new custom build ... reef savvy or coast to coast?
- Large Build
- Thread starter Eric Wadle
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Djscrubba
New Member
After several months of research and personal visits to each shop, I chose to have my tank and stand built by Reef Saavy. Neither shop is cheap and both teams were quite friendly and helpful to me, but it came down to the design of the tank (no bracing) and the fact that I could design my stand to my specifications. You definitely need to have a lot of patience (months to wait and many many phone calls), but I don't regret it one bit. Hopefully the pictures I've provided give you an idea of what I did and I included a ctc tank photo as well to show the bracing.
mark beavers
New Member
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Have you seen this one? Similar dimensions.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/acanlords-personal-500-gallon-peninsula-build.287726/page-3
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/acanlords-personal-500-gallon-peninsula-build.287726/page-3
harley3
Active Member
I have no experience with either but someday I will have a Reef Savvy tank after hearing about their great customer service and being a great company in general.
PS...Great looking Boxer, Eric!
PS...Great looking Boxer, Eric!
lolgranny
Well-Known Member
Have you looked into A.G.E? I just went with them after speaking with everyone. After getting quotes i found i had the best response / help from AGE. Plus their prices on a 8' tank were much closer to my budget then the rest. Im the same with bare bottom so their acrylic bottom was appealing to me. Just a thought 
Miracles all the way. I have two custom tanks, I did quotes from the top builders as you have and at the end of the day settled on Miracles for the customer service (since quality appears to be top notch from the top 3 or 4 places) and am very happy I did.
On my custom 180 just a couple of months ago the external overflow sprung a leak. Derek from Miracles didn't ask what stand or try pointing fingers or ask how long I had it, we just troubleshooted and he pin pointed they had cut the acrylic insert too tight and it caused the overflow to leak once the insert expanded. Didn't make excuses. No glass shops around here would touch it so he flew to Iowa fixed the tank, stayed overnight in a hotel and left the next day of course paying for everything.
Issues and mistakes happen, what makes a place really great is how they handle issues when they happen. The owner of a place that makes 9,000 tanks a year (and was showing me the day before he came out the 12ft long tank they were installing) took 2 days out of his schedule, flew to Iowa and fixed a simple little 180 tank.
Going to get that service anywhere else?
On my custom 180 just a couple of months ago the external overflow sprung a leak. Derek from Miracles didn't ask what stand or try pointing fingers or ask how long I had it, we just troubleshooted and he pin pointed they had cut the acrylic insert too tight and it caused the overflow to leak once the insert expanded. Didn't make excuses. No glass shops around here would touch it so he flew to Iowa fixed the tank, stayed overnight in a hotel and left the next day of course paying for everything.
Issues and mistakes happen, what makes a place really great is how they handle issues when they happen. The owner of a place that makes 9,000 tanks a year (and was showing me the day before he came out the 12ft long tank they were installing) took 2 days out of his schedule, flew to Iowa and fixed a simple little 180 tank.
Going to get that service anywhere else?
OP
OP
Eric Wadle
Active Member
that is very good customer service
xaflatoonx
Valuable Member
6 months is not a bad lead time. Congrats. Great choice.
Kengar
Well-Known Member
No way I would EVER recommend a tank from CTC. Here is what I did with the bracing I cut off the top of my $6K, 250-gallon CTC tank:
[URL='http://vid224.photobucket.com/albums/dd264/Kengar/good%20riddance.mp4']http://vid224.photobucket.com/albums/dd264/Kengar/good riddance.mp4
Why? Well, when I ordered, I originally requested starphire for the upper bracing since tank is to be open-topped/no canopy. I was talked out of it because, according to Chris, it's so narrow it won't really make a difference in the appearance. I was also told that there would be anomalies in the silicone, but in my view it was highly downplayed ("Although they are not usually a "bubble" as much as a sort of ripple, they are just an unfortunate aesthetic result of the silicone doing what it does, shrinking and grabbing the glass from both sides.").
When tank arrived, the float glass bracing was totally noticeable as green-tinted against the starfire rest of the tank; was wavy, which gave funhouse-mirror appearance when viewing edge-on; was badly chipped in several places; and had really ugly fissures throughout. Unfortunately, I didn't notice the fissures when down in the tank inspecting for cracks upon delivery -- hardly what I would characterize as "sort of a ripple" -- and the chipping couldn't be seen until I had accepted delivery and fully uncrated the tank. When I called to raise concerns after seeing this point of sale, Chris said that I had been notified in advance re the so-called "ripples." Re the chipping, well, he claimed that the tank must have been handled improperly during transport and put the blame on UPS and otherwise refused to assist because I had signed off on the tank. Given how UPS dragged the tank in the warehouse when I went to pick it up, I originally bought into that excuse; ultimately, I saw other posts on the boards and corresponded with other people -- e.g., Maddy P -- and came to realize that the chipping/waviness was not unique to my tank.
