Red Sea Reefer Tank Seal Failure

[TitansFan]

On New Years Day in 2017 I had a Red Sea Max S-650 fail on a seam at the bottom. Red Sea told me since the tank was 2 years old (tank Warranty was only for a year) that I would have to purchase a replacement tank for $1,052 plus shipping. I got my LFS involved who spoke to Red Sea on my behalf. Red Sea agreed to sell me one wholesale for $600. It was irritating that Red Sea would try to charge me retail for a tank that was only 2 years old when it failed. Looks like troubles with this tank has continued for Red Sea...

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Well I had asked in a prior thread if the 36" tanks fail, well I just came home to this. My e260 just failed.

I need to ask you the question are you the original owner of this tank or did you purchase at secondhand? Or was this tank set up somewhere else even though you purchased it and then taken down and reset up somewhere else

 

[52728299]

I need to ask you the question are you the original owner of this tank or did you purchase at secondhand? Or was this tank set up somewhere else even though you purchased it and then taken down and reset up somewhere else

You forgot to ask if he ever sneezed near the tank

 

[brandon429]

I take the implication to directly mean:

rs tanks are built on the absolute verge/line of stress acceptance. we can only ensure 1st gen owners safe running, ~60% of the time. any subsequent ownership must be assumed to be so rough that thousands of our seams are failing because people who handle empty reef tanks in trade do it so roughly. never before in the history of reefing has stand dimension mattered so much to your flooring plan; to use a non shimmed non company-brand stand is begging for a broken seam/floor insurance claim

the quality is just on the line of dang sure might break on you, but not well past that line.

oceanic was: for twenty years mine never faltered, everyone I knew in Lubbock and Amarillo and Midland and all surrounding communities could trade heavy bulky tanks and they didn't split, a lot of 2x4 stands held them for decades, yet in 2023 all these caveats exist to protecting one's floor plan only if a certain name brand is used and the tank is only guaranteed for the initial buyer, quality is out the window. if you are a 1st gen buyer and the stand was exceptionally well-suited to your tank, installed in a very professional stress alignment manner, and not planning on ever being moved, and it's only from the newest release stock after the fixes, that niche may enjoy these investments.

 

[Snoopdog]

I need to ask you the question are you the original owner of this tank or did you purchase at secondhand? Or was this tank set up somewhere else even though you purchased it and then taken down and reset up somewhere else

The tank was maybe around a year old, some guy in my area took on more than he could handle and sold the entire thing for $1500. It was moved once.

 

[Snoopdog]

You forgot to ask if he ever sneezed near the tank

Yes, and I had covid at the time. I think covid busted the seal on it.

All joking aside, I had noticed that slight dip in the middle of the stand. I have no idea if that caused it, I am not a structural engineer. I just know my garage has gorgeous new glass shelving that are so clear it does not even look like glass.

 

[ColoredRock]

RS needs to include something like this:

pre mounted on the front and side panels

 

[((FORDTECH))]

The tank was maybe around a year old, some guy in my area took on more than he could handle and sold the entire thing for $1500. It was moved once.

Exactly. I don’t know if you have been following this thread, but I have made note that every single one of these tanks that fail is a secondhand take that has been moved at least once.

 

[HBtank]

Exactly. I don’t know if you have been following this thread, but I have made note that every single one of these tanks that fail is a secondhand take that has been moved at least once.

Sounds pretty fragile to me.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Sounds pretty fragile to me.

They are, and that’s exactly why I would never buy one and I recommend everyone in this world to stop buying them

 

[HBtank]

They are, and that’s exactly why I would never buy one and I recommend everyone in this world to stop buying them

The rimless un-braced tanks scare me above like 100g (and all for some brands). I don't see myself ever getting one, the exact opposite honestly, brace the top and bottom and give me a canopy.

 

[Sanya]

Exactly. I don’t know if you have been following this thread, but I have made note that every single one of these tanks that fail is a secondhand take that has been moved at least once.

Im the original owner of this 525xl tank and have never moved it.
There is a water inside the seam but its still hold the water

 

[Snoopdog]

Im the original owner of this 525xl tank and have never moved it.
There is a water inside the seam but its still hold the water

I think all this talk about moving tanks being a problem is ridiculous. When I started this hobby 30 years ago, we moved tanks all the time. My seals would be so worn down from cleaning the glass most would not even be visible, some tanks going over 10 years old bought from second hand places or just plain given to me because they were outside collecting leaves or literally raising mosquito larvae. Those tanks likely being ocean view or oceanic back in the day, or whatever they sold at Walmart. So my insanely expensive Red Sea tank that is a luxury item suddenly cannot be moved?

