Which tank to choose?

[DailynJ]

Hi all! I'm new to saltwater aquariums but not new to freshwater. I've been keeping freshwater all of my life, from 150gals to having 10 tanks at once. Now I live on the third floor of an apartment complex with a 20gal long planted tank filled with shrimp and a betta. Basically I'm trying to say I have a good amount of knowledge on basic stuff.

I've been trying to decide on what aquarium I should get for saltwater reefing. I've been looking at the Coralife Biocube 32, as I found a kit that comes with an ATO, protein skimmer, and wavemaker, all for around $700. So this would still allow me to buy all the other essentials like heater and ro/di system on my budget, and possibly upgrade the light if need be. But I have been told it's not the best tank because of the curved glass, which often cracks. I've been recommended innovative marine tanks and red sea tanks. The innovative marine tank that is 30 gallons is a lot longer than what I was wanting, and it with a stand costs as much as the biocube kit. So I would still need to get the protein skimmer and all of that. Now the Red Sea  Max E-170 is absolutely gorgeous. It comes with a built in protein skimmer, and comes with amazing lights. It has two filter outputs, so I don't think I would need a wavemaker. But the tank and stand is $1,365, which is WAY more than I was planning on spending for the tank alone. 

So my dilemma is: is the biocube good enough? Should I save up for the innovative marine or red sea tank instead? Do any of you have experience with these tanks: good or bad? I would love to hear any opinions or advice. 

 

Thank you so much,

Dailyn

[William]

21 minutes ago, DailynJ said:

Hi all! I'm new to saltwater aquariums but not new to freshwater. I've been keeping freshwater all of my life, from 150gals to having 10 tanks at once. Now I live on the third floor of an apartment complex with a 20gal long planted tank filled with shrimp and a betta. Basically I'm trying to say I have a good amount of knowledge on basic stuff.

I've been trying to decide on what aquarium I should get for saltwater reefing. I've been looking at the Coralife Biocube 32, as I found a kit that comes with an ATO, protein skimmer, and wavemaker, all for around $700. So this would still allow me to buy all the other essentials like heater and ro/di system on my budget, and possibly upgrade the light if need be. But I have been told it's not the best tank because of the curved glass, which often cracks. I've been recommended innovative marine tanks and red sea tanks. The innovative marine tank that is 30 gallons is a lot longer than what I was wanting, and it with a stand costs as much as the biocube kit. So I would still need to get the protein skimmer and all of that. Now the Red Sea  Max E-170 is absolutely gorgeous. It comes with a built in protein skimmer, and comes with amazing lights. It has two filter outputs, so I don't think I would need a wavemaker. But the tank and stand is $1,365, which is WAY more than I was planning on spending for the tank alone. 

So my dilemma is: is the biocube good enough? Should I save up for the innovative marine or red sea tank instead? Do any of you have experience with these tanks: good or bad? I would love to hear any opinions or advice. 

 

Thank you so much,

Dailyn

I would strongly advise against the biocube. After that i have a few questions:

• where are you placing the tank, what footprint works best (cube, peninsula, etc) 
• Will you need a stand for it? If so, does it have to be the stand that is made by the manufacturer
• what is your rough price range
• what tank volume are you wanting (you state 30 gal above, but why) 
• what esthetic do you want for the tank (is it a janky aquarium with equipment hanging off of it, or is it a stream-lined piece of art) 
   
• what those of inhabitants do you want 

 

*before hearing your answers, my initial recommendation would be the Red Sea Max Nano (22 gal) if it is in your budget. I have personally set this tank up for a friend who was totally new to saltwater and he has found it very easy to work with and he has been very successful with it. 

 

https://www.marinedepot.com/red-sea-max-nano-rimless-aquarium-with-reefled-50

[mcarroll]

I'm not sure where you heard that about the bio cube cracking, but they have sold zillions and zillions of them. If none of them ever cracked it would be a miracle just on the odds. 

