Innovative Marine Stand ….Thoughts?

[Christopher1492]

I’m considering an Innovative Marine “Custom” line setup but I’m really hung up on the stand. I’m not a fan of the stand. Don’t really like the style but more importantly, I’m afraid it will look industrial rather than something you’d want in your living room. Anyone have/had one that could speak to this. Any pics would be cool.
Thanks

 

[blaxsun]

I'm honestly not a fan of their stands, either. The side panels are aluminum, so while that's great from a durability standpoint - they're very lightweight and have more of that "industrial" feel you're talking about,

I'm assuming you're referring to the APS stands on IM's website. I don't currently have any IM tanks or stands, but I pass one of the APS ones every time I go into my LFS and I'm just not a fan.

 

[Christopher1492]

I'm honestly not a fan of their stands, either. The side panels are aluminum, so while that's great from a durability standpoint - they're very lightweight and have more of that "industrial" feel you're talking about,

I'm assuming you're referring to the APS stands on IM's website. I don't currently have any IM tanks or stands, but I pass one of the APS ones every time I go into my LFS and I'm just not a fan.

Thanks. I was afraid that would be the case. I’m glad you shared with me.

 

[Kellie in CA]

I have the stand in black. I don’t love it or hate it. It’s fine. It blends in ok.
The plexiglass panels are hard to clean without streaks/smudges. But, the aluminum finish isn’t damaged by saltwater like all the wood/painted stands I’ve had.
I grabbed it because the tank/stand package was on sale so the cost of the stand was way less than building one from wood. Also, it went together in less than an hour.

 

[Christopher1492]

I have the stand in black. I don’t love it or hate it. It’s fine. It blends in ok.
The plexiglass panels are hard to clean without streaks/smudges. But, the aluminum finish isn’t damaged by saltwater like all the wood/painted stands I’ve had.
I grabbed it because the tank/stand package was on sale so the cost of the stand was way less than building one from wood. Also, it went together in less than an hour.

So is the frame aluminum and the panels plexi? Do you have any close up pics to share? Thx

 

[SGV - Bluestar]

I like their stand due to the weight and need to move the tank if I ever feel like need to readjust the living space.

 

[marinesnow]

I was considering an IM originally. I ended up going with an SCA 150, which is solid wood and matched my furniture better. To protect the inside, I painted it with waterproof paint. I don’t have a single regret with it.

 

[UtahReefer]

Have a 100EXT with the APS Stand. I love it. The stand is probably the sturdiest I have eve had. I don't mind the black aluminum and the 5 doors are great. I never feel like I have to get down on my knees to access anything. Having doors on all side lets me access everything for maintenance. It goes together easily and it wipes down easily. Just my 2 cents!

 

[dangles]

I have their 50 gal AIO with the APS stand. I don’t have experience with other stands but I have no complaints about mine. I wouldn’t classify it as “industrial” personally. Mine is black but I think the white one would “look nicer” and go really well in most places.

 

[BanZI29]

To me, they don't seem as stable as something made from wood. I looked at the APS stand when I had my I.M. 25 gal. and it just didn't feel stable enough to me. I custom built a stand out of a small dresser that I got at the thrift store. It worked perfectly for me and has all the storage I needed. I upgraded to a 40 gal recently and it also fit so no need to buy or build another one.

 

[Budman93]

I have the white APS stand and for our condo it perfectly fits the mostly white aesthetic. If that's not the style of your living room or house then it will stick out like a sore thumb.

 

[Christopher1492]

I have the white APS stand and for our condo it perfectly fits the mostly white aesthetic. If that's not the style of your living room or house then it will stick out like a sore thumb.

That’s kinda what I’m thinking. Black definitely wouldn’t go and I’m not Sue the White would either

 

[nikesb]

Has anyone custom skinned their aps stands?

 

[Christopher1492]

Has anyone custom skinned their aps stands?

That’s exactly what I was thinking!

 

[JM302]

I've been super vocal about my dislike of the APS stand, but mainly due to the structural integrity of it. Looks wise it's sorta basic. I'm sure you could skin it if you really wanted to. Drill a 1/8" hole into the stand and send a stainless screw through it into the wood.. It'll stay. The 1/8" hole won't hurt the extrusion.

 

[argiBK]

I’m considering an Innovative Marine “Custom” line setup but I’m really hung up on the stand. I’m not a fan of the stand. Don’t really like the style but more importantly, I’m afraid it will look industrial rather than something you’d want in your living room. Anyone have/had one that could speak to this. Any pics would be cool.
Thanks

This was my primary reason for not choosing IM for my new tank. I really wanted a more minimalist look and did not like the molding details on the doors. Their photos of the stands also showed some issues with fit and finish with some noticeable panel gaps between the doors and frame (which would allow light spill).

That said, I went with a CADE, which while more minimalist isn’t as smooth and uniform as other brands. They only had black stands in stock at the time while I wanted white, but am eventually going to wrap the stand in vinyl.

 

[Christopher1492]

I noticed the less-than-ideal fit and finish on their photos of stands which really surprised me since you’d think they’d select only the best to photograph!

 

[argiBK]

I noticed the less-than-ideal fit and finish on their photos of stands which really surprised me since you’d think they’d select only the best to photograph!

Yep, the CADE stands deal with this well, so even slightly off alignment, light spill doesn’t happen. They also come pre-assembled, whereas I’ve seen a couple videos on YouTube of IM owners getting frustrated with the assembly instructions, getting far along the process and having to redo the entire thing.

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

Has anyone custom skinned their aps stands?

I painted my stand white with the rubber paint, the stand was originally black. It took a lot paint to cover it up, the middle panel comet easily, you could put what ever you want in there as long as it is the same width, I purchase some quality vinyl wrap in you guessed it white and use that, looks great. Funny I took a ton of pictures doing all the work and I can only find a couple of them, maybe they got lost in the cloud.

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

Here is another one