RayAllen3422
New member
Im looking at purchasing a 125 gallon Marineland reef ready tank. Anyone had any bad experiences with it? I talked to the guy at my LFS and he only had good things to say (but he is selling it). Any insight is appreciated.
Marineland tank and stands
- Thread starter RayAllen3422
- Start date
A1t2o
New member
Really? I always liked the reef ready ones. The silicone is placed professionally and there is no risk of the glass cracking when it is drilled.
For the stand, I would build my own if I were you. I am in the middle of an upgrade to a 75 gallon tank and I am building my own stand. It is cheaper and you get to customize it and have the exact size opening you want to fit the sump. I'm even putting an electrical cabinet in the sides to hide all cables except 1 going to the wall.
It's super, super easy to drill glass. All it takes is a hose, an ebay diamond drill bit, and patience.
You can buy an overflow kit which makes everything even easier and it just uses bulkheads. Takes up less space, is more reliable and quieter than the basic durso you're restricted to with a reef-ready tank.
You can buy an overflow kit which makes everything even easier and it just uses bulkheads. Takes up less space, is more reliable and quieter than the basic durso you're restricted to with a reef-ready tank.
billdogg
Well-known member
What they said. Drilling is easy. www.glass-holes.com They supply pretty much everything you'll need except the drill and tank.
If you have any DIY skills, building your own stand is very easy. Using the RocketEngineers plan with 2x material for the frame and plywood to skin it is probably the easiest route.
RayAllen3422
New member
Yeah. All of that stuff voids the warranty which is scary for a new tank.
RayAllen3422
New member
Yeah. I understand that point. But a lifetime warranty if I use their stand and don't drill it. Seems pretty good.
Mr.Tan
New member
do what you are most comfortable with, if you drill the tank and something happens.... no one here is going to buy you a new one 
. I drilled my 29g tank, it went super smoothly and was easy (after the first hole, which was the scariest). BUt then again, it was only a $29 tank bought at the petco $1/gallon sale.
. I drilled my 29g tank, it went super smoothly and was easy (after the first hole, which was the scariest). BUt then again, it was only a $29 tank bought at the petco $1/gallon sale.
RayAllen3422
New member
do what you are most comfortable with, if you drill the tank and something happens.... no one here is going to buy you a new one
If I buy a 500 dollar tank and break it while drilling someone here on RC will have to give me a place to live because I won't be allowed in my house anymore.
Sapelo
New member
Honestly the upside to building your own stand is that you can make it taller and give yourself more room to work in the sump
Having said that, I totally hear you on warranty and understand why you would want to keep that intact.
They do make nice tanks for the price, I'm loving mine and it is my second.
Having said that, I totally hear you on warranty and understand why you would want to keep that intact.
They do make nice tanks for the price, I'm loving mine and it is my second.
RayAllen3422
New member
The plan was to build my own stand until I found out about the warranty thing. I actually enjoy building things and would rather build my own stand.
Let me ask you this: do you want to buy their stand and then have the tank fail and deal with a warranty (only on the tank, mind you, it won't pay to repair the damage to your home or the loss of livestock.....so you get what, a couple hundred bucks?), or set your own silent and redundant overflow and build your own stand properly and bear the MINISCULE risk of the tank silicone failing during the warranty period?
RayAllen3422
New member
Like you said any tank can fail so I'd rather have a warranty than no warranty. Just my opinion.
RayAllen3422
New member
Anyways we got a little off topic. The question was regarding people's experience with Marineland tanks not a drill or not to drill debate.
Reef908
New member
I have a marineland 75 RR and the Monterey series stand. The stand is solidly built with real wood. The tank itself seems well built and I have not had any issues in the few years it has been setup. I used the supplied plumbing parts and just connected a sump and return line up. Simple and have had no issues. This configuration is also really quiet all things considering.
RayAllen3422
New member
Greybeard
New member
Build your stand. The only reason they won't warranty it without their stand is so that they can sell more stands, and get out of paying warranty costs. Any amateur woodworker can make a stand that will be stronger, more water resistant, and better looking than a factory stand. Most of the factory stands I've seen are stapled together half inch pine with a quick spray of stain, or worse yet... melamine. Neither is particularly strong, or water resistant. With your own design, you can plan the sump area, finish to match the room, etc.
As for the overflow... i bought a 60g oceanic cube with their corner-flo. Started with their standard durso setup, and couldn't stand the noise. I converted it, used both 1" factory holes for a herbie type drain, and ran the return outside of the tank. Couldn't be happier with the end result.
If you've drilled a few tanks, it's not a big deal, but if you've never done it, it can be a nerve wrenching experience. Nothing wrong with the factory drilled tanks... a hole is a hole, after-all. How you set up the plumbing is up to you. Many tanks have a tempered bottom panel, so if you want to minimize outside plumbing, well, a factory drilled tank may be the way to go.
As for the overflow... i bought a 60g oceanic cube with their corner-flo. Started with their standard durso setup, and couldn't stand the noise. I converted it, used both 1" factory holes for a herbie type drain, and ran the return outside of the tank. Couldn't be happier with the end result.
If you've drilled a few tanks, it's not a big deal, but if you've never done it, it can be a nerve wrenching experience. Nothing wrong with the factory drilled tanks... a hole is a hole, after-all. How you set up the plumbing is up to you. Many tanks have a tempered bottom panel, so if you want to minimize outside plumbing, well, a factory drilled tank may be the way to go.
Sounds Fishy
New member
Marineland also offers a metal stand for a couple hundred dollars.
