Where to buy locally large aquariums (200G)?

[elm66]

Was wandering where to buy locally a large aquarium at a good price. Is there an online option not too onerous with the shipping?

I am thinking about a 72" with a depth of 24" and * height or more. I also have seen mention of very deep tanks from Marineland 36" x 36". Where can they be found locally.

 

Thanks

 

Eric

[reefmontalvo]

I know Blue Ribbon Koi, can order you a tank.

[jason the filter freak]

the best thing to do probqbly is to go into the vendpr fourms area and inquire with each vendor on availablility and pricing imo.

[DEEPBLUE]

WWW.GLASSCAGES.COM, they have a deliver every month or two to the Home Depot parking lot in Manassas. I have 2 of their tanks and they reasonably priced.

 

Eric

Edited September 5, 2008 by DEEPBLUE

[elm66]

WWW.GLASSCAGES.COM, they have a deliver every month or two to the Home Depot parking lot in Manassas. I have 2 of their tanks and they reasonably priced.

 

Eric

 

Thanks all of you. I will contact some of the vendors to inquire about prices. www.glasscages.com also seem an option. I have not compared yet their prices to the one of standard manufacturers.

 

Eric

[BeltwayBandit]

I have been looking at the new Marineland large tanks, too. One of the LFS down here in NC has the 5'x3' tank set up in the shop and it is quite impressive. I'm looking at the 6x3 tank. All of their large tanks are 27" tall. They picked this dimension because it will fit thru a standard door. Just another thing to think about. The Marineland tanks are very nice, if you can find a local vendor. Check around. I'm sure one of the excellent LFS sponsors will be willing to order one for you. They are also cheaper than custom tanks, as long as the dimensions are close to what you are looking for. They also do have starfire fronts on the tanks.

[jamesbuf]

I have been looking at the new Marineland large tanks, too. One of the LFS down here in NC has the 5'x3' tank set up in the shop and it is quite impressive. I'm looking at the 6x3 tank. All of their large tanks are 27" tall. They picked this dimension because it will fit thru a standard door. Just another thing to think about. The Marineland tanks are very nice, if you can find a local vendor. Check around. I'm sure one of the excellent LFS sponsors will be willing to order one for you. They are also cheaper than custom tanks, as long as the dimensions are close to what you are looking for. They also do have starfire fronts on the tanks.

 

 

I'll second that they are really impressive. I've seen the 4', 5', and 6' tanks at ThatPetPlace and I will definitely be getting one. When I have a house to put it in of course.

[Grav]

Before getting a glass cage, think long and hard about the maximum amount of water you would like to have on your floor at one time. Then order the tank based on those paramiters.

 

Sure it is nice to save a few bucks, but for a tank that only lasts a year or so, the price should be lower.

[flowerseller]

I'm not sure that's a fair statement based on real life experience or made simply via hearsay.

There's plenty of very happy customers (many of the more idolized reefers here) who have multiple GC tanks who may not go anywhere else.

 

Hearsay routinely claims poor customer service and sloppy silicone edges.

One member here had cracks appear while/during a contractor was building it into a wall many months after taking delivery. It was inspected by the customer, like all GC tanks at pickup, and signed for before it left the p/u point.

[NAGA]

I have in the last year replaced 3 large (+200g) tanks from Glass Cages from seam failure with acrylic ones. I do not know if it stems from the sloppy silicone or not but, I do know that in my experience they have a higher failure rate as compared to others.

[Grav]

Chip,

 

You are correct, there are lots of good stories from GC owners.

 

My persepctive is skewed, especally this week. On Monday I got a call from a business customer that we took over about a year ago... WE DID NOT DO THE INSTALLATION. Their 22 month old 370 gallon glass cages tank had dumped every drop of water on the floor over the weekend. Total loss of all fish and tons of previously thriving corals. A very very sad day for the customer, every employee, the other tennants on the same floor that are still getting over the smell, for me plucking out all those dead animals and for the folks doing the renovations a floor below. Lucky for all the space below was unoccupied. It took 2 techs 7 hours just to clean up the tank. Someone else was working on the rugs, sofas and such.