 

 A bio cube would be one of your best options if you're looking for a simple set up.

 

At the same time maybe consider getting a standard tank and turning it into a "all in one" by adding a Reefpack setup and flow pumps (if needed) from Tunze.   This usually ends up being a lot cheaper than the high end integrated options. I've actually never compared the price to a biocube though.

[mcarroll]

(It might be worth mentioning that I sold quite a few BioCubes at the store I used to work at and never once heard of one cracking, but I didn't want to just base my comment only on my experience since I've never heard of one cracking outside of my experience either.  I'm just sure, statistically speaking, that it has happened some.  If you were talking about getting cracked in shipping, that is a whole other matter which has more to do with shipping fragile glass than it has to do with any particular brand.) 

[William]

I mainly do not like the biocube because I feel Most of the equipment on it will eventually get replaced/upgraded (so why not start out with something that you want), they are notorious for overheating, and they are not very visually appealing (to me). If you look at most builds of people who have bought biocubes, they’re I’ll have removed the stock lights and top, upgraded the return pump/filtration, and will have moded it in other ways. 
 

the curved glass on the front is also difficult to clean (I have owned multiple biocubes in the past) 

[mcarroll]

There are certainly many good alternatives.

 

But outside of personal taste, it's hard to argue with a zillion bio cube owners that all of them suck.    

 

It has been a great tank for many many many people.  😉👍

 

And there are upsides to go with all of those downsides by the way. And all of them are manageable.

 

For example a closed tank like that almost does not evaporate water at all.  Advantage!  Some folks even get away without an automatic top off system because of this.  As you found out, evaporation is responsible for a large percentage of tank cooling. 

 

A closed system like this also does not have problems with fish jumping out, and does not have to have a lid purchased separately to keep them in. Dual advantage! 

 

If you fail to account for this lack of evaporation, yes, it can lead to overheating. But plenty of folks get by with that set up just fine. It can work well!

 

Use your noggin when you set up your lights (use the stock lights or another option of similar wattage.) and your heater and you'll be fine on tank temperature. 😉

[William]

9 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

There are certainly many good alternatives.

 

But outside of personal taste, it's hard to argue with a zillion bio cube owners that all of them suck.    

 

It has been a great tank for many many many people.  😉👍

 

And there are upsides to go with all of those downsides by the way. And all of them are manageable.

 

For example a closed tank like that almost does not evaporate water at all.  Advantage!  Some folks even get away without an automatic top off system because of this.  As you found out, evaporation is responsible for a large percentage of tank cooling. 

 

A closed system like this also does not have problems with fish jumping out, and does not have to have a lid purchased separately to keep them in. Dual advantage! 

 

If you fail to account for this lack of evaporation, yes, it can lead to overheating. But plenty of folks get by with that set up just fine. It can work well!

 

Use your noggin when you set up your lights (use the stock lights or another option of similar wattage.) and your heater and you'll be fine on tank temperature. 😉

I did not mean to imply that they are bad, They have been selling well for almost 20 years. However, if you look at most peoples builds, many of them have elected to either remove the hood and stock lighting and replace it with something better/stronger, or they have had to add fans/some other cooling options (this is what I had to do on multiple of mine.)

 

 

i think the Biocubes/Nanocubes played a very important role in the evolution of the hobby, especially with respect to nano tanks, but IMO they are somewhat outdated compared to some of the new offerings. To be fair though, I stared my first saltwater tank with a simple 29 gal glass tank with a hang on back filter and a strip light. 

[mcarroll]

That is why I would not bash these tanks to anyone considering one. 

 

If you like other options better, certainly recommend them!

[William]

3 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

That is why I would not bash these tanks to anyone considering one. 

 

If you like other options better, certainly recommend them!

I don’t see anything wrong with giving my opinion on why i prefer one product/tank design over another. I have had multiple in the past and have first hand knowledge working with them. But back to my original response to the OPs post, specially the questions i asked. I am interested in getting a little more background on what her goals are. 

