Is my Red Sea Reefer XL 425 safe to fill? Serious concern.

[hotdrop]

If it’s like that off the stand my guess is you will blow the bottom corner before you fill the tank half way up. Might just take it outside and do a “leak check”

 

[Mike.P]

- No, I am not that Mike Portnoy. Unfortunately.

- I bought the tank through the LFS, it was not shipped to me directly.

- I will try measuring all of the panels corner-to-corner when I get home tonight.

- I inspected it as best I could when I got it but, like many have said, I was looking for the obvious issues.

- I'm sure it's the tank, because when I took the second batch of pictures, the straightedge was perfectly aligned with the top edge of the stand, and checked with a level. One the left, it is touching the tank. On the right, there is a significant gap. The backside is the same story, just in the opposite corner, diagonally. I haven't take photos of that with the straightedge yet, but I probably will later.

Finally, it was in no way my intention to start a drama thread here. I initially posted in this section, because it seemed to be the best fit for my question; I wanted to see whether this really is a serious issue, or whether I am just being crazy. It is not my intent to disparage Red Sea, or anyone else, and I don't think I've done so. I have only shared the facts, most of them being pictures. I have still not even named the LFS that I've been dealing with, because that wasn't the point of my doing this. Maybe it'll come to that in the future, but right now I'm still being patient, and giving all parties a chance to figure it out.

On that note, here's the latest update... I sent Red Sea another follow-up email this afternoon. Again, nothing nasty. I included all of the latest pictures, and the feedback that I've had from everyone regarding this issue, and what I've been told by the LFS. I did my best to explain my reasons why this tank is unacceptable to me, and what I would like to see happen. It was later on in the day, so I'm not expecting a response until Monday, most likely. I'm hoping it will be the one that I would like see. If anyone is curious, I can put my outbound email to them here as well. If that is not acceptable, as someone mentioned, I can send it via PM.

And again... A huge thank you to all of you!!! I am heartened by all of the support, advice, and thoughts that everyone has given me. Honestly, if not for that, my freak-out level would be significantly higher right now. lol

 

[bizacon]

Your LFS should be dealing with Red Sea directly and not you. If they are an authorized dealer, they should be reaching out and making calls and following up with them and their distribution.

Two years ago when I had my 425XL, I saw a seal after a few months that concerned me. Nothing major, but didn’t like it. told my lfs and they reached out and within a week, got a new tank sent out. I never contacted RS

I didn’t read the whole thread, so if this was brought up, I apologize but the joys of having two kids.

 

[bizacon]

And I am down for signing something but I feel like the right people haven’t seen the pictures or seeing this thread

 

[hotdrop]

Your LFS should be dealing with Red Sea directly and not you. If they are an authorized dealer, they should be reaching out and making calls and following up with them and their distribution.

Two years ago when I had my 425XL, I saw a seal after a few months that concerned me. Nothing major, but didn’t like it. told my lfs and they reached out and within a week, got a new tank sent out. I never contacted RS

I didn’t read the whole thread, so if this was brought up, I apologize but the joys of having two kids.

When I dealt with waterbox their west coast rep was just as useless. The main support team was great but the west coast guys for waterbox sucked a big one and just sent me to the main support line. I was expecting that they would be more helpful to my LFS since they had more buisiness at stake but they were actually less helpful

 

[Brian1f1]

I’ll be really shocked if Red Sea doesn’t either replace or lean on LFS to replace.

 

[Westside Guy]

I’ll be really shocked if Red Sea doesn’t either replace or lean on LFS to replace.

In my opinion you have it backwards, it is the responsibility of the LFS to put pressure on Red Sea.

 

[Brian1f1]

In my opinion you have it backwards, it is the responsibility of the LFS to put pressure on Red Sea.

I didn’t say anything about who’s responsibility it is, merely what I think the outcome may be.

 

[Westside Guy]

I didn’t say anything about who’s responsibility it is, merely what I think the outcome may be.

Then lean on the LFS means exactly what?

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

This is disappointing to see Red Sea would not replace the tank to ease the OP’s mind and to set an example of how a top tier manufacturer would respond. The supervisor / manager should of taken this to the next level if they didn’t have the authority . Just think of the PR disaster if his tank Does leak / crack

 

[Lowell Lemon]

I love the way the Red Sea and Water Box aquariums look! But I have seen what happens to the cabinet when a little water gets on it for a short period of time. I have seen first hand on many occasions what can happen to any glass tank with a torsional stress....pop goes the main panel and glass, fish and inverts ride the wave to the floor. Not something I would risk.

Even though acrylic scratches it is 7 to 10 times stronger to impact and stress. I would love one of these tanks but Chinese manufacturing leaves me in a cold sweat when considering anything above 60 gallons.

There is a reason I manufactured acrylic aquariums for decades....safety for me and the customer.

