Mariner 100/130 stand

mp2022 · Mar 22, 2026

Looking to hear from those who have purchased the Eshopps Mariner 100 or 130 and their experience with the stand. Do owners find the stand engineering sound and the build quality durable?

Is the tank fully supported by the stand? It seems like the top piece of wood fully supports the tank, and I specifically want to avoid stands like the Red Sea (and I think Waterbox although not sure) where the front panel is not fully supported and hangs over the edge. I am assuming this would increase the risk of tank failure.

I also noticed that their MP100 and MP130 peninsula tanks of the same size have an aluminum frame, and I am curious why they made that change with these newer models, although I suspect it has something to do having both front and back of tank having doors so you don't have the stronger wood bracing on the back panel.

I am basically torn between Mariner 130 or the Innovative Marine 100 vs 170. I overall like the dimensions on the Mariner 130 better but the Aluminum stand on the Innovative Marine lines better. (IM 170 would be awesome but it is like 420 lbs uncrated which may be challenging to get down a basement stairway...)

Thanks.

Gumbies R Us · Mar 23, 2026

We have a 180, so a little bit bigger. Not to mention, I have looked at the smaller tanks at reefing shows multiple times. I can tell you these stands are sturdy. When I saw the 180g set up at a show full of water, rock, and livestock, it was not moving. I noticed no bowing in the stand, and the stand is meant to withstand a whole lot of pressure.

mp2022 · Mar 23, 2026

Gumbies R Us said:
We have a 180, so a little bit bigger. Not to mention, I have looked at the smaller tanks at reefing shows multiple times. I can tell you these stands are sturdy. When I saw the 180g set up at a show full of water, rock, and livestock, it was not moving. I noticed no bowing in the stand, and the stand is meant to withstand a whole lot of pressure.

Thanks very helpful. I reached out to the company as well directly to chat more about their design etc regarding the lack of aluminum support in the M130.