WaterBox Platinum 135.4 vs. Red Sea Reefer XL 525

Antics · Oct 5, 2017

Adding on @Broadfield's point -- the comparison also isn't worth it because the true differences between the 135.4 and 425 XL don't outweigh the intangibles of Red Sea's brand.

Having no experience with your product I can't give a specific personal account for quality or customer service, but the name Red Sea is very well known. I'd say the majority of reefers who are active on forums know who Red Sea is and what they sell. It isn't just about Reefer aquariums. It's about their dosing components, test kits, salt mix, pumps, filter media, and misc. other equipment. If a consumer is looking at this comparison they see "Well known, respected, and established brand... or something completely new with little information and almost no presence..."

Then they look at the price -- which are the same. Then they take the next logical step and ask themselves the question "Which should I buy? From the brand new company with limited information and user experience or... the international company with 25 years of experience, hundreds of employees with a dedicated warehouse and customer support in the US, known for having great customer service, and thousands of threads and builds dedicated to one product line..."

Sorry to beat a dead horse here but I'm trying to stress that the Waterbox LOOKS like a great product/company trying to claw its way into the premium line of aquarium manufactures. Focus more on building the brand by highlighting your great product, working on fleshing out the website and your information on it and drive sales by focusing on great customer support and outreach. R2R sponsorship itself isn't that appealing to me as a user. However, when a I see a sponsor/vendor who is active, regularly engaging with the community and answering questions and providing feedback it goes along way in building trust and willingness to try something out.

kinetic · Oct 6, 2017

Waterbox Aquariums said:
In case you were wondering how WaterBox stacks up against Red Sea Reefers. Check it out!

Weird. My Reefer 170 is a glass overflow, has leveling feet, soft close door, and leveling mats under the display and sump. Though the mats are connected to the stand and not the tanks. I think the older versions didn't have them though. (My reefer is only a couple months old).

Regardless, the Waterbox aquariums look nice too. Comparisons are nice, though the differences aren't too huge.

You know what I want? Something without a black background that looks nice. I wish there were smaller versions of the Reefer Peninsulas so I could have a clear through tank. Or I wish the Peninsula was available back when I was getting a tank. It seems silly to have a black background on low-iron glass.

I guess it might be vinyl and removable? I wonder if it would look nice with the overflow box. My Reefer 170 looks silly with the huge internal overflow box being smoked glass.

Waterbox, make a clear peninsula like tank and send one to me to take photos of

I'd love a setup like my Reefer 170, but with a super clear unobstructed background

Waterbox Aquariums · Oct 6, 2017

kinetic said:
Weird. My Reefer 170 is a glass overflow, has leveling feet, soft close door, and leveling mats under the display and sump. Though the mats are connected to the stand and not the tanks. I think the older versions didn't have them though. (My reefer is only a couple months old).

Regardless, the Waterbox aquariums look nice too. Comparisons are nice, though the differences aren't too huge.

You know what I want? Something without a black background that looks nice. I wish there were smaller versions of the Reefer Peninsulas so I could have a clear through tank. Or I wish the Peninsula was available back when I was getting a tank. It seems silly to have a black background on low-iron glass.

I guess it might be vinyl and removable? I wonder if it would look nice with the overflow box. My Reefer 170 looks silly with the huge internal overflow box being smoked glass.

Waterbox, make a clear peninsula like tank and send one to me to take photos of

I'd love a setup like my Reefer 170, but with a super clear unobstructed background

We definitely have more sizes and designs in the works..stay tuned

Thank you for the feedback on the comparison chart. We are making adjustments to it to make sure it is completely accurate

solitude127 · Oct 6, 2017

@Waterbox Aquariums Looking at your pictures online, on the main drain valve, to help keep the drain noise down, it seem you're using a ball valve, is that correct?

Waterbox Aquariums · Oct 6, 2017

solitude127 said:
@Waterbox Aquariums Looking at your pictures online, on the main drain valve, to help keep the drain noise down, it seem you're using a ball valve, is that correct?

Yes, our current models use a ball valve. We do have plans to upgrade that on future models but we do not have an exact timing on that yet. We have had no problem with balancing out the drain to run completely silent but we would still like to change it to something a little easier to fine tune.

kinetic · Oct 6, 2017

Are your backgrounds removable? Any photos of what that looks like?

