Red Sea Reefer leak failures….or not?

[Flame2hawk]

I’ve had the 3x 900 for 4 months now, while there are various positive and negatives to be said about the product value, I’m most concerned about the seam leakage issue I have heard and read about after purchase. Of course Red Sea’s response is that it’s a very small percentage. I asked what was the average life expectancy of their tanks and they refused to answer.

so to settle this issue and see whether there is reason for systemic concern, I’d like to ask a simple question: how many years have you had your Red Sea set up without any leaks or stand bowing issues?

my hope is that we get allot of responses saying 10,15,20 years so we can put this to bed and I can stop worrying about damaging my condo as well as people below me because my large tank has sprung a leak!

looking forward to hearing from all Red Sea owners. Thx

 

[vetteguy53081]

Mainly in 2018 and 2019, there was an abundance of issues with leaks but since then few to none on leak complaints

 

[A Young Reefer]

I didn't hear about any issues with the recent models.

 

[Rhino]

One thing to consider, is while several tanks may have been set up for 10 + years, it doesn't mean a company still manufactures to that same quality level. Your better off documenting manufacturing dates and any issues, this will help narrow down a manufacturing period where tanks could be more susceptible to failures.

That being said, there are a lot of Red Sea tanks and products out there. I'm in a Red Sea FB group and seem to have read of 1-2 seam failures a week here in the last month or two. I tell everyone though that people go to these groups, especially FB, to complain and not share the positive experiences. This can lead to a negative image for a brand or product.

 

[Flame2hawk]

One thing to consider, is while several tanks may have been set up for 10 + years, it doesn't mean a company still manufactures to that same quality level. Your better off documenting manufacturing dates and any issues, this will help narrow down a manufacturing period where tanks could be more susceptible to failures.

That being said, there are a lot of Red Sea tanks and products out there. I'm in a Red Sea FB group and seem to have read of 1-2 seam failures a week here in the last month or two. I tell everyone though that people go to these groups, especially FB, to complain and not share the positive experiences. This can lead to a negative image for a brand or product.

Yes I was on the FB page and asked the question about tank longevity without problems and the Red Sea administrator froze all comments. I’m not sure why as I was trying to help them by hopefully getting people that have had their set ups with no problems for years attest to such. It makes it appear as if they may have something to hide. Oh well….hopefully people can speak to longevity hear…

 

[Troyer15]

I have had my reefer setup for a year now. Seeing them facebook post really have be paranoid and I'm constantly checking seams. I really think having the tank and stand level is the key for longevity. When I set my tank up it made sure it was 100 percent level. After several months I noticed it was slightly off so i had to relevel the tank. With that being said it was in a brand new house so it took a little for the house to settle. I would recommend checking to make sure the tank is level every few months or so.

 

[shandoee]

I cannot validate it, but from what I’ve seen and read, the failures seem to happen 1 year after the warranty expires. The mods always disable and hide the posts as soon as they see it.

But also, I’ve seen numerous posts where Red Sea will take care of the customers even after the warranty expires, so that’s good news i suppose.

 

[ReeferSamster]

Mainly in 2018 and 2019, there was an abundance of issues with leaks but since then few to none on leak complaints

I think there was a bad batch that went out during those times. But I think they fixed it and improved the tank. I got mine in 2019 with bad silicone which I posted a few days ago (please see below), but RedSea honored their warranty. I had 4 days to spare!

The fact that they honored the warranty with no hassle makes me more confident with them and lack of new tank failure posts recently. There will always be a bad batch or something with any manufacturer. No one is perfect. As long as they fix the problem.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/b...r-right-front-glass-red-sea-reefer350.891012/

 

[Flame2hawk]

I cannot validate it, but from what I’ve seen and read, the failures seem to happen 1 year after the warranty expires. The mods always disable and hide the posts as soon as they see it.

But also, I’ve seen numerous posts where Red Sea will take care of the customers even after the warranty expires, so that’s good news i suppose.

Yes but the problem is just not the tank but all the colateral damage to livestock, valuables like wooden floor, furniture etc and if you live in a condo as I do, the units below!! I’m anxious just thinking about it!