 

[Cell]

I think all this talk about moving tanks being a problem is ridiculous. When I started this hobby 30 years ago, we moved tanks all the time. My seals would be so worn down from cleaning the glass most would not even be visible, some tanks going over 10 years old bought from second hand places or just plain given to me because they were outside collecting leaves or literally raising mosquito larvae. Those tanks likely being ocean view or oceanic back in the day, or whatever they sold at Walmart. So my insanely expensive Red Sea tank that is a luxury item suddenly cannot be moved?

I think it's a lame, but convenient excuse.

 

[cwerner]

My friends got an old Marineland tank with glass like paper compared to my IM. He's moved that tank 6 times in the past decade and never had a problem. The tank itself is over 20 years old. I don't think moving the tank is the issue. The Red Sea tanks themselves are probably very well built, but if that stand has a structural issue like stated, there's no silicone in the world that will stand up to that much water pressure over that time span.

 

[Snoopdog]

My friends got an old Marineland tank with glass like paper compared to my IM. He's moved that tank 6 times in the past decade and never had a problem. The tank itself is over 20 years old. I don't think moving the tank is the issue. The Red Sea tanks themselves are probably very well built, but if that stand has a structural issue like stated, there's no silicone in the world that will stand up to that much water pressure over that time span.

Since I would not wish anyone, ever have an issue like I had, I just destroyed my tank the day after it split. We used it for glass shelves. Interesting thing while tearing it down, we struggled to get a blade through the silicone, it was not just falling apart. This leads me to believe it is just that, a structural issue and I am no engineer so I have no idea what is causing the current problem. I just know this problem did not exist to this level 30 years ago, I have proof of that since I lived it.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I think all this talk about moving tanks being a problem is ridiculous. When I started this hobby 30 years ago, we moved tanks all the time. My seals would be so worn down from cleaning the glass most would not even be visible, some tanks going over 10 years old bought from second hand places or just plain given to me because they were outside collecting leaves or literally raising mosquito larvae. Those tanks likely being ocean view or oceanic back in the day, or whatever they sold at Walmart. So my insanely expensive Red Sea tank that is a luxury item suddenly cannot be moved?

Yes that is exactly my point Red Sea tanks if moved raises the chances of it springing a leak.

 

[CivicS14]

Exactly. I don’t know if you have been following this thread, but I have made note that every single one of these tanks that fail is a secondhand take that has been moved at least once.

This is an untrue statement. There are a large number of people that are original owners and never moved the tank that suffers from seam failures. We saw it a lot in our own local reef club here in Atlanta. Again, Red Sea knows they have an issue. I assume they are banking on that a lot of hobbyist are transient and their tanks will be sold to second hand users before it fails and they can wash their hands clean of the problem. They put such a bad taste in my mouth, I refuse to buy any of their product now down to their test kits.

 

[brandon429]

Red Sea G2+ sees Reefer ReefATO+ upgraded and Four New Peninsulas | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

Red Sea continues its upgrade path with the immediate release of the Reefer G2+. The G2+ Series aquarium range enjoys all the useful upgrades of the Reefer G2 as well including the ReefATO+ Auto Top…

reefbuilders.com

From that rosy writeup, no reader could ever know about seam quality issues

From the red sea facebook page, we couldn't know about it

We can only know about it apparently from places that don't make money from rs

 

[Snoopdog]

Anyone or any blog that sells/ pitches for red sea tanks without doing at least one blurb on the seam issues is guilty of money grubbin' before street cred

Red Sea G2+ sees Reefer ReefATO+ upgraded and Four New Peninsulas | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

Red Sea continues its upgrade path with the immediate release of the Reefer G2+. The G2+ Series aquarium range enjoys all the useful upgrades of the Reefer G2 as well including the ReefATO+ Auto Top…

reefbuilders.com

From that rosy writeup, no reader could ever know about seam quality issues

From the red sea facebook page, we couldn't know about it

We can only know about it apparently from places that don't make money from rs

True