Making a tank

[Luc Tango]

Hi people,

I am looking to make a custom tank and was wondering if anyone could recommend a good tank maker. (preferably not a big name) I rather go for cheap and good than pay for expensive and good.

I had a tank made by C328 (not sure who the uncle approached to make the tank) Quality wise was pretty good but then its only been a couple of months so let's see how things go. I was just thinking if he had a 3rd party make the tank, it would probably be even cheaper if i approached the 3rd party?

Anyone any contacts? Much appreciated.

[marimo]

will like to know also , thinking of cutting glass for lid cover

last time used to go ubi area for acrylic setup. sometime when u go 3rd party , they give more expensive for 1-1 customize. some time middle man get affordable price he consolidate more orders for supplier...

[Ecalyte]

Luc, I was in the same predicament as you when I was deciding tank makers for my custom tank. I went with the cheapest option and was completely raped by the quality of the tank. It was a horrible job with very messy silicone. Obviously I won't mention the tank maker here, but if you want to know PM me and I can tell you so you can be spared the horrible experience I had.

If you want good and cheap, then you can always go to east ocean at havelock road. They carry ANS tanks that are crystal glass. They have some of the neatest silicone work, very minimalist like ADA. Absolutely zero silicone on your tank glass. However I cannot testify to the quality of the silicone work apart from its cosmetics. I've only had my 30cm cube for a month, not nearly enough time to give an accurate assessment of the strength of their silicone. So far so good though..

I have yet to see a local tank maker that can re-produce ADA tank style minimal silicone. They always have quite a bit of silicone sticking out the joints. As far as I know, all the aquarium glass that the local tank makers use all come from China anyway, so all you're paying extra for is local workmanship and warranty on your tanks.

So its a matter of personal choice.. If you prefer the security of the warranty and are willing to pay more for a peace of mind, then choose our local tank makers. However, if you are very anal about the beauty of your tank right down to the minimalistic silicone work, then your choices are limited to the China made tanks.

[marimo]

How much is it to custom a 30cm cube?
I also have difficultly finding one ..
actually prefer the side abit curved

[David Moses Heng]

fellows,

Good tank DOES NOT come cheap.

I have been using the tank maker CR from Tagore lane and they are superb in terms of quality and service. Their glass are from Japan and NOT China as claim here.

Their tanks though pricey comes with a 10 years warranty.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[David Moses Heng]

30cm cube? Have you try acrylic ones? I do have sets that comes with cover, LED, Pump, and media at less than a $100...

[marimo]

Eh don't really like acrylic .. prefer glass
I found mizu online site that sells all sorts of tank.(glass from japan) But no experience buying with them . You know most of the time you feel better buying thing you see and touch for yourself...

[Ecalyte]

Altum,

Thanks for clarifying CR's glass source. I guess I was mistaken. However, your experience and mine are vastly different when it comes to CR Aquarium. When you say quality, what are you referring to? The silicone work that splashes all over the glass tank.. Or the cabinet door that is not aligned properly?

Infact, mine came with a chip. Not a small one either... But by the time I found out, I had already setup my tank. So I saw no point in contacting them to replace as it seemed more trouble than it was worth having to reset the tank again.

Reason why I'm revealing this now is because I dont want people to be misled by the accounts of one person. I'm very sure many others have fantastic experiences with CR, otherwise they would be out of business =) However, don't let reputations lead the way.. You are the final QC. Kind of like how I was sold a defective batch of ADA Aquasoil Amazonia 2 Powder soil. Even a reputable brand such as ADA has its problems. I was in a hurry to get the tank made so I guess I'm partly to blame for the lack of quality.

[Luc Tango]

Ecalyte,
I know what you mean by reputable brands have their own problems. I had a friend who bought a branded tank that burst within 3 weeks of purchase, flooded his entire living room. He was offered a replacement but he never ever trusted that brand anymore. Rather ask for compensation. As for CR, no personal experience but have some bad feedback from friends too. :X I am fine with the outlook of the tank, as long as the silicon doesn't run all around. And I can't really differentiate crystal and normal glass!

Altum,
I agree that most good tanks don't come cheap but I am sure that there are makers who do a good job and not overcharge people. I have received quotes for certain tanks, same size but price range can be vastly different. (example. A charge $100, B charge $500) Feedback from customers of both makers say their tanks are of the best quality. So if you place side by side, who will you choose? (assuming both tanks have the same length of warranty)

Which actually leads me to another question. If a tank maker provides you a 5 year warranty, and the tank leaks within that 5 years. Sure he replaces or repairs the tank for you, but would you still buy a second tank from him again? imagine another leak in the house within the next 5 years and the trouble it brings. So warranty or not, it doesn't really affect my buying of a tank. sometimes i think its pure luck to find a good tank maker. My dad's tanks were made in malaysia by some unknown maker. 12~13 years on and still no leak. and price range, less than SGD $200 for a 2 tier tank. Perhaps my idea of quality would lean towards long lasting instead of the outlook of a tank.

[Ecalyte]

Would probably help if we knew the size of the tank you were looking at and your potential budget. There are plenty of local tank makers but the big players that I know of are CR, N30, Fishy Business, AquaticStyle and SGBros.

I may have missed out some but during my search for a tank maker, these were the ones I approached. Suffice to say I chose the cheapest option and i am now living with the consequences of it.

[Luc Tango]

hmm, come to think of it. I just dug out the old quotes i have and i think i might go with N30. thanks for reminding me of them!

[David Moses Heng]

Hi Ecalyte,

I guess everyone have their own encounters and experiences. So far, all my tanks (about 20 of them) have excellent silicone work even for the twelve 1 feet cubes which they sponsored for a fund raising event when I approached them back in 2008.