[DailynJ]

 

1 hour ago, William said:

I would strongly advise against the biocube. After that i have a few questions:

• where are you placing the tank, what footprint works best (cube, peninsula, etc) 
• Will you need a stand for it? If so, does it have to be the stand that is made by the manufacturer
• what is your rough price range
• what tank volume are you wanting (you state 30 gal above, but why) 
• what esthetic do you want for the tank (is it a janky aquarium with equipment hanging off of it, or is it a stream-lined piece of art) 
   
• what those of inhabitants do you want 

 

*before hearing your answers, my initial recommendation would be the Red Sea Max Nano (22 gal) if it is in your budget. I have personally set this tank up for a friend who was totally new to saltwater and he has found it very easy to work with and he has been very successful with it. 

 

https://www.marinedepot.com/red-sea-max-nano-rimless-aquarium-with-reefled-50

So I don't want a huge tank because I live on the third floor of an apartment. I don't know what the support looks like under the floors, so I'll be placing it close to the walls and hope for the best. I was hoping to put it by my couch in the living room, where I would replace my 2'x2' table. I was hoping to do most of the aquarium and stocking for around $1500, as it'll come from my savings and be a christmas gift from my family. So I think a cube would work best for what I'm wanting, but the table I have won't fit most aquariums I've been looking at so I'd need a stand for it. It doesn't have to be from the manufacturer, but I figured a bundle would be cheaper than finding something else and paying for it and separate shipping. I was originally looking at 10 gallons, but was advised against it, so around 30 would probably be best. I want to have lots of coral, like euphyllia, zoanthids, duncans, xenia, etc. I was hoping on doing a clown pair and a green bubble tip anemone, skunk cleaner shrimp, and goby and pistol shrimp pair. So a 30 would allow me to put more corals and house clowns well from what I understand. I don't want to go above 40 because if anything happens, I could flood and ruin the apartments below me. I would prefer a more streamlined aquarium, but the back won't be facing the wall, so I'll see it. 

 

You said I might upgrade most things, which might be true, but I feel like I need to start somewhere relatively easy so I can get the hands on experience. I don't know anything about different protein skimmers and ATO systems, so I thought the ones that are meant to fit in the back of the biocube would be good enough. I know I will probably have to remove the hood of the biocube and upgrade the lighting because of heat and my corals. That's okay. I like the idea of having a lot of the plumping done for me already since I don't know how to do it on my own.

[DailynJ]

1 hour ago, mcarroll said:

I'm not sure where you heard that about the bio cube cracking, but they have sold zillions and zillions of them. If none of them ever cracked it would be a miracle just on the odds. 

 

 A bio cube would be one of your best options if you're looking for a simple set up.

 

At the same time maybe consider getting a standard tank and turning it into a "all in one" by adding a Reefpack setup and flow pumps (if needed) from Tunze.   This usually ends up being a lot cheaper than the high end integrated options. I've actually never compared the price to a biocube though.

I was reading the reviews for it on amazon and people were saying that after they set it up and their tank was running for a while it would just randomly burst. Also the people in my LFS told me that curved tanks crack more often. I would definitely have to have it shipped, and I think the people on amazon might have gotten cracks during shipping that they couldn't see and then once the pressure of the water was on them they burst. I'm scared about that the most since I don't want to flood the apartments below me and be in a lot of trouble. 

[mcarroll]

18 minutes ago, William said:

I don’t see anything wrong with giving my opinion on why i prefer one product/tank design over another. I have had multiple in the past and have first hand knowledge working with them. But back to my original response to the OPs post, specially the questions i asked. I am interested in getting a little more background on what her goals are. 

I don't see anything wrong with that either.

 

Experiences and opinions can both supply context, which newb's need badly, and which anyone can find useful when shopping for something. 

 

But context is the crucial part, really.  Without context, that kind of info is a lot less useful than is should be.