As some point in dealing with them, Patrick the owner told me that he will make it his life's mission to go after anyone that bad-mouths the company. (Is that the sort of business-owner you want to deal with?)
1.5 years later, it's still sitting in my garage, preventing me from moving my car in, as I try to get an aesthetically pleasing result with my $6K tank (into which I've put well over another $1K in starfire glass, fabrication, silicone, UV-cure adhesive, and other supplies).
Does the dreck shown here look like "sort of a ripple" to you???
See below for fissures video
http://vid224.photobucket.com/albums/dd264/Kengar/bracing 1.mp4
[/URL]
[URL='http://vid224.photobucket.com/albums/dd264/Kengar/good%20riddance.mp4']http://vid224.photobucket.com/albums/dd264/Kengar/good riddance.mp4
Why? Well, when I ordered, I originally requested starphire for the upper bracing since tank is to be open-topped/no canopy. I was talked out of it because, according to Chris, it's so narrow it won't really make a difference in the appearance. I was also told that there would be anomalies in the silicone, but in my view it was highly downplayed ("Although they are not usually a "bubble" as much as a sort of ripple, they are just an unfortunate aesthetic result of the silicone doing what it does, shrinking and grabbing the glass from both sides.").
When tank arrived, the float glass bracing was totally noticeable as green-tinted against the starfire rest of the tank; was wavy, which gave funhouse-mirror appearance when viewing edge-on; was badly chipped in several places; and had really ugly fissures throughout. Unfortunately, I didn't notice the fissures when down in the tank inspecting for cracks upon delivery -- hardly what I would characterize as "sort of a ripple" -- and the chipping couldn't be seen until I had accepted delivery and fully uncrated the tank. When I called to raise concerns after seeing this point of sale, Chris said that I had been notified in advance re the so-called "ripples." Re the chipping, well, he claimed that the tank must have been handled improperly during transport and put the blame on UPS and otherwise refused to assist because I had signed off on the tank. Given how UPS dragged the tank in the warehouse when I went to pick it up, I originally bought into that excuse; ultimately, I saw other posts on the boards and corresponded with other people -- e.g., Maddy P -- and came to realize that the chipping/waviness was not unique to my tank.
As some point in dealing with them, Patrick the owner told me that he will make it his life's mission to go after anyone that bad-mouths the company. (Is that the sort of business-owner you want to deal with?)
1.5 years later, it's still sitting in my garage, preventing me from moving my car in, as I try to get an aesthetically pleasing result with my $6K tank (into which I've put well over another $1K in starfire glass, fabrication, silicone, UV-cure adhesive, and other supplies).
Does the dreck shown here look like "sort of a ripple" to you???
See below for fissures video
http://vid224.photobucket.com/albums/dd264/Kengar/bracing 1.mp4
[/URL]
Last edited:
xaflatoonx
Valuable Member
Eric - did you ever get your tank? build thread? pics of tank?
Kengar
Well-Known Member
here is the fissuring throughout the silicone in the bracing
http://vid224.photobucket.com/albums/dd264/Kengar/cracking video.mp4
http://vid224.photobucket.com/albums/dd264/Kengar/cracking video.mp4
twotangs
Active Member
@ Kengar, thanks for posting the pictures and details, I am in the market for a new custom, feedback is so important. Sorry about the issues you are having. Miracles or Reef Savvy seems to be the way to go.
Ashish Patel
2500 Club Member
Did you ever end up going with one of these vendors? I went with CTC since local pickup helped me justify the pricing.. Im happy with C2C Aquarium don't think i'll go with any other company since this tank allows me to sleep well at night and gives me the confidents I can run nutrient export with my MP40 as much as I want!
Ashish Patel
2500 Club Member
Wow, i just read your post and viewed your pictures.. I am honestly shocked that your tank arrived like that I went to the shop to pick up my tank and both the owners told me to "inspect the tank for any inperfections or scratches". They showed me around the shop all the tanks they where working on and all the tanks where made very well. I will say the top eurobraced are not as finely polished as the 5 main panels but It did not really bother me since I have a canopy. I just inspected for scratches and silicone and seriously I couldnt find any issues. I believe WWC 292 gallon is made by C2C based on Lou saying on youtube its a C2C aquarium!. I will say that crating and shipping does scare me especially since all vendors say they are not responsible for shipping damage so your pretty much stuck with a big loss!.. Stick with it man I would see if you can find someone who could fix that tank 6K is alot of money to be sitting in your garage!
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