Need tank maker reference in Bay Area, CA
- Thread starter reefeer
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dochou
Member
STAY AWAY FROM WMS
The bottom line is you get what you pay for and maybe not even that!
The owner is Young and his quality control Sucks big time. He has a bunch of lame brains working for him that don't know very much.
It took him over 5 wks to build my tank, which is a 36"x24"x24" with center overflow, stand, canopy, and sump. Once he finished he didn't call me and when I called him he said he lost my Phone#, and didn't bother to call me ever.
When I picked up the tank, Young was not at the shop and so he said leave my credit card number with the lackies and Young was to charge my credit card the remaining balance due. I took the tank home and left it in the garage as I prepared all my other setup stuff. A week later I found out that he over charged me by $811. Even thought I requested that he send me a reciept when I picked up the tank, he never gave me a reciept. When I called to complain he said he did not over charge me and he demanded that I show proof that he overcharged me $811. I faxed the info to him and he took a week to get back to me, after I called him multiple times; after much discussion he finally admitted fault and refunded my $811.
Like rommelgin did, I left the tank in the garage for month and did not take the protective sticker off to protect it from scratches. When I finally took the protective sticker off... Guess what I found...there was a scratch that went down the entire length of the tank...ON ALL THE CORNERS...2 on each corner on inside of tank and 2 on inside of tank. ie there were 8 length wise scratches, running form top to bottom!!! I was so mad. I called him and he said "I will give you some polish to rub it out." By that time I already had the DSB in the tank without water. I live 60miles away from the shop. I drove all the way back and he gives me some polish to rub out all 8 scratches that were deep. Looks like he used a razor blade to cut off the protective sticker at the bent corners of tank. I then busted my butt trying to rub out the scratches. I could not get them off. He told me to bring the tank back and he would do it. I emptied the sand out of tank and hauled it back 60mi. Left it there for a week and then went back to pick it up. I take one look at the tank and all the scratches are still there just a bit lighter and in addition there are a bunch of micro scratches on it!!! The lacky boy said that it would be impossible to get the power buffer into the interior of the tank and thus he would not be able to get the scraches off.
He tried to buff off the outter scratches while I was waiting to complain to Young. The guy proceeded to buff with Car polish with power buffer.
I complained to Young and he says he will try again and told me to come back next week. I was livid at this point, and demanded a new tank. How could a so called "professional" tank builder make such a stupid mistake? After a long debate he said he would build another tank. As i was leaving he then said "Oh you drilled your tank at the over flows already, I can't sell this anymore and I don't warranty tanks once they have been drilled." He also said I did not drill the holes properly and that I would not get the bulk heads to fit right. I got into a huge debate again and it took 30 minutes of arguing to get him to take the 1st tank and make a 2nd tank. But he made me bring my sch 80 bulk head to prove that it fit on this tank properly; another 60mi trip (120mi round trip). When he saw that it fit properly he started work on 2nd tank. I mistakenly left the sch 80 bulkheads there. So 2 wks later i went to pick up 2nd tank and I looked in his show room with about 10 tanks awaiting pickup. They all had the scratches on them! The same ones that i complained about on my 1st tank. I can't believe that others don't complain about this. So I inspect the tank, and it has a few small scratches but not the linear ones all the other tanks had. Now I notice this 2nd tank is not built the same as the 1st. The over flow box is huge! 9"x6" (1st was 7"x4") and the opening to the top of the tank is much smaller than the 1st. He proceeded to BS me about how a bigger overflow box will work better for me. I was so frustrated and angry at this point. I just wanted to get out of there. So I load up the car and say "give me my sch 80 bulk heads back". Guess what he says...
He f---n sold the 1st tank along with my bulk heads that I bought at Savko. He says that was the only way he could sell the 1st tank. What kinda BS is this? Am I in the Twilight Zone???
So I make another trip back to his shop to show him my invoice for the bulk head and he gives me the cash for it! My gas bill is off the charts at this point.
The stand and canopy where okay. No major flaws yet.
The sump was made of cheap .25" plexi and not acrylic with no bracing.
I made mistakes by not specifying every little detail of the tank. I should have told him the exact specs for the overflow box size and the top opening of the tank. I should have told him to make the sump with "acrylic" and not plexi. I should have told him to make a brace for the sump top and to use .5" thick acrylic.