[William]

13 minutes ago, DailynJ said:

 

So I don't want a huge tank because I live on the third floor of an apartment. I don't know what the support looks like under the floors, so I'll be placing it close to the walls and hope for the best. I was hoping to put it by my couch in the living room, where I would replace my 2'x2' table. I was hoping to do most of the aquarium and stocking for around $1500, as it'll come from my savings and be a christmas gift from my family. So I think a cube would work best for what I'm wanting, but the table I have won't fit most aquariums I've been looking at so I'd need a stand for it. It doesn't have to be from the manufacturer, but I figured a bundle would be cheaper than finding something else and paying for it and separate shipping. I was originally looking at 10 gallons, but was advised against it, so around 30 would probably be best. I want to have lots of coral, like euphyllia, zoanthids, duncans, xenia, etc. I was hoping on doing a clown pair and a green bubble tip anemone, skunk cleaner shrimp, and goby and pistol shrimp pair. So a 30 would allow me to put more corals and house clowns well from what I understand. I don't want to go above 40 because if anything happens, I could flood and ruin the apartments below me. I would prefer a more streamlined aquarium, but the back won't be facing the wall, so I'll see it. 

 

You said I might upgrade most things, which might be true, but I feel like I need to start somewhere relatively easy so I can get the hands on experience. I don't know anything about different protein skimmers and ATO systems, so I thought the ones that are meant to fit in the back of the biocube would be good enough. I know I will probably have to remove the hood of the biocube and upgrade the lighting because of heat and my corals. That's okay. I like the idea of having a lot of the plumping done for me already since I don't know how to do it on my own.

My personal preference would still be the Red Sea Max Nano (22 gal), and come with all do the equipment you would need and would allow you to keep most coral. 
 

however if you want something larger that is still in your budget, you could check out some do the Fluval Aquarium kits 

 

https://www.fishtanksdirect.com/fluval-m90-black-reef-aquarium-set-36-gallon-36lx16wx15h-15129.aspx

 

they come in a 24 gallon or a 36 gallon option.  I do not have personal experience with these tanks but have heard good things. 

[mcarroll]

7 hours ago, DailynJ said:

Hi all! I'm new to saltwater aquariums but not new to freshwater. I've been keeping freshwater all of my life, from 150gals to having 10 tanks at once. Now I live on the third floor of an apartment complex with a 20gal long planted tank filled with shrimp and a betta. Basically I'm trying to say I have a good amount of knowledge on basic stuff.

I've been trying to decide on what aquarium I should get for saltwater reefing. I've been looking at the Coralife Biocube 32, as I found a kit that comes with an ATO, protein skimmer, and wavemaker, all for around $700. So this would still allow me to buy all the other essentials like heater and ro/di system on my budget, and possibly upgrade the light if need be. But I have been told it's not the best tank because of the curved glass, which often cracks. I've been recommended innovative marine tanks and red sea tanks. The innovative marine tank that is 30 gallons is a lot longer than what I was wanting, and it with a stand costs as much as the biocube kit. So I would still need to get the protein skimmer and all of that. Now the Red Sea  Max E-170 is absolutely gorgeous. It comes with a built in protein skimmer, and comes with amazing lights. It has two filter outputs, so I don't think I would need a wavemaker. But the tank and stand is $1,365, which is WAY more than I was planning on spending for the tank alone. 

So my dilemma is: is the biocube good enough? Should I save up for the innovative marine or red sea tank instead? Do any of you have experience with these tanks: good or bad? I would love to hear any opinions or advice. 

 

Thank you so much,

Dailyn

In terms of value, you really have to decide what's important to you.

• Do you need someone to pick out all the equipment for you, regardless of how much it costs, and even if it's sub-par equipment?
• Do you need it to be affordable, no matter how much work you have to put into it, even if it's sub-par equipment?
• Does the idea of picking out your own gear and setting up yourself seem appealing to you if you could save some money or pick higher end gear at your own discretion?
• Do you have a total budget?.
• If you don't have a budget it's going to make it even that much harder to decide....so maybe start with deciding your actual budget.