I'd definitely be interested in a Peninsula. If it was 24 or 36" that would really be great. IM is the only company that makes smaller peninsulas, though they're AIO without sumps. I was thinking of getting a AquaMaxx rimless tank, drilling it and putting a overflow on it. But if you guys put together a nice 40/50 gallon peninsula, I might just swap my Red Sea 170 out for it!

Waterbox Aquariums · Oct 6, 2017

kinetic said:
Are your backgrounds removable? Any photos of what that looks like?

I'd definitely be interested in a Peninsula. If it was 24 or 36" that would really be great. IM is the only company that makes smaller peninsulas, though they're AIO without sumps. I was thinking of getting a AquaMaxx rimless tank, drilling it and putting a overflow on it. But if you guys put together a nice 40/50 gallon peninsula, I might just swap my Red Sea 170 out for it!

They aren't on these models but versions with a clear back panel is a possibility. I forwarded on your thoughts for a smaller peninsula so you never know what we might end up doing

SB Reef Lights · Oct 9, 2017

Hey guys having used both tanks I just wanted to post up a personal review. First the Red Sea reefer is a fantastic tank, I have installed several in to service accounts we have. Four different sizes including the 525, not one major issue with any of them. They are extremely well made, and until you see one in person you don't really understand the value in the price point.

That being said we couldn't get one quick enough for our booth at MACNA. We decided to take a chance on the water box. I'm glad we did. Those of you that visited our booth at MACNA saw how nice the tank was. I would say construction is pretty much on par with the Red Sea, since I have no complaints about either. However there are a couple things I really like much better on the water box.

1. The Overflow was much quieter than I've ever been able to achieve with a Red Sea reefer. Now the Red Sea is extremely quiet to begin with so maybe we're splitting hairs, but I'm talking dead silent.

2. With dual outputs for the return pump, I was able to run a larger pump without disturbing sand on the bottom. I like that it's teed off before it enters the lock line. I know there are some 3D printed adapters for the Red Sea that allow you to put standard lock light on and then split the output.

3. The we're on the Overflow seems to handle a higher flow rate. On the Red Sea 525 the most I could run was about 65% on a DCT 9000 pump. I was able to run at 85% on the water box. This is with both tanks maintained about 1/2 inch below the top lip. I have also noticed on the Red Sea tanks if the flow rate is too high coming down into the sump, trapped air bubbles will create a splashing effect leading to water behind the sump, then leaking around to the front. That's the only issue I've had twice on service accounts. On both of those accounts I'm running at 50% even though the Overflow can handle 65%.

4. It uses standard for in socks that are very easy to remove. Red Sea is slightly off for in which forces me to carry another product in stock. So much nicer just to carry for in that fits just about everyone.

5. The ATO is simply fantastic in comparison to the Red Sea. Not only is the Red Sea a mechanical float, which doesn't allow you to change water levels in your sump, the actual container itself is Clumsy to handle and difficult to fill through the front door. On the water box the sensor can be adjusted to change water level.

6. For those of you that don't mind a little DIY, the ATO compartment in the water box sump is large enough to make a very nice refugium. Simply drilling a 1 inch hole into the pump return compartment and feeding it with a small pump works great. Then feed the ATO from a standard 5-gallon F-Type jug located in the second compartment.

As far as overall construction, I would rate it a tie. I'm very impressed with both tanks, and both stands. However the water box definitely has a couple nicer features that for me would break the tie.

Waterbox Aquariums · Oct 9, 2017

SB Reef Lights said:
Hey guys having used both tanks I just wanted to post up a personal review. First the Red Sea reefer is a fantastic tank, I have installed several in to service accounts we have. Four different sizes including the 525, not one major issue with any of them. They are extremely well made, and until you see one in person you don't really understand the value in the price point.

That being said we couldn't get one quick enough for our booth at MACNA. We decided to take a chance on the water box. I'm glad we did. Those of you that visited our booth at MACNA saw how nice the tank was. I would say construction is pretty much on par with the Red Sea, since I have no complaints about either. However there are a couple things I really like much better on the water box.

1. The Overflow was much quieter than I've ever been able to achieve with a Red Sea reefer. Now the Red Sea is extremely quiet to begin with so maybe we're splitting hairs, but I'm talking dead silent.

2. With dual outputs for the return pump, I was able to run a larger pump without disturbing sand on the bottom. I like that it's teed off before it enters the lock line. I know there are some 3D printed adapters for the Red Sea that allow you to put standard lock light on and then split the output.

