Need opinion on price of new tank from lfs

[creator]

I'm looking to purchase a 300 gallon deep dimension perfecto. I've been looking around and the lowest price I have been able to find is $1,800 (tank only). Is this a fair price/ the best price I am likely to find or should I keep looking?

(I found the same tank online for ~1,200, but it's not in Florida/ doesn't ship- wouldn't want to ship it anyway)


Thanks

 

[Porscheflyer]

Try all about aquariums in Cape coral

 

[kcinnick]

Are you buying just the tank from the store? If so, they probably don't have much room to work on price with just that single purchase.

 

[BobbyV]

I paid $2,100 with starphire front, tax included and shipped to my front door.

 

[kcinnick]

I bought my 300 used with tank, stand and canopy for $1500... I was getting quotes for custom tanks in the $4000 range, but it was due to the dimensions I was looking at. Mine is 7ft long, I was looking for an 8 foot tank, and it would have been more than 300 gallons, but I am happy with my purchase. I see lots of 6 foot 300 gallon tanks with stand and canopy in the $800-$1500 range.

My tank is also from a boutique builder, not that it matters, I had a perfecto 120 that was fine for over a decade, only thing I didn't like about it was the corner overflow that was rated for "700" gph, it couldn't handle near that.

 

[creator]

It would be just the tank and stand and possibly the canopy/ led lights.

And BobbyV is that with the stand? And how long have you had it/ are you happy with it? Is there anything you dislike about it?

 

[creator]

Kcinick I may be wrong but I think the 300 perfecto overflows are rated the same. Does that mean a 3,500 gph pump would be too much for the drainage/ is there anything you can do to the overflows to help with this?

 

[kcinnick]

The 120 had a single overflow, and I am sure the design has changed. I bought my 120 over 10 years ago. But yeah, 3500 is too much and not needed. I am using a 9000lph DC pump for my return on my 300, it is a DC pump so I will probably run it around 1200-1500gph. I am using a DC12000 for my closed loop, that will vary from 10% to 90%, I probably will never run it at 100%.

I think you would be maxed at around 1200 gph on a dual overflow perfecto set up if it has the same overflow I had on my 120. It would be a waste of energy to run a pump at 3500gph.

 

[robthorn]

FAOIS will destroy those prices. Sale ends on the 28th I think.

 

[Tango451]

I am also looking at that tank. Thank you for the heads up. I had heard that marineland products go on sale twice a year. Do you know if this part of that sale?

 

[creator]

I will be calling all about aquariums and faois tomorrow then

Thank you both

 

[MJNTWise]

FAOIS will destroy those prices. Sale ends on the 28th I think.

+1...cant beat customer service. I bought my new 180 from them and they worked with me on my pick up day...Give them a call...

 

[BobbyV]

It would be just the tank and stand and possibly the canopy/ led lights.

And BobbyV is that with the stand? And how long have you had it/ are you happy with it? Is there anything you dislike about it?

I have owned my 300DD for about three years now.

I have converted the return on each side to be both drains. So total of four drains.

I ran a custom return to the middle center of the tank for maximum turn over rate.

I built my stand. I don't like pre built stands too low if you ask me. I want room to work and the option to stuff a large tall skimmer underneath it.

The only thing I don't like about my tank is the large water changes.

If I were to do it all over again, I would kept my 120 Starphire Oceanic Tech Tank. That in my opinion was the best mass produced tank.

Yea it is cool to setup a "big tank" but if I honestly were to do it again, I would have gotten a really nice 120 48x24x27. And use the remaining budget to get nicer equipment.

My wife will not let me sell my 300DD, because she loves the fish in there too much. However if I do one day I would probably sell it, with stand and plumbing next to nothing so someone who normally didn't have a budget to buy new could enjoy having a larger tank.

I wish you success and good luck with your search.Thanks for asking for my input.

 

[robthorn]

I have the 250dd and wish I could have gone bigger. Lol

I only do 20 gallon water changes whenever I feel like it. That may be once a month or 3 times in a week then nothing for a while.
I wanted to be able to walk around my tank and not see pipes so I only have a 1500gph circ pump and the overflows running as designed. I have 5 pumps inside the tank though.
So there you have 2 successful ways to run a largish tank.
I totally agree on building a stand plenty tall for equipment. Just make sure you can get it in the house. For me everything had to be turned on its side to get in the door so I could not go as tall as I wanted.
Looks like you will be ordering a tank and I know where you can get a 300dd brand new custom stand pretty cheap. I think it needs to be stained still so you can pick your color but not positive on that. Project was scrapped.