The old rule of thumb that's been proven out prettyt well over time was to spend about 1/3 of your budget on the tank setup, 1/3 on lights and 1/3 on live rock. 

 

Use that info along with your total budget to figure how much of your budget you can spare for the tank -- the rest kinda falls into place.

 

Let's extrapolate from the info you gave so far....and we'll focus on the BioCube as it's by far the most-sold tank out of those options.  (The exercise works for any setup tho.)

 

The option you found was apparently $700 for a used BioCube and some gear.  I'll assume you have about 700*3 to spend.....or about $2100.

 

Brand new, BioCube 32 -- $339.

 

Brand new Tunze 9001 skimmer -- $117.

 

Brand new set of two Tunze 6020's -- $86.

 

Brand new Tunze Osmolator nano -- $72.

 

Total:  $614

 

That is top-quality German gear, all with a 2 year warranty, and for $100 cheaper than that used setup.

 

Tunze has several awesome pump options for this size of tank, so any of the 6015, 6025 or 6045 would be worth considering....and which look like this:

as would the 6040 controllable at $140, which is pretty much the top-end pump for this tank. 

 

You could use the 6055 ($189) or 6095 ($235), but they would be turned down so low that the cost wouldn't really be justified IMO. 

 

The 6020 and 6015 would give you by far the best bang for your buck.

[mcarroll]

You might want to consider a plain 40 Breeder for the tank.....as low as $40 at the Petco sale...$50 on their website right now as I type....and only $99 regular price.

That wold give you more room and a considerably lower price for the whole kit.

 

Using the same gear as above, that's only $290 for the whole setup with a 40 Breeder....only $340 if the tank is regular price.

 

...for the whole kit.

 

Just need to add lights.

 

A 36" Orbit Marine goes for $180.

 

That's still only $470, with all new gear.

 

A pair of Kessil A160's instead of the Current USA strip is $478 and only brings that total up to $818.

 

Hope that helps and it's not too much to think about!  😉 

 

[Tamberav]

I had an aquapod and I don't care for the curved glass as far as athestics go and because it's more of a pain to clean. 

 

Your 3rd floor can hold a nano no problem. I wouldn't even sweat 20 or 30 gallons. Not even 40. 

 

Stands are super expensive and the cheap ones are made of cheaper materials like particle board. The problem with this is if particle board gets wet it expands and can collapse. 

 

I saved money by buying older used furniture that was real wood. The stuff people get rid of for 15-25 bucks because the hardware and color is out dated. Then I added new hardware from home Depot and painted it with a small can of primer and furniture paint and a good brush. I used dollar store shower curtains to protect the floor. This real wood furniture can hold a nano easily and won't just fall apart if it gets wet. 

 

I really like IM tanks but Petco has the dollar per gallon going so 20 bucks for a 20 long will work too with a hang on back filter.

 

You can also look for used systems just inspect closely and running systems show you everything is working vs something that was drained. I bought a 1 yr old red sea 22g for 1300 off Craigslist but it came with two mp10s...new apex...large skimmer...kessil...rodi...buckets of Hanna test kits and so on. It was basically everything a person would ever need for 1300. 

 

If you go cheap...cheap out on furniture it sits on and tank asthetics...not important stuff like lighting that effects the health of your animals.

[kimberbee]

 

6 hours ago, DailynJ said:

I feel like I need to start somewhere relatively easy so I can get the hands on experience.

5 years ago I paid $100 for a used biocube and stand. The previous owner also left the sand, rocks, water, a goby, and 3 or so corals in it. It was perfect for a beginner and was basically good as is if I didn't want to buy anything else right away.

 

One year later I got an Innovative Marine 20 gallon and kept two tanks running... skip ahead to today and I've owned a handful of different aquariums because it's taken me that long to learn what I do/don't like. 

