Need tank maker reference in Bay Area, CA

reefeer

New member
Hi,

I live in Bay Area. I need some feedback on the tank manufacturers. Please help if you have experience with any of them. I am thinking about 400Gallon tank

TruVu
World Marine System
BioReef?
etc.

Any good cabinet maker?

Thanks in advance.
 
World Marine System made my frag tank, and it was very well made, and way less expensive than TruVu... and they build it fast, unlike TruVu 1 month wait time.


plus TruVu does not sell direct, you must go thru dealers, increasing the cost
 
Most dealers hardly mark up acrylic tanks.

For a 400g tank I would get it done by professionals. World Marine Systems while great for frag tanks and such just don't cut it when talking about things that could cost you thousands if it broke. Tru Vu is insured and offers a full warranty, how about World Marine Systems? TruVu ahs been around for 30+ years to boot :D
 
definitely disagree about the comments made about WMS, I have had tanks made by TruVu, World Marine Sys, S&S and Gen @ Kritterz.
I think WMS also makes quality tanks, I have always requested the extra work, such as rounded edges and other finishes to cpmplete a nice built tank. His work has gotten a lot better than a few years ago as well and he doesnt charge an arm and a leg for extra finish work as well. Ohh and he also does provide warranty on his tanks, you just have to ask him.
The best tank maker out of all the ones mentioned IME has got to be Gen @ Kritterz, he charges just a little bit more than WMS but by far way better than the big companies such as TruVu and S&S. TruVu is just way to overpriced for what you get, definitely a lot of other and better tank builders out there, but for a 400G tank, I would go Gen @ Kritterz.
 
You have to ask to get a warranty? That's funny :lol: Sounds like a tail light warranty to me.

So when his 400g fails and he forgot to "ask" for a warrenty or even if he did, is WMS bonded or insured for said event or do you haveto take them to small claims court? At Tru Vu they have product liability insurance which can more then cover any event like that.
 
I know a guy who bought from WMS. There is a 12" cut in the center of the front of the tank. I want to order from them but it's really scary.
 
Warranty from any company is bogus. I bought a Truvu tank, when I received it, it had a bad seem which leaked water out a drop at a time. Did truvu warranty it? Well they didn't want to and it took a lot of talking on the phone to get my money back and another tank. Not to mention their process for taking custom order is broken since they didn't make my tank correctly (a simple form to fill out would have fixed this problem.) Personally I don't think it matters who you buy your tank from, they are ALL a pain in the *** when it comes to warranty for their bad workmanship. No body wants to take back a tank for repairs, it is bulky, shipping can cost $$, and just about everyone will give you a hard time and say ," its not me!"
 
Oh as far as WMS goes, you really get what you pay for. Quality control isn't their strongest points there. Sometimes its great, sometimes its not. The stand I bought from them was made so badly I had to buy 2x4 to re-enforce it or it would have collapsed under any load. If I were you guys, take very good look at the tank and stand if you buy from them. They are a good deal if you know what to look for and avoid.
 
i got my 150 from them.....built pretty good....only thing that p***ed me off was when i went to peel off the protective film from the front panel, there was a scratch that went down the entire length of the tank. :mad2:

i didnt peel off the film till about a month after i got it because i was storing it in my garage and didnt want it to get scratched and low and behold, they had already done it for me! I couldnt bring it back because he didnt give me a reciept so i didnt have to pay for tax. Me being so eager to get it home i said thats fine save me some cash. scratch wasnt too bad, nothing a little buffing wouldnt get out but the price you pay you expect something flawless.

im thinking of having kritter creations make my sump this time around....
 
I've had 4 acrylic tanks made for me so far (lol), one from Gen at Kritter, and 3 from SoCalCreations down in San Diego.

Gen is a really nice guy, he'll deliver to your house, drill the holes on the spot, flame polishes the holes, etc. The stuff he builds is really top notch, and despite some claims that he takes awhile, my tank was done in a week!

He isn't very high tech when it comes to 3d modeling stuff, he basically does nice wire-frame CAD like designs for you, which is totally fine and much better than I've experienced getting quotes from other companies.

He did a cool tank for me where the sides and front were one piece, rounding the corners. There was a little edge on one side, but it wasn't bad at all. The weirdest thing is, the eurobracing was a bit uneven. Sure you don't see it, but it definitely wasn't uniform.

My SoCalCreation tanks were all 100% flawless. It looks like they were made by a machine. They use Spartech Polycast for no extra charge usually, which is some of the best acrylic for aquariums from what I've researched and seen. The customer service is amazing. They also make the most beautiful custom stands as well.

They don't send you any wire models etc., but they instead make sure they get all the details. They also go out of their way to make things a bit better. They totally rounded the lip of the tank for me, polished etc., but for Gen's tank, if I didn't tell him, he wouldn't do it, which is fine, but just goes to show SoCalCreations goes far beyond what you expect.

So anyway, I'd recommend Gen, or if you can, get a SoCalCreation tank shipped. Shipping is a bit, but worth it in my opinion. They will also create custom sumps, stands, etc so you can get the whole shebang.

Goodluck!
 
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