What's up with the recent Red Sea Tank failures? 750XXL ? *UPDATE* Design Flaw CONFIRMED by Red Sea !!!

[ScottB]

I will make up a number. 1:1000

Eight years from now: 1:300

After that replace the thing. If you had an older 750, well whole 'nother ball game.

 

[ReefEco]

Oh man, this seems like all kinds of bad news. I've always been suspect of the "ikea" style, ship-flat assemble yourself aquarium cabinets that seem to be engineered to support the tanks with "just enough" material. Heart goes out to everyone whose had leaks or blow-outs - every reefer's nightmare...

 

[stacksoner]

front bottom center seal have way. Nightmaee

 

[IKD]

front bottom center seal have way. Nightmaee

What size/type of Red Sea was this?

 

[LiamPM]

RS builds/sells more tanks than all others combined.

I’d be interested to see those stats to show this is a thing if you have them. Love a numbers sheet me.

 

[Antics]

What size/type of Red Sea was this?

Looks like it is a Reefer 250 from his other thread about the issue. That’s crazy. I didn’t know the under four foot Red Sea tanks also had seam failures.

 

[mckinney0171]

This whole thread reminds me every time why I need to stick with Innovative Marine.

 

[stacksoner]

Mine is a reefer 250, made in 2019

 

[drawman]

Mine is a reefer 250, made in 2019

Well that sucks really sorry to hear it! Any indication it was starting to go like bubbles in the seam?

 

[stacksoner]

Well that sucks really sorry to hear it! Any indication it was starting to go like bubbles in the seam?

After reading this thread, I can now see that the cabinet is clearly sagging toward the middle. It's easy to see if you look at the gap between the white piece of wood under glass

 

[stacksoner]

This is something that concerns me. I'm a business owner too so I can understand damage control, but suppressing the information?

My business run more of an "identify and correct" model rather than "deny and deflect", when it comes to issues.

It's like Fight Club.

If the probable rate of failure x # of tanks sold x replacement cost per tank is greater than the cost of a recall, then they do a recall

 

[stacksoner]

It's like Fight Club.

If the probable rate of failure x # of tanks sold x replacement cost per tank is greater than the cost of a recall, then they do a recall

Just a quick follow up. Red Sea asked me to take photos, rip off and destroy the serial #, and sign a sworn statement saying I would not sell the system to anyone. They also sent me the new, defect free model and cabinet, which was very cool of them.

My advice to the red Sea farm is keep an eye on your seals and be proactive about anything unusual you see. A small oversight will really set you back years.

Good luck to all

 

[|sCRIBe|]

I wanted to share my experience. Purchased a new xxl 625 classic in 2018. Within the last year or more I began to notice the mat under the glass was no longer visible looking at the tank from the left side(pic attached). You can see the mat is visible at the rear and gradually is not near the front. Opening the left door its visible the top cabinet is sagging down to the point it looks like the glass has made contact with the cabinet. Opening the far right door also shows some sagging but not as much as the left. I have submitted my claim to redsea.

Question: Does the brace they provide get installed and stop further sagging or do I need to jack up the glass so the top cabinet piece is level for the brace to maintain this. Has anyone else installed this brace and how did it go for you? The redsea instructions are only visual and show a tool adjusting the brace screw as if its raising up the tank but I find that hard to believe.

 

[MnFish1]

I wanted to share my experience. Purchased a new xxl 625 classic in 2018. Within the last year or more I began to notice the mat under the glass was no longer visible looking at the tank from the left side(pic attached). You can see the mat is visible at the rear and gradually is not near the front. Opening the left door its visible the top cabinet is sagging down to the point it looks like the glass has made contact with the cabinet. Opening the far right door also shows some sagging but not as much as the left. I have submitted my claim to redsea.

Question: Does the brace they provide get installed and stop further sagging or do I need to jack up the glass so the top cabinet piece is level for the brace to maintain this. Has anyone else installed this brace and how did it go for you? The redsea instructions are only visual and show a tool adjusting the brace screw as if its raising up the tank but I find that hard to believe.

This IMHO - is a total question to be asked to RedSea customer support - you will get 1000 answers here - go to the source (i.e. the company) - FWIW - I have a similar issue which I have been working with them on - at least a couple years ago - I decided to leave it. BUT - Go to RedSea - report the issue first Again - IMHO

 

[|sCRIBe|]

Called RS and they said just to leave the tank how it is and install the brace. Still sucks this is even happening to begin with. Prob the last redsea tank I will ever own.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

I wanted to share my experience. Purchased a new xxl 625 classic in 2018. Within the last year or more I began to notice the mat under the glass was no longer visible looking at the tank from the left side(pic attached). You can see the mat is visible at the rear and gradually is not near the front. Opening the left door its visible the top cabinet is sagging down to the point it looks like the glass has made contact with the cabinet. Opening the far right door also shows some sagging but not as much as the left. I have submitted my claim to redsea.

Question: Does the brace they provide get installed and stop further sagging or do I need to jack up the glass so the top cabinet piece is level for the brace to maintain this. Has anyone else installed this brace and how did it go for you? The redsea instructions are only visual and show a tool adjusting the brace screw as if its raising up the tank but I find that hard to believe.

Like mnfish stated call Red Sea and email them the pics. On the 750 the brace did have Jack screws that did level out the stand when tightened as directed. Don’t know about other models

edit: they told me that being able to slide several pieces of paper between the tank and stand where the stand was bowing would not be an issue. They said all the weight bearing is on the outside four corners. They said the paper between tank and stand before tank failures was an internet rumor. We’ll see…my warranty expires this month.

 

[|sCRIBe|]

Like mnfish started call Red Sea and email them the pics. On the 750 the brace did have Jack screws that did level out the stand when tightened as directed. Don’t know about other models

The jack screws where able to lift and level the top cabinet with a full tank on top?

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

The jack screws where able to lift and level the top cabinet with a full tank on top?

Yes. I went very slow. You’re really not lifting the tank, if you tighten that much you will damage something eventually. You are just lifting the bow up to help support the tank. The directions I had were pretty clear about how much to tighten I think based on the thickness of the foam pad where the brace is

edit. Again do what Red Sea tells you. I do know if you tighten it too much you will create a pressure point on the bottom glass which could cause it to crack

 

[jkobel]

Holy crap never heard about this.. I never trusted rimless tanks but never knew about this crazy bottom overhang. seems like a ticking time bomb. Not to mention RS not factoring most of these tanks are going to be running MP40s - which put massive stress on the all areas of the glass. I never wondered why these companys dont just a glass eurobrace on the top, which i think most ppl would prefer.

Can you elaborate on the MP40/glass stress comment? Is this tested and conformed or anecdotal?

It makes sense to me but curious if there is a quantifiable amount of stress involved. I have a 625XXL and 2 MP40's so this is near and dear to my heart.

 

[ssdawood]

We definitely make sure of that! The only thing that has physically alarmed us is that the front glass panel has about an inch overhang from the stand with nothing underneath to support. The front doors are about a half inch down from the front glass panel.

My boss being the engineer that he is goes to extreme lengths and concerns so I totally understand how he feels so I just need to keep my fingers crossed or one day I will come into work and a brace will be installed lol

I had an Elos 90 back in day and the glass overhang just like this. No problems at all.
So yeah the glass overhang in front can be done right.
No worries just on that.