 

IMO: Look for something used that's  *at least* 25% below new cost. If you don't find anything right away, there *will* be Black Friday sales. 😉 Something between 20-40 is good for a beginner in an apartment. 

 

Check out the TOTM library to get an idea of what can be done with a wide variety of tank sizes. A beginner tank doesn't need all the bells and whistles,  but if you start enjoying the hobby, you'll get into it and want to do more!

 

 

[mcarroll]

Not a recommendation, just a case in point:   

 

125 Gallon tank on an MDF manufacturer stand that had been flooding for who knows how long due to two overflowing power filters.

 

It was so bad that the tank has a (small) forward lean to is and the stands verticle members are distorted, swelled up.

 

No collapse. 

 

MDF is a lot stronger than any rumor about it I ever heard would have suggested.  125 gallons is almost half a ton, BTW!!! 

 

This stand is two five-sided boxes, side by side, made of 3/4" MDF and sandwiched between a full-length floor piece and a full length piece on top for the tank to sit on.  So there are only 6 "compromised" vertical MDF members supporting all that weight!

 

A tiny little 29 gallon on a real Engineered stand would be zero risk IMO.   

 

(That's why, I suspect, all the "high-end" stands are MDF just like the Petsmart stand I'm talking about.  Red sea, et al.)

 

I'm not wood engineer so I don't understand it.....and I don't think I'd work in MDF myself due to this lack of knowledge.  But the folks who know do it without issue, apparently.

 

Most of those tank makers won't even honor their warranty on their tanks unless it's on one of their MDF or wood stands. 

 

There's a good reason, IMO, that they make no distinction between the materials on their warranty.

[Tamberav]

22 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

Not a recommendation, just a case in point:   

 

125 Gallon tank on an MDF manufacturer stand that had been flooding for who knows how long due to two overflowing power filters.

 

It was so bad that the tank has a (small) forward lean to is and the stands verticle members are distorted, swelled up.

 

No collapse. 

 

MDF is a lot stronger than any rumor about it I ever heard would have suggested.  125 gallons is almost half a ton, BTW!!! 

 

This stand is two five-sided boxes, side by side, made of 3/4" MDF and sandwiched between a full-length floor piece and a full length piece on top for the tank to sit on.  So there are only 6 "compromised" vertical MDF members supporting all that weight!

 

A tiny little 29 gallon on a real Engineered stand would be zero risk IMO.   

 

(That's why, I suspect, all the "high-end" stands are MDF just like the Petsmart stand I'm talking about.  Red sea, et al.)

 

I'm not wood engineer so I don't understand it.....and I don't think I'd work in MDF myself due to this lack of knowledge.  But the folks who know do it without issue, apparently.

 

Most of those tank makers won't even honor their warranty on their tanks unless it's on one of their MDF or wood stands. 

 

There's a good reason, IMO, that they make no distinction between the materials on their warranty.

 

I am not convinced it won't collapse at any moment. A tank on a swollen stand? What about the excess stress of a leaning tank on the silicone? I think what the apartment manager would say. NO!!! We don't spend 1000's on corals only to put it on some partially collapsing stand. I hope that tank is in a basement. 

 

Besides, who wants to look at a swollen stand and leaning tank? icky! 

 

That being said, I do have a red sea stand but that thing is super sealed compared to the Petco ones which look about the same as Walmart quality. No cheap MDF for me. I have never had an issue getting warranty on tanks regardless of the stand. I have only had to return Petco tanks though. I have never had a IM tank or Mr Aqua fail on me 🤞

 

A lot of people build their own stands, I am jealous of their ability. 

[mcarroll]

Forgot to mention its been like that for years and has been drained moved and filled more than once.

 

Wouldn't recommend this to anyone as I said, but it showed me that I had some serious misconceptions about professionally made MDF stands.  

 

There's nothing weak about them.

