New Tank - RedSea vs Waterbox

Devaji

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my 2 cents as I own both.

for Rs I had the v2 750 and now the V2 650P

for Wb I have the clear 2420

I think both are great companies, all tho i wounder as WB grows will there CS be as good as it was the 1st few years. I have no problem talking to WB vis there chatt. always a good experience. and I think there more " hands on" with the hobby and there FB groups and what not.

RS on the other hand is a bigger company and you can fell it. better or worse. but the times I have reach out via a support ticket the response was pretty quick.

both tanks looks amazing, there silicone and clear glass is nice.

I was just tank shopping the other day for the new G2 300 or dreaming about the S-1000

then I noticed the seams on my RS 650 starting to come apart I have a ticket in with RS my not so local fish store thinks they will just replay the tank.

I think either way to go with a 50-80 gallon tank you will be happy. I do like the RS G2 line up I am glad they stopped using MDF and upped the glass thickness for there tanks. and roller mat ready sump if that matters to you.

BUT WB offers mid size tanks with alum. stand.

also there is Innovative marine I do like there euro braced tanks feels stronger that the rimless I would give them a good look. but they dont come with a sump so not quite PnP

fiji cube is another brand I would consider.

I guess it all depends on what features you want they each offer different things.
 
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ScubaFish802

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Actually if it were not for the fact that the OP wants to buy this weekend, I'd suggest skipping out on both of these brands and just go for a custom tank from glass cages.
I will check them out, open to all options within similar price range/size/quality etc!
 
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ScubaFish802

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I know the reefers are on sale right now on a couple of sites (saltwateraquariums, brs, etc) which was the source of the 'this weekend' idea
 

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I know the reefers are on sale right now on a couple of sites (saltwateraquariums, brs, etc) which was the source of the 'this weekend' idea

Nothing wrong with scooping up a good deal if it's the tank you want!

The advantage of the glass cages tanks it that they are 100% custom and made to order. If you want something extremely specific, they got you. Even though they are custom, they can be cheaper than the very high end premade tanks.

I plan to go with them for my next tank because I want a tank that is long, deeper (front to back) than it is tall, and with some other custom features. I expect that it will be cheaper than most prefabricated options, and it will be exactly as I design it.

I know that not everyone cares about this, but another thing to know about them is that they are owner-run small business located here in the US. You can call them and talk with the guy who is building your custom tank to brainstorm ideas. Or if you ever have a problem, they answer the phone. The glass cages guy, @Joe Glass Cages is even active here on the forum.
 

Devaji

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Nothing wrong with scooping up a good deal if it's the tank you want!

The advantage of the glass cages tanks it that they are 100% custom and made to order. If you want something extremely specific, they got you. Even though they are custom, they can be cheaper than the very high end premade tanks.

I plan to go with them for my next tank because I want a tank that is long, deeper (front to back) than it is tall, and with some other custom features. I expect that it will be cheaper than most prefabricated options, and it will be exactly as I design it.

I know that not everyone cares about this, but another thing to know about them is that they are owner-run small business located here in the US. You can call them and talk with the guy who is building your custom tank to brainstorm ideas. Or if you ever have a problem, they answer the phone. The glass cages guy, @Joe Glass Cages is even active here on the forum.

100% agree with this. joe is a great guy I have talked to him many times of the last 2+ years about a 300 for a fish only. some day.

BTW did you see the 96x48x18 tank he posted on FB for sale at 1/2 price? might be right up your ally?
 

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Looking at getting a larger (to me) tank. What are peoples thoughts on 50-60 gal systems such as the Red Sea Reefer 250, the Waterbox Marine X 60.2, etc? As well as a thoughts between the two companies (quality, customer service, and such).

I am planning on making a purchase this weekend and am interested as both companies appear very similar in all the above categories. Previous posts don't seem to provide much info on Waterbox life as they are a bit newer it seems..

