Starting an Aquarium Business

[Wall Street Reef]

I am planning on staring a small business building desktops aquariums and am looking for some feedback. I have a really unique design that I know people will love. I wont be sharing any of my design ideas obviously, but Im curious what your thoughts are on acrylic vs glass for the display side of things. My design works best with acrylic, but I fear people will be hesitant to buy because acrylic scratches so easily. That being said though Eshopps sells their deskmates like crazy. I will be starting with one flagship design and build as many as possible. I can make it work with glass, but that would mean building my own glass tanks or finding a manufacturer.

On a side note: Does anyone know how Eshopps makes those deskmate tanks without bubbles in the seams? I am proficient at using weld-on for acrylic joint welding, but it seems impossible to avoid even 1 bubble in the joint.

 

[exnisstech]

So your not sharing your design but you want to know how eshopps builds their tanks? Good luck with your venture.

 

[Wall Street Reef]

So your not sharing your design but you want to know how eshopps builds their tanks? Good luck with your venture.

Didnt ask Eshopps how they built their tanks. I asked fellow hobbyists...

 

[exnisstech]

I didn't say you were asking eshopps ;)

 

[GARRIGA]

Are you selling locally/frag swaps because shipping likely means potential returns and that can add up quickly and cost of customer acquisition can get expensive for a niche product as you seem to want to produce smaller tanks which might just be the future considering how expensive reefing has gotten.

 

[Reeferbadness]

Are you selling locally/frag swaps because shipping likely means potential returns and that can add up quickly and cost of customer acquisition can get expensive for a niche product as you seem to want to produce smaller tanks which might just be the future considering how expensive reefing has gotten.

good point. production tanks are like computer hardware - economy of scale matters - both for manufacturing, shipping and dealing with customer service/returns. Either you go all in and do it at scale (whatever that looks like for this business - hundred or thousands of tanks at a time) or it's gonna be rough both competing on price, service etc.

 

[GARRIGA]

Seems more logical to me to start small and confirm demand. Frag swaps including shows away from home best platform to meet and get impressions as well as building a following. YouTube another prominent marketing venue that's relatively cheap and gets the word out quickly although might take time to build up what algorithms seek.

I'd personally go acrylic and perhaps go work for a shop to learn how to get those bubbles out or pay someone.

Perhaps incorporate aluminum stands with integrated sumps or build AIO with enlarged sumps making it unique and set yourself apart from others because plenty of established vendors that due to economy of scale might be hard to compete with.

Desk top nano tanks are a blast and back in the 80s setting up a 15g was easier and cheaper and that trend hasn't gone away.

Meeting others and selling at a loss to start gets the word out and builds momentum because customer acquisition where you're competing with those selling through an LFS such as Red Sea or online stores such as Saltwater or BRS likely cost prohibitive yet making yourself available at shows and word getting out might be the way to compete. Customer service is king and something often forgotten by the big box brands. Some of us appreciate that touch.

 

[reeferKen]

Anyone know who sells the Aquamedic armatus XS in the US? Have you seen that one Scotty? Looks pretty nice

 

[Rollnwthdatide]

Seems like a neat idea but it's a crowded market and it'll be hard to compete. Like others have suggested, I'd start small and local. Gradually build up your name and presence in the reefing community and then when and if you can, expand

 

[MoshJosh]

If you already have the skills and equipment to make in acrylic I would start there, and as others said, see how much demand there is/how well they sell. As far as getting no bubbles I am not sure, techniques using capillary action seem to work well, but I am just going off videos I have seen, that or maybe an effective clamping system?

This may all be old news if you are used to working with acrylic, but this video shows how KindofDIY gets "perfect" (his words) seem:

 

[John Neuzil]

Good luck

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

i dream of building lights like ATI’s but incorporate LED’s of all types. Great reflectors (but sturdier), active cooling, and easy to mount. They would be controllable via one app

 

[fandaga]

Cool, good luck. Also, I have a 5 g acrylic that I like. My DT is glass though but has gotten scratches too that are nearly impossible to get out. At least acrylic scratches are relatively easy to remove.

 

[albano]

My DT is glass though but has gotten scratches too that are nearly impossible to get out.

“Nearly impossible” would be good… but I’d say “impossible” is a better description.

I’ve had acrylic tanks since 1988, don’t want a glass tank, even if it was free!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Be prepared to warranty what you sell and take the time to perfect your builds

 

[SliceGolfer]

Sell me on why I should buy a tank from you over every other manufacturer large or small.

 

[Wall Street Reef]

Sell me on why I should buy a tank from you over every other manufacturer large or small.

I have the only pico tank on the market with a herbie drain, electrical cabinet, sump and top off reservoir all in one. You never see cords or hear your tank. Beyond that you can utilize 90% of the display footprint because there is no integrated filtration in the display. Big tank feel in a tiny package.

 

[Wall Street Reef]

Be prepared to warranty what you sell and take the time to perfect your builds

I have no problem warranting my work. I’m working super hard on quality of manufacturing. I’ll never be able to or want to compete with the big box companies, but my highest aim is to build something the owner will truly love.

 

[Wall Street Reef]

“Nearly impossible” would be good… but I’d say “impossible” is a better description.

I’ve had acrylic tanks since 1988, don’t want a glass tank, even if it was free!

Love to hear it! Can beat the clarity of acrylic either! What’s your method of keeping the panels clean without scratching them?

 

[VintageReefer]

I have the only pico tank on the market with a herbie drain, electrical cabinet, sump and top off reservoir all in one. You never see cords or hear your tank. Beyond that you can utilize 90% of the display footprint because there is no integrated filtration in the display. Big tank feel in a tiny package.