 

[ReeferSamster]

I cannot validate it, but from what I’ve seen and read, the failures seem to happen 1 year after the warranty expires. The mods always disable and hide the posts as soon as they see it.

Now that's concerning. Why would the mods not want to share with the community honesty with suppliers, unless they are a sponsor or something. But thats kind of disconcerting. Do you know for a fact that they disable the posts? Did they disable yours?

 

[stevolough]

Yes but the problem is just not the tank but all the colateral damage to livestock, valuables like wooden floor, furniture etc and if you live in a condo as I do, the units below!! I’m anxious just thinking about it!

I do question how well the stands are assembled and leveled. I’ve had mine for two and a half years with no issues. I put shims along the whole frame not just in a couple places ( mine is older without the adjustable feet ) and to be on the safe side I don’t have a lot of extras inside cabinet adding even more weight and I don’t screw anything to it or drill holes in it.

 

[Jeeperz]

Yes but the problem is just not the tank but all the colateral damage to livestock, valuables like wooden floor, furniture etc and if you live in a condo as I do, the units below!! I’m anxious just thinking about it!

This is why I verified my homeowner's and renters would cover damage done by a leak. Some may require a rider policy. I've had my 350 for 4 years but only setup for 2.5,I've had a max nano for 5, I even managed to crack it at the top 3 years ago it's still good. I've got a used reefer 170 up and running for 2.5 years and it was used and dry for awhile before I got it. My issue is the poorly designed stands are probably the issue with most seam failures. It's cheap Ikea quality particle board, not even medite or high density particle board. Should be marine plywood. That and there is NO adjustment for leveling the stand, especially the center of the supports. It's easy enough to shim the outside but no possible way to adjust the middle. Overall I've been happy but if I were to buy another I'd go custom. I've seen a bunch of bad silicone on waterbox right out of the box.

 

[nereefpat]

my hope is that we get allot of responses saying 10,15,20 years so we can put this to bed

According to a reefbuilders article, Red Sea debuted the tanks at Reefstock 2015. I'm guessing the 'oldest' models are only about 6 years old.

 

[shandoee]

Now that's concerning. Why would the mods not want to share with the community honesty with suppliers, unless they are a sponsor or something. But thats kind of disconcerting. Do you know for a fact that they disable the posts? Did they disable yours?

I’ve seen the original posters make another post asking why it was taken down. The mods reply saying they will only allow a post after the customer have first contact RS and come up with a solution.

 

[Floyd-]

I have a 2nd hand Max S-650 tank without issues. Previous owner stated they had it for a year and ive had it setup for almost a year also. The Max also has euro braces to help the seams so im not too worried about the tank leaking.

 

[Flame2hawk]

Now that's concerning. Why would the mods not want to share with the community honesty with suppliers, unless they are a sponsor or something. But thats kind of disconcerting. Do you know for a fact that they disable the posts? Did they disable yours?

All I can say is that they disabled comments on my post 2 days ago just for asking tank longevity of fellow Red Sea reefer owners….that should concern everyone…

 

[Elmer.]

My Reefer 350 has been running for almost 4 years now, plus a Reefer 170 for over 4 years. I moved the 170 when we moved house. Silicon still going strong

 

[Flame2hawk]

I have a 2nd hand Max S-650 tank without issues. Previous owner stated they had it for a year and ive had it setup for almost a year also. The Max also has euro braces to help the seams so im not too worried about the tank leaking

Part of my concern is most people have had tanks for only 1-2 years so where are the 5-6 year customers (post above says Red Sea only started with these tanks in 2015)…

 

[Floyd-]

Part of my concern is most people have had tanks for only 1-2 years so where are the 5-6 year customers (post above says Red Sea only started with these tanks in 2015)…

True. Honestly ANY tank could leak from ANY brand. If you are that worried about it maybe a tank isnt the thing for you.
If you think redsea is shady and covering up details and whatnot there are many other brands to pick from. Its all personal preference anyways for the most part.

 

[Acros]

You should add a poll to this thread.