 

Sure, they don't all fail. But is the risk worth the $ saved?

 

I can post up some of the saddest before and after pics you have ever seen.

[AndrewB]

I think the 3-month (!!!) warranty is more than enough statement about that company. Most manufacturers are doing 3-year to lifetime warranties on large tanks now.

[tbittner]

We're very happy with our GC 360g predator tank.

 

 

 

 

It's their industrial version so it has extra bracing added everywhere. It's 96x24x36 and it sits at an angle to our 450g glass tank which is our reef. We bought the 450 used and I don't know who built it.

 

Scary thing is we were also considering buying it from Aquariums for You. They kept calling and offering discounts and asking for a down payment. Three weeks later they went out of business.

Edited September 19, 2008 by tbittner

[flowerseller]

I'd like to see the stand all these total seam failures were sitting on.

Perfecto, as my example since they made my 220, garuntees the tank as long as it's on THEIR manufactured stand.

Nothings perfect and all the major manufactures have had seam failures too. Usless except you get a new tank which pales in comparison to what was inside so it's really little comfort.

[tbittner]

Good point. I think that filling the tank and not giving the silicone a chance to really cure could cause a failure too. GC recommended waiting 6 weeks, we waited 8 before filling it. Had to get the plumbing done first anyway.

[Grav]

Good questions / points. Water dammage greater than the cost of the tank, so what good is a warrenty??

 

This stand was a welded steel frame, very well done IMHO with a pink styro top to level it. Can't speak to the 6 weeks they suggest for cure time on the silicone, seems like"wait 8 weeks" is pre-excusing to me.

[NAGA]

It's funny that glass cages would have an industrial version.................there should be just one version........one that holds water for many years. If this is the industrial version what do they call the other version? "The Take Your Chances Version" ?????

[lanman]

I think my custom 240 is from glasscages. I hope it lasts more than a couple of years. Didn't Rebecca have it set up for a couple of years before I set it up a year ago?

 

Guess I'll keep those new vortech's turned down. Even though I like the waves...

 

bob

[geofloors]

I guess no other tank manufacturer has had a tank break except glasscages?

 

 

George

[tbittner]

We had a bunch of friends over this weekend and they all think our 360g tank is extremely well built. I know quite a few people who said they wouldn't ever buy another acrylic tank because of the scratches. I even read people saying the same thing about starphire. But, plain glass does have a greenish tint to it. I think that with the right lights, the greenish tint isn't noticable.

[quazi]

Since we are bringing up sore subjects....

 

Last time I was out there (probably over a year ago), Roozens had great prices on 220s. FWIW.

 

Let the Roozen bashing begin!

[ROBZ]

I have 2 GC tanks and have no complain about GC, customer service sometimes can be a little primitive but they are built tough, also if they say let it cure for 6 weeks... then let it cure for 8 , it all depends how much money you want to spend in your tank, I'm not really a fan of Acrylic tanks THEY WILL SCRATCH and there are some amazing acrylic builders accessible... also look into the regular brands that are reef ready... just my 2 cents

[amay121]

I think everyone's getting away from what the question is.

 

Anyways, you can get a large tank at pretty much any LFS. You just have to understand that larger tanks aren't usually in stock (even though I've seen a few over at SCALES) because they take up way too much floor/sale space. This is why most are order on demand only. Talk to your LFS, see which tank manufacturers they carry, do some research on them yourselves and then go out and buy the best take you'd like.

[tbittner]

Superpets in Annandale sells all sorts of big tanks and they have them in stock too. All the way up to a 285g tank. They also stock and sell the stands. Pretty decent pricing too.

[Coral Hind]

WWW.GLASSCAGES.COM, they have a deliver every month or two to the Home Depot parking lot in Manassas. I have 2 of their tanks and they reasonably priced.

 

Eric

 

Would you still recommend these tank?