Thanks in advance for the input/opinions/advice

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Great that you are thinking about upgrading. I am typing the following essay so you have it in your head while making a call on the size of the aquarium. Don’t do the same mistake as what I did. I had a 25 gallon and thought a 65 gallon would be better. I went with the proclear ProStar 90 (65 gallon display + 20 gallon sump). I feel it’s small for where I want to be the next 5 years. Yes, it is going to cost you more for equipments, cost of running and dosing but it saves a ton of your time around frequency of maintenance and what you can add to the display also increases (want to have two tangs or want to add more corals, both aren’t a big deal). If you work a busy job and want to minimize hands on time over the long run and still want a good looking tank, go with atleast a 110-130 gallon total system. I was in a rental early 2021 and bought my own house later in the year and wish I had postponed buying a tank. Think a little more before you add to the cart. Good luck
 
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ScubaFish802

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Great that you are thinking about upgrading. I am typing the following essay so you have it in your head while making a call on the size of the aquarium. Don’t do the same mistake as what I did. I had a 25 gallon and thought a 65 gallon would be better. I went with the proclear ProStar 90 (65 gallon display + 20 gallon sump). I feel it’s small for where I want to be the next 5 years. Yes, it is going to cost you more for equipments, cost of running and dosing but it saves a ton of your time around frequency of maintenance and what you can add to the display also increases (want to have two tangs or want to add more corals, both aren’t a big deal). If you work a busy job and want to minimize hands on time over the long run and still want a good looking tank, go with atleast a 110-130 gallon total system. I was in a rental early 2021 and bought my own house later in the year and wish I had postponed buying a tank. Think a little more before you add to the cart. Good luck
This might be great advice a little too late :grinning-face-with-sweat:
I ended up paying the difference and going with the new Red Sea Reefer 250 G2, and it is supposed to be delivered by the carrier tomorrow.. this idea on 'larger but still not large enough' is something that floated around in my head for some time though as well. I guess when you see me back in a couple years asking about larger tanks just remind me to go all in lol
 

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I'm in the same boat deciding between the Reefer 250/300 and the Waterbox 90.3.

There's a lot of accounts of Red Seas seams leaking and but not many (any?) for Waterbox. Waterbox is more expensive, however.

Also I could have sworn I read that the owner of Waterbox is....something....a d bag, racist, homophobe something of that sort. Does it ring a bell to anyone?
 
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ScubaFish802

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I'm in the same boat deciding between the Reefer 250/300 and the Waterbox 90.3.

There's a lot of accounts of Red Seas seams leaking and but not many (any?) for Waterbox. Waterbox is more expensive, however.

Also I could have sworn I read that the owner of Waterbox is....something....a d bag, racist, homophobe something of that sort. Does it ring a bell to anyone?
Hoping the new G2 changes have resolved those. 'armored seams', 'reinforced plywood cabinets', etc

My current tank the Fluval Flex 32 started to fail on the front seams and Hagen ended up sending a replacement for free. The G2's are shipping straight from Texas so hopefully if there is ever an issue it is easy to resolve..

No idea about the waterbox thing though
 

Devaji

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I'm in the same boat deciding between the Reefer 250/300 and the Waterbox 90.3.

There's a lot of accounts of Red Seas seams leaking and but not many (any?) for Waterbox. Waterbox is more expensive, however.

Also I could have sworn I read that the owner of Waterbox is....something....a d bag, racist, homophobe something of that sort. Does it ring a bell to anyone?

I have both tanks so i'll chime in here,
I have the RS 650P for 2 years now just got some bubbles in the seam talked to RS about it they are shipping my a complete new system with armored seam and floating glass support. yes is sucks to move the tank but I am very happy with RS customer service.

I have a WB 2420 as i was going to set up a high tech planted FW got all the way to cycling the tank and then decided it was time to do a seahorse tank. yes i know kinda silly...

so with the great CS from RS and the new G2 series I bought the Xl 300 I was thinking about the WB 90.3 & 100.3 as well as I like WB tanks and the company ( I dont know anything about the owner)
it was a hard choice but in the end the dims of the 300, sump design, filter roller ready sump and other features of the new RS G2 systems sold me.

honestly I think one would be happy going either way.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

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    Votes: 64 36.8%
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    Votes: 25 14.4%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 14.9%
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