They also offer to replace my crack breeding tanks when I feedback to them. For cabinets, I have never encounter issues with them. And yes, you are right to point out that even established brand has got defects and we ultimately are the final QC.

However like yourself, I have to bear with the aftermaths when I bought a 422 locally(not CR) due to inexperience and rush of time...

Cheers to many more tanks!!

[David Moses Heng]

Hi Luc,

Kindly allow me to say this. For two tanks with the same dimension but the difference in cost is huge MIGHT be due to type of glass. Example: when i bought my 2 feet crystal glass tank, it cost me a whopping $200. But if you are to get the normal low iron glass or green glass, the cost is only$60-$80. That is a difference of $120. And when I ask for a quote for a 622 normal glass, the range is around $5k complete with cabinet and sump... I wouldn't dare ask for crystal glass cos a 422 crystal glass is around $7k complete with sump, cabinet and also braceless. Also to note is that braceless tanks tends to cost more than tanks with brace as braceless tanks utilize thicker glass.

Hope this helps.

[ZackZhou]

Hi Luc,

Kindly allow me to say this. For two tanks with the same dimension but the difference in cost is huge MIGHT be due to type of glass. Example: when i bought my 2 feet crystal glass tank, it cost me a whopping $200. But if you are to get the normal low iron glass or green glass, the cost is only$60-$80. That is a difference of $120. And when I ask for a quote for a 622 normal glass, the range is around $5k complete with cabinet and sump... I wouldn't dare ask for crystal glass cos a 422 crystal glass is around $7k complete with sump, cabinet and also braceless. Also to note is that braceless tanks tends to cost more than tanks with brace as braceless tanks utilize thicker glass.

Hope this helps.

IMHO, low iron glass = crystal glass.

[David Moses Heng]

IMHO, low iron glass = crystal glass.

Thanks for the mistake. I mean the normal green glass.

[ZackZhou]

Thanks for the mistake. I mean the normal green glass.

Haha. Perfectly alright. I always thought previously that they are different. Only recently got to know from a tank maker that they are actually refers to the same type of glass.

[Luc Tango]

Altum,
well. the quote was for exactly the same tank, size, glass thickness and type of glass. if not i wouldn't even compare them cause i know that crystal glass is definitely more expensive.

just to check anyways, does crystal glass break more easily than normal glass? assuming the thickness is the same.

[illumnae]

In the past 3 years, I have commissioned tanks of varying sizes from CR Aquarium, N30, davidsws, Aquatic Stylezzz, Yong Hua and Tank Junction (SG Bros). Experience with N30 and davidsws (who has closed down) is more limited as I had custom nano tanks made by them, but for the rest I've had work done on tanks from 3ft onwards (2ft sump system by Aquatic Stylezzz, but they also did the sump system for me for my 4ft).

In terms of pricing, there is clearly a huge difference between the tank makers. Let me give you one example using an example raised above. A 622 tank with cabinet and sump (I assume from CR aquarium) is apparently S$5k+, using normal glass. Earlier this year, I commissioned a 6 x 2.4 x 2.4 (6ft x 28 inch x 28 inch) tank with cabinet and sump. Added in crystal glass (from US) glass panel, and inclusive of S$300 worth of filter media, UV + pump and sump pump (Eheim Compact+ 5000), the total bill was less than S$3,500.

Another example is where my 422 (with cabinet but no sump) from CR Aquarium costs more than the 422 I ordered for my dad that comes with a sump. In fact, the 422 with sump I ordered costs slightly over 1/2 the price of the 3 x 1.5 x 2 tank with sump I got from CR Aquarium. All tanks referred to in this paragraph were using normal glass.

In terms of quality, while there is indeed a difference between the tank makers, very frankly, you won't be able to tell much difference between the various tank makers. Not saying that there's no difference, but all are of a high standard. Some people have bad experience with one tank maker...others have bad experience with another tank maker etc. But I feel that if you take a step back away from anecdotal evidence, you will find that by and large, all the reputable tank makers don't come by their reputations by accident. They generally produce high quality work and tanks that will last.

One thing aside from price and quality, that I don't think has been mentioned here is the level of pre-sales and after-sales service. To me, that is the most important thing. What is the use of claiming a 10 year warranty if trying to enforce it is like pulling teeth? And who would feel good about ordering a tank from a tank maker, if trying to obtain a quote is a grouchy affair? Maybe it's just me, but i would be glad to pay a little more if the customer experience of dealing with the tank maker is a pleasant, even enjoyable one.

With all the above in mind, Tank Junction is my preferred tank maker for all future tanks that I make. Yong Hua comes a close second, largely because of the inconvenience of them being located in Malaysia. On the same note, I will never ever give CR Aquarium any of my business again unless something drastic changes.

The above are my views and opinions only though based on my own experience in dealing with numerous tank makers - feel free to take them with a generous dose of salt. I'm happy to share more about my experiences in private if you want - I don't want to criticize any tank maker too badly publicly. It is their livelihood after all.

[aquarius]

I just had my custom made tank delivered to my home yesterday. It took them less than 4days for me to place my order and to deliver to my place. When it came there was still a strong sillicon smell. Though i've put water into the tank, i'm just wondering if i should have waited for another few more days to let the sillicon "set-in" first before putting in water? Will rushing to fill up the tank with water cause the sillicon be not as "durable"?

[Luc Tango]

4 days? that's fast! to what i know, silicon usually cures within 24 to 48 hours? the smell doesn't really indicate that its not cured. (that's what i think)