The dreaded Red Sea post

[EnterName]

Just local discussions ive heard.

Hmmm. Im the furthest thing from a Red Sea apologist, but I havent heard of a single G3 failing yet, and believe me, I'm looking for it. I hope this isnt a "talk is cheap" word of mouth thing without basis. If it is real, I'd like to see some documentation somehow.

I mean, they added euro-bracing...

They know they can't trust their own silicone and instead of using something of quality they use quantity to fix a problem others don't have in the first place. I don't even want to know what else they cheap out on.

 

[Mathnes]

Just curious, how is it possible with the huge seams and protectors etc it’s still failing? Other brands like Nyos and aquamedic have much smaller seams. Nyos is just only between the glass panes there is barely any on the inside of the tank itself. and you never hear them failing. Do they just use cheap silicone, which should be weird as this can’t be a big expensive for them vs cheap silicone. Or is it that they sell much more tanks thus the chance of failing tanks is just much larger ?

 

[EnterName]

Just curious, how is it possible with the huge seams and protectors etc it’s still failing? Other brands like Nyos and aquamedic have much smaller seams. Nyos is just only between the glass panes there is barely any on the inside of the tank itself. and you never hear them failing. Do they just use cheap silicone, which should be weird as this can’t be a big expensive for them vs cheap silicone. Or is it that they sell much more tanks thus the chance of failing tanks is just much larger ?

They seem to be using a 2-part fast curing silicone which apparently isn't suited for the job.

 

[MichaelReefer]

Just curious, how is it possible with the huge seams and protectors etc it’s still failing? Other brands like Nyos and aquamedic have much smaller seams. Nyos is just only between the glass panes there is barely any on the inside of the tank itself. and you never hear them failing. Do they just use cheap silicone, which should be weird as this can’t be a big expensive for them vs cheap silicone. Or is it that they sell much more tanks thus the chance of failing tanks is just much larger ?

Cheap silicone from what I've gathered. With all these people who had their tanks fail in a year, I'm honestly surprised mine made it as long as it did. I thought I had that one that was never going to fail, I'm just glad I caught it.

 

[saltwaterfish.com Verified Sponsor]

I second this.

Definitely look into UNS. I have close friends locally that own a LFS and fell in love with the tank. Full aluminum frame, beautifully mitered glass with 45 degree seams. Doors are magnetic and completely come off so they're not in the way. Not cheap, but a tank that will last a long time.

Here is my new setup, my Red Sea just went down about three weeks ago:

Very nice!

 

[NYCBOB]

Redsea denied a replacement when under warranty. Once the warranty ran out and the condition got worst, they offered $923 towards a new system. I spent a little more and ordered an Innovative Marine. 3-4 months wait time is the only thing that sucked.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

I mean, they added euro-bracing...

They know they can't trust their own silicone and instead of using something of quality they use quantity to fix a problem others don't have in the first place. I don't even want to know what else they cheap out on.

I have my theory on this. Bear in mind, this is all speculation, and Ill deny everything in a court of law! LOL

I think they used sub standard silicone on these aquariums. Due to fast cure time, low cost, whatever. However, they (obviously) are going to deny that accountabiliy at all costs. I think the euro bracing is the red herring theyre using to avoid discussing the silicone issue. Did they update the silicone? Holy crud, I hope so. And if they did, they were now able to do so quietly, without incriminating themselves about it at all.

Im not one for conspiracy theories, but with this PR shipwreck that Red Sea has brought on themselves here, I wouldnt put this level of misdirection beyond them.

HOWEVER....Im also not trying to be a rumor mill. Until G3s start failing in notable volume, I dont think its fair to paint the G3s as failures. Do we have every reason to think they will? Sure. But that doesnt mean we start spreading the gossip that they ARE failing. That should only happen if they do.

 

[KrisReef]

I’ve yet to see any G3 failure posts, at least around here… have they really started failing already? (~8months after release!)

Seems too soon?

 

[jmaneyapanda]

I’ve yet to see any G3 failure posts, at least around here… have they really started failing already? (~8months after release!)

Seems too soon?

Exactly my point. Exactly.

 

[UncommonSense]

Seems too soon?

There are several documented cases of G1-G2+ tanks failing at the sub-1 year mark around here, though I seem to recall that the shortest lived running tank I’ve seen is 9-ish months!

(I also occasionally see confusion about which generation a tank is… wether malicious, or ill-informed… a good example being secondhand G1 and G2/G2+ Reefer tanks being sold as “G3” to unsuspecting buyers)

 

[jmaneyapanda]

There are several documented cases of G1-G2+ tanks failing at the sub-1 year mark around here, though I seem to recall that the shortest lived running tank I’ve seen is 9-ish months!

(I also occasionally see confusion about which generation a tank is… wether malicious, or ill-informed… a good example being secondhand G1 and G2/G2+ Reefer tanks being sold as “G3” to unsuspecting buyers)

FYI- I have customer that we installed a G2 for, and within 6 months (maybe less), a large bubble formed at the seam. He was a big enough PITA to Red Sea that they replaced his glass with a G3. But it was really short termed. Granted, it didnt fail, but there was a large bubble in the bottom seam.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

This whole seam protector vs. seam thing in my opinion in meaningless. I had two Red Sea tank failures and in both cases separation started at the protector but moved down the the actual seam.

Seam protectors function is to protect the seam against physical damage. The image clearly shows it is separating at the middle, so it is not a physical damage thing, it is good old Red Sea silicone failure.

right seam protectors are not structure supports in any way.

 

[KrisReef]

I don't know why I never looked up 2-part aquarium sealant before now, but AI (also a known fabricator of sorts) had this to say about 2- part aquarium adhesives. (My font, bold and underline.)

AI Overview



True "two-part" silicone sealants exist, but they are industrial adhesives (like Loctite SI 5600), not for fish tanks. For aquariums, you actually need a 100% one-part acetoxy silicone that has zero mold/mildew additives. It cures by reacting with moisture in the air. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Because standard hardware store silicones often contain fungicides that kill fish, you should use aquarium-specific brands. Great options available in convenient 2-packs or individual tubes include
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That answer is more than interesting, and that's all I'm gonna post.