Tenecor vs Midwest Custom Aquariums

[Tenecor Aquariums]

Excellent! That address several issues we all have with most of the current lighting options. If you use a mounting arm, they tend to sag. If you go with length based arm mounts, which mount on the end panels, those tend to sag in the middle of the span especially at the 72” + spans.

Not only the fixture but the extras make it a real nice addition.

Timing of availability is still on target for April or will that get pushed?

The canopy itself will be 30 mm extruded profile with removable panels finished in matching textures to the stand. The stand panels are 3/4 inch laminated wood and they are heavy. I want to thinner material than that but no luck so far. We edge band and finish all our wood in-house but the lamination is by the wood supplier. We also will be offering an even higher level of finishes than our current selection and those I don't think will be an issue. But then the price goes up quite a bit. For example the Signature Ultra will have Starboard HDPE deck, shelf and control panel mounting board. The finishes will be offered on high density phenolic resin cores which are high strength, impact and humidity resistant. For those wanting an extra $$$pecial look, the panels can be custom finished with their personal patterns, logos or photos. The bottom line is the structural design is finished and good but the final panels are not yet spec'd. The canopy literally looks like it is floating over the aquarium.

 

[Ol’Murph]

The canopy itself will be 30 mm extruded profile with removable panels finished in matching textures to the stand. The stand panels are 3/4 inch laminated wood and they are heavy. I want to thinner material than that but no luck so far. We edge band and finish all our wood in-house but the lamination is by the wood supplier. We also will be offering an even higher level of finishes than our current selection and those I don't think will be an issue. But then the price goes up quite a bit. For example the Signature Ultra will have Starboard HDPE deck, shelf and control panel mounting board. The finishes will be offered on high density phenolic resin cores which are high strength, impact and humidity resistant. For those wanting an extra $$$pecial look, the panels can be custom finished with their personal patterns, logos or photos. The bottom line is the structural design is finished and good but the final panels are not yet spec'd. The canopy literally looks like it is floating over the aquarium.

Incredible offerings forthcoming. I appreciate the attention to detail and you have done that.

is it possible to buy the appropriate stand now, say the Magnum aluminum stand kit with deck and shelf and add the panels at a later date, as in when the upgraded version comes out? Same goes for the canopy? Can that be added at a later date? Are the stands intended to be a modular design?

I’m in a timing issue with my current display tank and I would rather sooner than later but with changes coming it would be nice to add when available if that is a possibility.

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

Incredible offerings forthcoming. I appreciate the attention to detail and you have done that.

is it possible to buy the appropriate stand now, say the Magnum aluminum stand kit with deck and shelf and add the panels at a later date, as in when the upgraded version comes out? Same goes for the canopy? Can that be added at a later date? Are the stands intended to be a modular design?

I’m in a timing issue with my current display tank and I would rather sooner than later but with changes coming it would be nice to add when available if that is a possibility.

The two are not compatible. The designs are different and the mounts are not going to be an add on at this time. I am also pushing the production and design teams pretty hard and adding more at this point will be too much. Being candid, more than a couple of orders went out below our standards. For example, there is a gentleman who just received his replacement aquarium and it was cracked. Crated. And yet still cracked. Here goes number three. So, you see there are operational and process challenges we need to deal with and need to upgrade our packaging even more than what it now. (We crate almost everything and even make our crates to custom sizes depending on the product). And that became a stand alone business. It's all good and fun but maybe going a little bit too fast.

 

[Aaron75]

Man, this guy is making me want to buy a Tenecor tank just for his involvement. I was already a fan after the fun diy aio promo a while ago, but he makes me want to invest. Lol

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

Man, this guy is making me want to buy a Tenecor tank just for his involvement. I was already a fan after the fun diy aio promo a while ago, but he makes me want to invest. Lol

How about this one for a diy? Stay tuned..

Or this one below 2.7 pico aio. When we have some machine capacity.

 

[Ol’Murph]

The two are not compatible. The designs are different and the mounts are not going to be an add on at this time. I am also pushing the production and design teams pretty hard and adding more at this point will be too much. Being candid, more than a couple of orders went out below our standards. For example, there is a gentleman who just received his replacement aquarium and it was cracked. Crated. And yet still cracked. Here goes number three. So, you see there are operational and process challenges we need to deal with and need to upgrade our packaging even more than what it now. (We crate almost everything and even make our crates to custom sizes depending on the product). And that became a stand alone business. It's all good and fun but maybe going a little bit too fast.

Understood and completely understandable. The challenges, while aggravating, make overcoming them fun.

Thank you for answering my previous questions. I’m onboard with going acrylic and with Tenecor. I was looking at the value bundles, with the tank and stand. 96x24x30. If I wanted to go from 96” to 108” long, besides the added cost on the tank, would the type of enclosed Magnum stand still be available to accommodate the extra foot on the tank? Or do I have to consider another type of configuration on the stand?