3. The we're on the Overflow seems to handle a higher flow rate. On the Red Sea 525 the most I could run was about 65% on a DCT 9000 pump. I was able to run at 85% on the water box. This is with both tanks maintained about 1/2 inch below the top lip. I have also noticed on the Red Sea tanks if the flow rate is too high coming down into the sump, trapped air bubbles will create a splashing effect leading to water behind the sump, then leaking around to the front. That's the only issue I've had twice on service accounts. On both of those accounts I'm running at 50% even though the Overflow can handle 65%.

4. It uses standard for in socks that are very easy to remove. Red Sea is slightly off for in which forces me to carry another product in stock. So much nicer just to carry for in that fits just about everyone.

5. The ATO is simply fantastic in comparison to the Red Sea. Not only is the Red Sea a mechanical float, which doesn't allow you to change water levels in your sump, the actual container itself is Clumsy to handle and difficult to fill through the front door. On the water box the sensor can be adjusted to change water level.

6. For those of you that don't mind a little DIY, the ATO compartment in the water box sump is large enough to make a very nice refugium. Simply drilling a 1 inch hole into the pump return compartment and feeding it with a small pump works great. Then feed the ATO from a standard 5-gallon F-Type jug located in the second compartment.

As far as overall construction, I would rate it a tie. I'm very impressed with both tanks, and both stands. However the water box definitely has a couple nicer features that for me would break the tie.

Thanks for the feedback! Your tank looked awesome at MACNA as well as your coral selection.

scurvy dawg · Oct 9, 2017

Without getting into which tank is better than the other, me as a consumer, will certainly take pause if I feel a manufacturer is not being totally up front with me.

Special_K · Oct 20, 2017

Reefer 525 XL uses 5/8" glass while waterbox 135.4 uses 1/2" glass, right? That's a pretty big difference IMO.

Waterbox Aquariums · Oct 20, 2017

Special_K said:
Reefer 525 XL uses 5/8" glass while waterbox 135.4 uses 1/2" glass, right? That's a pretty big difference IMO.

We use 1/2" since it is a 4ft length where the 525 is 5ft. Our larger versions will have 5/8 glass but it is not necessary with 4ft length

g5flier · Nov 17, 2017

Waterbox...I'm currently running a RedSea Reefer 525XL, quite satisfied BTW. I'm in the market for another system and would really like a "cube" sized tank. Looking at the Waterbox 75.2 and the RedSea 170, different sizes I know but both nearly square. Are you going to be running any "Black Friday" type specials soon that will get me to go Waterbox over RedSea? Thanks.

Waterbox Aquariums · Nov 17, 2017

g5flier said:
Waterbox...I'm currently running a RedSea Reefer 525XL, quite satisfied BTW. I'm in the market for another system and would really like a "cube" sized tank. Looking at the Waterbox 75.2 and the RedSea 170, different sizes I know but both nearly square. Are you going to be running any "Black Friday" type specials soon that will get me to go Waterbox over RedSea? Thanks.

We personally aren't doing any specials on WaterBox for Black Friday but we do have a great WaterBox retailer near you who I am sure could set you up with a 75.2 and a great deal or add ons for Black Friday.

Waterbox Aquariums · Nov 17, 2017

g5flier said:
Waterbox...I'm currently running a RedSea Reefer 525XL, quite satisfied BTW. I'm in the market for another system and would really like a "cube" sized tank. Looking at the Waterbox 75.2 and the RedSea 170, different sizes I know but both nearly square. Are you going to be running any "Black Friday" type specials soon that will get me to go Waterbox over RedSea? Thanks.

We personally aren't doing any specials on WaterBox for Black Friday but we do have a great WaterBox retailer near you who I am sure could set you up with a 75.2 and a great deal or add ons for Black Friday.

Waterbox Aquariums · Nov 17, 2017

g5flier said:
Waterbox...I'm currently running a RedSea Reefer 525XL, quite satisfied BTW. I'm in the market for another system and would really like a "cube" sized tank. Looking at the Waterbox 75.2 and the RedSea 170, different sizes I know but both nearly square. Are you going to be running any "Black Friday" type specials soon that will get me to go Waterbox over RedSea? Thanks.

hi, wanted to update you. have talked with our promo department and we are going to allow a 10% off sale on Waterbox through Cyber Monday. Our online vendors will be offering this as well

g5flier · Nov 17, 2017

Waterbox Aquariums said:
hi, wanted to update you. have talked with our promo department and we are going to allow a 10% off sale on Waterbox through Cyber Monday. Our online vendors will be offering this as well

Thanks! May have to take advantage of it!