[William]

Waterbox tanks would also be a good option.

 

i also agree that the risk posed by a waterlogged swollen stand is more than I personally would want to deal with, not to mention the ethics of housing animals in an environment that could be potentially hazardous to their health. 
 

How important are the aesthetics of the tank? Is it in a man cave where a “science fair” look is ok, or is it in an area where you want a more polished look. 

[mcarroll]

28 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

I have never had an issue getting warranty on tanks regardless of the stand.

Everything including written warranties is debatable?  😉

 

This is a basic warranty issue for most tanks and is pretty well-known, historically speaking.

 

It would be cool if you would name names and give examples of tanks that you have had replaced under warranty as I wonder if you just had a lucky exception.

 

It would also be useful to know where you are because warranty laws do vary somewhat from state to state whereas this is a national forum.

 

What I mentioned is written into their legal warranties by the way, probably a lot like this or like this in most cases.

 

Warranties have no bearing on whether YOU can get an employee to give you a replacement or not tho.  😉

 

But if you really do know of a maker who doesn't care about what stand the tank is on, even if it's warped and wobbly, I'd like to know who they are.  👍

[mcarroll]

28 minutes ago, William said:

i also agree that the risk posed by a waterlogged swollen stand...

Glad you agree!

[Tamberav]

28 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

Everything including written warranties is debatable?  😉

 

This is a basic warranty issue for most tanks and is pretty well-known, historically speaking.

 

It would be cool if you would name names and give examples of tanks that you have had replaced under warranty as I wonder if you just had a lucky exception.

 

It would also be useful to know where you are because warranty laws do vary somewhat from state to state whereas this is a national forum.

 

What I mentioned is written into their legal warranties by the way, probably a lot like this or like this in most cases.

 

Warranties have no bearing on whether YOU can get an employee to give you a replacement or not tho.  😉

 

But if you really do know of a maker who doesn't care about what stand the tank is on, even if it's warped and wobbly, I'd like to know who they are.  👍

I think in that post I said I only had to warranty Petco tanks. I even openly told a guy it was on a dresser when he asked and he said go make sure it was level and then swapped the tank. It didn't break cuz of the stand though...I just accidentally pushed it and cracked it...woops 😉

 

I haven't had my rimless nanos fail. They are thicker glass than Petco. They also all have a small amount of foam under them that is made for their tanks.

 

I do shim all my stands to make sure they are level. I can buy a expensive aquarium stand but that doesn't make my floors even! 

 

Used aquarium stands are a great purchase too. My IM tank is on a wood JBJ stand I got cheap from another reefer. 

 

Honestly nano tanks don't fail that much except when some had manufacturing issues...just use common sense and place it on a even surface. 

 

[mcarroll]

18 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

I think in that post I said I only had to warranty Petco tanks. I even openly told a guy it was on a dresser when he asked and he said go make sure it was level and then swapped the tank. It didn't break cuz of the stand though...I just accidentally pushed it and cracked it...woops 😉

 

I haven't had my rimless nanos fail. They are thicker glass than Petco. They also all have a small amount of foam under them that is made for their tanks.

 

I do shim all my stands to make sure they are level. I can buy a expensive aquarium stand but that doesn't make my floors even! 

 

Used aquarium stands are a great purchase too. My IM tank is on a wood JBJ stand I got cheap from another reefer. 

 

Honestly nano tanks don't fail that much except when some had manufacturing issues...just use common sense and place it on a even surface. 

 

Good.

 

You and William made it sound like I was recommending warped stands the way your replies went.  😆

 

Almost like my post didn't really get read since the very first line addressed what you guys wrote back:

1 hour ago, mcarroll said:

Not a recommendation, just a case in point

🙄

 

If you wanna bash MDF stands, go ahead.  I have no dog in the race and don't care.

 

Folks just like to bash things, I get it.

 

But MDF stands are stronger than you know.

 

That was the point.