanted to minimize any "cycling" and get the tank up and running as fast as possible. To do this, I transferred all my previous rock and added cured Aussie Live rock sourced from Unique Corals in Van Nuys and Eric over at TankStop (I handpicked the rocks myself at LAX Aquarium where he keeps them). I used 20lbs of brand new CaribSea Special Grade that I rinsed in RO/DI before adding. I didn't really need the bacteria that comes with it nor did I want the cloudy mess that comes with using it straight out of the bag. Perhaps I wasted my money buying the "live sand" version, but it's what my LFS had in stock.
The tank and stand arrived in a single ~200lb crate approximately 4'x3'x3' in size and took about 1.5-2 weeks for Eshopps to ship after ordering it online. Labels say made in Vietnam. The crate's internals were well padded and was arranged so that all furniture was in a cardboard box, and the tank, sump, plumbing, and documentation were shrinkwrapped together. Pulling out the contents required disassembling the crate with a power drill.
Assembling the stand was IKEA level difficulty and all the tools are included inside except for screwdriver. There was a light primer/paint smell I noticed when I first opened the box for the stand and some dry paint residue did rub off on my hands and clothes. The stand is supported by 8 small adjustable feet (2 on each corner). The feet each have two nuts that you use the included wrench to adjust the height and to "lock" the height to prevent it from creeping. You should be patient with this step and absolutely don't ignore it as the stand does NOT come leveled out of the box.
Both the stand and tank required two people to move as they are both around 80-90lbs each and a little too lengthy for the average person to try to carry on their own. All the plumbing was included and instructions for assembly were pretty straightforward. It was a bit challenging for me to hold the overflow and return pipes inside the narrow overflow box while also screwing in the other half from below the tank. I think this may also be a two person task.
Overall, it's a beautiful and quality tank that the folks at Eshopps definitely put a lot of thought into. The "peace of mind" is by no means an exaggeration as I measured all 4 sides of glass to be 10mm ± 0.1mm of thickness which I confirmed with digital calipers. For those of you who are new to this hobby, 10mm glass is generally found on aquariums 2-3x the size of this tank. Paired with the Wacker silicone cured for 15-30 days and the marine grade wood stand, it is without a doubt an "overbuilt" aquarium you can trust.
My goal is to build a mostly SPS dominant system. The previous system was a mixed reef, and I got a lot of enjoyment out of growing and fragging SPS which is why this is where my focus will be this time.
Equipment List:
Livestock:
Please feel free to drop any questions about the tank or my setup. I will also try to update this thread with the tank's progress over time!
I am coming from a previous well established 5+ year old slightly smaller system, and I wanted to minimize any "cycling" and get the tank up and running as fast as possible. To do this, I transferred all my previous rock and added cured Aussie Live rock sourced from Unique Corals in Van Nuys and Eric over at TankStop (I handpicked the rocks myself at LAX Aquarium where he keeps them). I used 20lbs of brand new CaribSea Special Grade that I rinsed in RO/DI before adding. I didn't really need the bacteria that comes with it nor did I want the cloudy mess that comes with using it straight out of the bag. Perhaps I wasted my money buying the "live sand" version, but it's what my LFS had in stock.
The tank and stand arrived in a single ~200lb crate approximately 4'x3'x3' in size and took about 1.5-2 weeks for Eshopps to ship after ordering it online. Labels say made in Vietnam. The crate's internals were well padded and was arranged so that all furniture was in a cardboard box, and the tank, sump, plumbing, and documentation were shrinkwrapped together. Pulling out the contents required disassembling the crate with a power drill.
Assembling the stand was IKEA level difficulty and all the tools are included inside except for screwdriver. There was a light primer/paint smell I noticed when I first opened the box for the stand and some dry paint residue did rub off on my hands and clothes. The stand is supported by 8 small adjustable feet (2 on each corner). The feet each have two nuts that you use the included wrench to adjust the height and to "lock" the height to prevent it from creeping. You should be patient with this step and absolutely don't ignore it as the stand does NOT come leveled out of the box.
Both the stand and tank required two people to move as they are both around 80-90lbs each and a little too lengthy for the average person to try to carry on their own. All the plumbing was included and instructions for assembly were pretty straightforward. It was a bit challenging for me to hold the overflow and return pipes inside the narrow overflow box while also screwing in the other half from below the tank. I think this may also be a two person task.
Overall, it's a beautiful and quality tank that the folks at Eshopps definitely put a lot of thought into. The "peace of mind" is by no means an exaggeration as I measured all 4 sides of glass to be 10mm ± 0.1mm of thickness which I confirmed with digital calipers. For those of you who are new to this hobby, 10mm glass is generally found on aquariums 2-3x the size of this tank. Paired with the Wacker silicone cured for 15-30 days and the marine grade wood stand, it is without a doubt an "overbuilt" aquarium you can trust.
My goal is to build a mostly SPS dominant system. The previous system was a mixed reef, and I got a lot of enjoyment out of growing and fragging SPS which is why this is where my focus will be this time.
Equipment List:
- Lighting: Kessil AP9X
- Flow: 2x Ecotech Vortech MP10
- Return Pump: AI Axis 40
- Protein Skimmer: Simplicity 120DC
- Fleece Roller: Nature Dimensions N-Clear M (with adapter plate for the 4x7 rectangular filter sock slot)
- ATO: BRS Top Off Doser + Avast Top Off Sensor/Outlet
- Dosing: Ecotech Versa
- Heating/Cooling: Inkbird + BRS 100W Titanium Heater + Custom fans
- Refugium: no name LED grow light from Amazon
- Salt: Tropic Marin Pro Reef
Livestock:
- 2x Ocellaris Clownfish
- Striped Fang Blenny
- Yellow Watchman Goby + Candy Cane Pistol Shrimp
- Six Line Wrasse (newly added 2 weeks later)
- Biota Mandarin Dragonet
- Banggai Cardinal (new added 1 week later)
- 2x Tuxedo Urchins
- Unknown number of Hermit Crabs and snails
- Random mushrooms, LPS, and soft corals that hitchhiked on the rocks
Please feel free to drop any questions about the tank or my setup. I will also try to update this thread with the tank's progress over time!
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