Need tank maker reference in Bay Area, CA

[jmc74]

that's weird, I paid $300 for mine and the edge was polished, he drilled the tank for the bulk head and included the bulk head for free, and then I spoted a 50g new that it looked like a sump, and i ask him for the price, he charge me $80 so i got it, and also he had a big pile of dry rock, he charge me an extra $40, and when I got home it was about 80lb of Dry live rock, was enough for my 50g sump. so I don't know, for me it has worked great, and they offered me excellent deals, for the others that complaint, well I feel bad, but WMS still has my business, but now that I know the issues that have hapened to others i will be more careful.

 

[nasotang]

I've had a few tanks made by Gen and I think his work is top notch. His work is sometimes more expensive than others, but you have to check the build quality. The cost of 1",1/3" or 1/2" acrylic sheets vs 1/4" is pretty significant.

For a tank that large you'll want to make sure you get a quality built tank. A few hundred now to save the thousands of dollars of aquarium life is worth it in my opinion. Just my .02.

You can also check with some quality lfs and see where they got their large tanks built and see who they recommend.

 

[dochou]

Thanks reefer, I do feel a little better now.
Yeah, as long as you know what you are getting into, go ahead and take your chances with WMS. It is hit or miss. It seems to be based on the guy's mood, re: what he does for you and at what price. He has no price list and no standard. He seems to just do what ever he feels like for the day.
Why did he do extra stuff for jmc74?
I don't know, but maybe he liked you. But he sure didn't offer me any extra, even when I asked. I asked for him to drill the tank and he refused. I asked for assistance in hauling the tank back and forth and he said no.
Buyer be ware.

 

[Kinetic]

i think you're ok if it's just a prop tank. if you go for a show tank, you should be ready to pay for what you get. you might be happy with WMS, but if you ever checkout a krittertank or a socal tank etc. you'll be like... "oooh that's what they meant".

I doubt anything we say will really make you understand, and heck, maybe we all have different opinions about things...

Didn't mean to sound rude or whatever, i actually posting more but for some reason the rest of it dissapeared.

 

[MrMikeB]

Wow, this has been a good thread. I have been working with Yau @ WMS on some tanks and stands I need for propagation research (rather large ones) and they are checking for material availability, etc. They have put together an attractive bid.

I have a CAD design blueprint on every possible detail I can imagine on the stand/tanks - do you feel this level of detail can be comprehended and built to spec? The language barrier has been difficult to deal with and most of the time I am not sure he understands a word I am saying, and vice versa - anybody willing to help translate to be sure expectations are met (seriously)? I will be sure I detail the finishing pieces too - thanks for the tip (no scratches, smooth edges, etc.) We have also agreed on on half up front and half on delivery (paid by CC with incredible liability protection). I truly believe you can pay too little, and pay too much. 3x the cost in my book is paying too much! You can mitigate most of those risks associated with potentially questionable craftsmanship (tanks flooding your home, dead livestock all over the carpet, etc.) with riders on your homeowner insurance policy. Surprisingly riders do not change your premiums substantially. Just a thought...

 

[dochou]

Mr. MikeB, I would seriously consider getting a Vietnamese translator if you are going to get into major detail. I couldn't figure out if he understood me or not, half the time.
A perfect example is his name! Is it Yau or Young???
I asked his name the 1st time we spoke and he said his name and I repeated back "Young?" and he said yeah.
Good luck.

 

[jmc74]

[i I truly believe you can pay too little, and pay too much. 3x the cost in my book is paying too much! [/B]

that's exactly what I meant, I even got a quote from TAP plastics, and thye know how to work Acrylic... and even them were not as expensive as SoCal...

I understand you pay more for quality, but there is a limit, as how much quality can be put on a small tank, I do understand if i was ordering a large show tank, then I would want the best material, best craftmanship, best design, etc. but c'mon a frag tank... 3x more expensive, that's just ridiculous IMO.:rolleye1:

 

[jmc74]

[i I truly believe you can pay too little, and pay too much. 3x the cost in my book is paying too much! [/B]

that's exactly what I meant, I even got a quote from TAP plastics, and they know how to work Acrylic... and even them were not as expensive as SoCal...

I understand you pay more for quality, but there is a limit, as how much quality can be put on a small tank, I do understand if I was ordering a large show tank, then I would want the best material, best craftsmanship, best design, etc. but c'mon a frag tank... 3x more expensive, that's just ridiculous IMO.:rolleye1:

 

[neyugn0w01]

If you are getting a small tank and not worrying about minor details, go for world marine. Otherwise get a SoCal tank if you want quality and are getting something big.

 

[xinumaster]

Right! frag tank or sump is okay with WMS. But "REEFEER" is not looking for a small tank. He is ordering a 400g tank. I agree go with socal or kritter.

 

[lakersfan0014]

jmc74:

Well I feel the need to jump on here and defend our pricing. We gave you our MINIMUM pricing for that tank. We have to keep a shop minimum because of how we are set up. We are a small operation that specializes in custom tanks. At some point it doesn't matter how small the tank, the time involved in manufacturing it is the same, which is why we have a minimum.

I know it seems as though out prices are really high, but that is only for very small tanks, as we are not geared to be building hundreds of small tanks. We feel that once you get past the minimum our pricing is very competitive for the quality you get. Hope this makes sense.

I'm not sure on how another company can build this tank for such a cheap price, I'm guessing that they are either using inferior acrylic (import or extruded) or they are building a very poor quality tank (not going to last very long) or both. We build our tanks to last forever, and they are built from quality acrylic (cell cast). Like Art mentioned above, to most just looking to get a cheap sump or frag tank, this probably doesn't matter much, but when it comes to a display tank of some size I think the piece of mind in a quality tank is worth every penny.

Sorry for such a long post, but thought I would try to clear up some of the pricing questions.

I will try to monitor this thread if anyone has questions.

Randy
Owner-SoCal Creations

 

[bookfish]

If visual quality is not an issue, try a sealed plywood tank w/ an inset glass viewing pane. The cost is extremely low and they can come out looking ok.

 

[Thales]

Or use a bucket or kiddie pool if visual quality isn't an issue.

 

[klam114]

For small sumps/frag tanks, WMS should be find. For display tanks, go with one of the other 3 or 4 fabricators is my rule of thumb. Even for the small sumps/frag tanks, make sure the corner edges are supported correctly/adequately or it may burst sometime down the line.