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

Understood and completely understandable. The challenges, while aggravating, make overcoming them fun.

Thank you for answering my previous questions. I’m onboard with going acrylic and with Tenecor. I was looking at the value bundles, with the tank and stand. 96x24x30. If I wanted to go from 96” to 108” long, besides the added cost on the tank, would the type of enclosed Magnum stand still be available to accommodate the extra foot on the tank? Or do I have to consider another type of configuration on the stand?

Longer than 8 feet is not going to be easy. We are having a tough time finding the larger acrylics. All the major manufacturers have started to discontinue the larger sheets.

 

[Ol’Murph]

Longer than 8 feet is not going to be easy. We are having a tough time finding the larger acrylics. All the major manufacturers have started to discontinue the larger sheets.

Fair enough. Takes that issue off the table. I’m not sure how your overflows are configured in a tank that size, but is that something I can chime in on before production?

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

Fair enough. Takes that issue off the table. I’m not sure how your overflows are configured in a tank that size, but is that something I can chime in on before production?

I will share something with you later that you might be interested in.

 

[Ol’Murph]

I will share something with you later that you might be interested in.

I know you are busy…. However, I’m going to ask anyway.

Since the Pico design is done, is “later” coming anytime soon?

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

I know you are busy…. However, I’m going to ask anyway.

Since the Pico design is done, is “later” coming anytime soon?

In the thread there are discussions on the next diy. Drop off tank. Along with some other thoughts. Take a look at this for example >>> https://www.tenecoraquariums.com/collections/diy-kits-saltwater-aquariums

We are moving into diy in a big way. That tank above was listed for only three hours before we got the first sale.

 

[Ol’Murph]

In the thread there are discussions on the next diy. Drop off tank. Along with some other thoughts. Take a look at this for example >>> https://www.tenecoraquariums.com/collections/diy-kits-saltwater-aquariums

We are moving into diy in a big way. That tank above was listed for only three hours before we got the first sale.

I see where you are going and it makes perfect sense. There are a lot of people who like the DIY aspect for the cost savings alone, not to mention the fun part. Pretty sure glass guys don’t have a complete DIY setup.

However, for some of us, whose eyes and hands don’t work quite as well as they did, that attempt might end up in total disaster. To be honest enough, I’m anal enough to be driven crazy by a poorly jointed seam on something I did to my display tank sitting in my den.

I believe part of the reason why people are driven to certain brand name glass tanks is because of the entire package. Here is the tank, stand, sump, plumbing, etc. If you want lights and a pump, they’ll put that together as a package for an additional cost. Some chose only the first part, some want the whole package. Unfortunately, all of that doesn’t necessarily give you a quality build. There are tons of threads in regard to this issue. Still the inclusion of all of that is a huge draw.

At this stage of the game for me, acrylic is the way to go and your value bundles for the tank and stand are right on target. My earlier question about the configuration of the overflow, was more in regard to number of drains, ie the bean animal setup. Do you just put in one drain in the current spec or do you put in two drains, one in the classic sense and one as an emergency drain?

Also, I noticed in the enclosed Magnum stand series, you recently changed the colors available. Is that due to the April launch of the new Magnum stands?

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

I see where you are going and it makes perfect sense. There are a lot of people who like the DIY aspect for the cost savings alone, not to mention the fun part. Pretty sure glass guys don’t have a complete DIY setup.

However, for some of us, whose eyes and hands don’t work quite as well as they did, that attempt might end up in total disaster. To be honest enough, I’m anal enough to be driven crazy by a poorly jointed seam on something I did to my display tank sitting in my den.

I believe part of the reason why people are driven to certain brand name glass tanks is because of the entire package. Here is the tank, stand, sump, plumbing, etc. If you want lights and a pump, they’ll put that together as a package for an additional cost. Some chose only the first part, some want the whole package. Unfortunately, all of that doesn’t necessarily give you a quality build. There are tons of threads in regard to this issue. Still the inclusion of all of that is a huge draw.

At this stage of the game for me, acrylic is the way to go and your value bundles for the tank and stand are right on target. My earlier question about the configuration of the overflow, was more in regard to number of drains, ie the bean animal setup. Do you just put in one drain in the current spec or do you put in two drains, one in the classic sense and one as an emergency drain?

Also, I noticed in the enclosed Magnum stand series, you recently changed the colors available. Is that due to the April launch of the new Magnum stands?