Good luck with the outcome. Red Sea seems to have a decent track record.

 

[Mike.P]

He said that they are now waiting for the Red Sea regional rep to get involved.

Either the tank is good or it is bad, if they are replacing the tank, they should also be responsible for the freight cost to return it. Red Sea already has pictures to support this claim and they shouldn't need to prolong Mike's issue any longer. At this point it is a matter of packing it up and scheduling a pickup from their designated trucker.

Many people post their quality and manufacturing issues in one of the public forums to hear opinions just like Mike did. In my opinion Mike's pictures gave us his side of the story, after all a picture says a thousand words!

You nailed it exactly... I'm not here to rant and rave that Red Sea is horrible, that their products are junk, and so on, and so forth. That's not my intention at all. I know they're a great company, and make awesome stuff.

I do think that, in my case, they made one bad tank. I think they need to take care of it, and get me a different one. Full stop. I have no qualms with them, beyond that.

 

[Mike.P]

I love the way the Red Sea and Water Box aquariums look! But I have seen what happens to the cabinet when a little water gets on it for a short period of time. I have seen first hand on many occasions what can happen to any glass tank with a torsional stress....pop goes the main panel and glass, fish and inverts ride the wave to the floor. Not something I would risk.

Even though acrylic scratches it is 7 to 10 times stronger to impact and stress. I would love one of these tanks but Chinese manufacturing leaves me in a cold sweat when considering anything above 60 gallons.

There is a reason I manufactured acrylic aquariums for decades....safety for me and the customer.

Good luck with the outcome. Red Sea seems to have a decent track record.

Thank you, I'm sure it will get resolved. Yes, I think my next tank, down the road, will definitely be acrylic.

 

[MnFish1]

Thank you, I'm sure it will get resolved. Yes, I think my next tank, down the road, will definitely be acrylic.

That based on my years of experience would be a mistake - google - or search problems with acrylic tanks - and you'll see why

 

[Westside Guy]

Thank you, I'm sure it will get resolved. Yes, I think my next tank, down the road, will definitely be acrylic.

I am constantly reading about how someone had a 170 and then buys a 250, a 250 and then buys a 350, has a 425 and buys a 525, I think you see where this is headed.
Please don't let a bad experience like this turn you off to glass. The Red Sea tanks are absolutely beautiful and normally you don't read about a QC complaint like yours. What happened with you is the exception and not the rule.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

That based on my years of experience would be a mistake - google - or search problems with acrylic tanks - and you'll see why

What problems? Each material has limits due to the characteristics of the material. A welded seam is so much stronger than a silicone seam and is resistant to chemical attack. Ever see what methalene blue does to silicone? Copper leaches into the silicone seam as well.

Like any tank using materials that are too thin leads to problems. Public aquariums use acrylic for the most part. If it is good enough for the professionals it is good enough for the hobbiest. Acrylic is just plain good insurance...unless they are built by companies using non cell cast acrylic or thin materials.

 

[Chad3407]

I'm surprised redsea has not reached the tank. I sent a pic of mine with a very small cosmetic defect that did not affect the integrity at all and they sent a new tank and I had it in a week. I didn't even ask for a new tank but was just making them aware of the issue.

 

[MnFish1]

What problems? Each material has limits due to the characteristics of the material. A welded seam is so much stronger than a silicone seam and is resistant to chemical attack. Ever see what methalene blue does to silicone? Copper leaches into the silicone seam as well.

Like any tank using materials that are too thin leads to problems. Public aquariums use acrylic for the most part. If it is good enough for the professionals it is good enough for the hobbiest. Acrylic is just plain good insurance...unless they are built by companies using non cell cast acrylic or thin materials.

You're absolutely correct. I meant more to say 'my personal preference' rather than 'experience'. I always seem to scratch them, and I've seen lots of stories of acrylic tanks 'breaking'. So - I just meant I'm not sure that using glass vs acrylic in terms of breakage is a good reason.

 

[Mike.P]

I am constantly reading about how someone had a 170 and then buys a 250, a 250 and then buys a 350, has a 425 and buys a 525, I think you see where this is headed.
Please don't let a bad experience like this turn you off to glass. The Red Sea tanks are absolutely beautiful and normally you don't read about a QC complaint like yours. What happened with you is the exception and not the rule.

Oh, I know... lol. Go big, or go home, right? lol. If I was that Mike Portnoy, I'd have ATM, or whomever, come in and turn half of my house into a reef tank. That I could scuba dive in.

 

[Westside Guy]

Oh, I know... lol. Go big, or go home, right? lol. If I was that Mike Portnoy, I'd have ATM, or whomever, come in and turn half of my house into a reef tank. That I could scuba dive in.

How about Tracy Morgan and his obsession with tanks & fish?