Over the past four weeks or so, we reduced the number of stock configurations and variants by over 450 SKU's. We are focusing on lowering the prices on most of our tanks and bundles by reducing the option set. In place of that, we are like you said, going hard into the DIY. You are correct that the colors options for the existing line was reduced down to four. The signature line will pick that up and then some. Going back to the DIY challenges, there will be modifications to the designs to facilitate easier diy. For example, in the latest pico build, we are using tab and notch reference points to simplify assembly. One of the next diy that will be available will be these >>> https://www.tenecoraquariums.com/products/hushflow®-32-gallon-aquarium-sump-with-11-gallon-ato-reservoir-48x15x18

HushFlow® Wet Dry Aquarium Sump 48x18x16

HushFlow® Aquarium Sumps are the best value. Choose from the no-frills basic designs all the way up to cutting edge wet/dry sumps. All are suitable for fresh or saltwater.

www.tenecoraquariums.com

This particular sump goes out the door for $800, shipping included. Shipping is a big number as everything we ship gets crated. Including the larger ato's. The DIY version will be made from thicker 3/8 inch with tab and notch assembly. Pretty simple to assemble and best of all, around $275-$300 delivered. The highest end sumps we see out there are in our cross hairs. We expect a comparable diy solution for approx 80% less.

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

I know you are busy…. However, I’m going to ask anyway.

Since the Pico design is done, is “later” coming anytime soon?

One more collection. And then of course, my favorites, the Frags. >>>
Post in thread 'The Tenecor® Pico DIY Drops March 2nd, 2024'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-tenecor®-pico-diy-drops-march-2nd-2024.1034052/post-12230248

 

[Tenecor Aquariums]

I see where you are going and it makes perfect sense. There are a lot of people who like the DIY aspect for the cost savings alone, not to mention the fun part. Pretty sure glass guys don’t have a complete DIY setup.

However, for some of us, whose eyes and hands don’t work quite as well as they did, that attempt might end up in total disaster. To be honest enough, I’m anal enough to be driven crazy by a poorly jointed seam on something I did to my display tank sitting in my den.

I believe part of the reason why people are driven to certain brand name glass tanks is because of the entire package. Here is the tank, stand, sump, plumbing, etc. If you want lights and a pump, they’ll put that together as a package for an additional cost. Some chose only the first part, some want the whole package. Unfortunately, all of that doesn’t necessarily give you a quality build. There are tons of threads in regard to this issue. Still the inclusion of all of that is a huge draw.

At this stage of the game for me, acrylic is the way to go and your value bundles for the tank and stand are right on target. My earlier question about the configuration of the overflow, was more in regard to number of drains, ie the bean animal setup. Do you just put in one drain in the current spec or do you put in two drains, one in the classic sense and one as an emergency drain?

Also, I noticed in the enclosed Magnum stand series, you recently changed the colors available. Is that due to the April launch of the new Magnum stands?

The glass guys won't do this because it will kill their business. I looked into setting up a glass tank business. All in with cutting, honing and edging equipment, only $500K. But the product is dinosaur Stone age and a race to the price bottom. No thanks.

 

[Ol’Murph]

Over the past four weeks or so, we reduced the number of stock configurations and variants by over 450 SKU's. We are focusing on lowering the prices on most of our tanks and bundles by reducing the option set. In place of that, we are like you said, going hard into the DIY. You are correct that the colors options for the existing line was reduced down to four. The signature line will pick that up and then some. Going back to the DIY challenges, there will be modifications to the designs to facilitate easier diy. For example, in the latest pico build, we are using tab and notch reference points to simplify assembly. One of the next diy that will be available will be these >>> https://www.tenecoraquariums.com/products/hushflow®-32-gallon-aquarium-sump-with-11-gallon-ato-reservoir-48x15x18

HushFlow® Wet Dry Aquarium Sump 48x18x16

HushFlow® Aquarium Sumps are the best value. Choose from the no-frills basic designs all the way up to cutting edge wet/dry sumps. All are suitable for fresh or saltwater.

www.tenecoraquariums.com

This particular sump goes out the door for $800, shipping included. Shipping is a big number as everything we ship gets crated. Including the larger ato's. The DIY version will be made from thicker 3/8 inch with tab and notch assembly. Pretty simple to assemble and best of all, around $275-$300 delivered. The highest end sumps we see out there are in our cross hairs. We expect a comparable diy solution for approx 80% less.

Totally get it and would love to see it. Even the slim line ATO concept is awesome in its own right and making it DIY is perfect for that type of product. Someone like me would even give that a shot. 15 gallon ATO with a smaller width footprint of a conventional ATO, I’m all in.

Wouldn’t there be a size limitation on what are average DIY er could handle? As for me, I’m looking at the 96 x 24x 30 Center OF tank. Are you indicating that size would eventually be available in a DIY platform? Not that I would even attempt something like that but I’m sure someone would.