To top off everything else, Young does not speak English very well and it makes communication of details very difficult. He is Vietnamese and all his employees barely speak English. I am not being racist or anything (I am Asian) but it's one of those cheap Asian mom/pop businesses. They are not professional at all.
I trusted him in the beginning and that was my mistake. I thought he knew how to build reef tanks but he actually specializes in building tanks for Asian/Chinese/Vietnamese Restaurants that house live fish for eating, not display tanks.
there is no attention to detail with WMS.
The bottom line is you get what you pay for and maybe not even that!
The owner is Young and his quality control Sucks big time. He has a bunch of lame brains working for him that don't know very much.
It took him over 5 wks to build my tank, which is a 36"x24"x24" with center overflow, stand, canopy, and sump. Once he finished he didn't call me and when I called him he said he lost my Phone#, and didn't bother to call me ever.
When I picked up the tank, Young was not at the shop and so he said leave my credit card number with the lackies and Young was to charge my credit card the remaining balance due. I took the tank home and left it in the garage as I prepared all my other setup stuff. A week later I found out that he over charged me by $811. Even thought I requested that he send me a reciept when I picked up the tank, he never gave me a reciept. When I called to complain he said he did not over charge me and he demanded that I show proof that he overcharged me $811. I faxed the info to him and he took a week to get back to me, after I called him multiple times; after much discussion he finally admitted fault and refunded my $811.
Like rommelgin did, I left the tank in the garage for month and did not take the protective sticker off to protect it from scratches. When I finally took the protective sticker off... Guess what I found...there was a scratch that went down the entire length of the tank...ON ALL THE CORNERS...2 on each corner on inside of tank and 2 on inside of tank. ie there were 8 length wise scratches, running form top to bottom!!! I was so mad. I called him and he said "I will give you some polish to rub it out." By that time I already had the DSB in the tank without water. I live 60miles away from the shop. I drove all the way back and he gives me some polish to rub out all 8 scratches that were deep. Looks like he used a razor blade to cut off the protective sticker at the bent corners of tank. I then busted my butt trying to rub out the scratches. I could not get them off. He told me to bring the tank back and he would do it. I emptied the sand out of tank and hauled it back 60mi. Left it there for a week and then went back to pick it up. I take one look at the tank and all the scratches are still there just a bit lighter and in addition there are a bunch of micro scratches on it!!! The lacky boy said that it would be impossible to get the power buffer into the interior of the tank and thus he would not be able to get the scraches off.
He tried to buff off the outter scratches while I was waiting to complain to Young. The guy proceeded to buff with Car polish with power buffer.
I complained to Young and he says he will try again and told me to come back next week. I was livid at this point, and demanded a new tank. How could a so called "professional" tank builder make such a stupid mistake? After a long debate he said he would build another tank. As i was leaving he then said "Oh you drilled your tank at the over flows already, I can't sell this anymore and I don't warranty tanks once they have been drilled." He also said I did not drill the holes properly and that I would not get the bulk heads to fit right. I got into a huge debate again and it took 30 minutes of arguing to get him to take the 1st tank and make a 2nd tank. But he made me bring my sch 80 bulk head to prove that it fit on this tank properly; another 60mi trip (120mi round trip). When he saw that it fit properly he started work on 2nd tank. I mistakenly left the sch 80 bulkheads there. So 2 wks later i went to pick up 2nd tank and I looked in his show room with about 10 tanks awaiting pickup. They all had the scratches on them! The same ones that i complained about on my 1st tank. I can't believe that others don't complain about this. So I inspect the tank, and it has a few small scratches but not the linear ones all the other tanks had. Now I notice this 2nd tank is not built the same as the 1st. The over flow box is huge! 9"x6" (1st was 7"x4") and the opening to the top of the tank is much smaller than the 1st. He proceeded to BS me about how a bigger overflow box will work better for me. I was so frustrated and angry at this point. I just wanted to get out of there. So I load up the car and say "give me my sch 80 bulk heads back". Guess what he says...
He f---n sold the 1st tank along with my bulk heads that I bought at Savko. He says that was the only way he could sell the 1st tank. What kinda BS is this? Am I in the Twilight Zone???
So I make another trip back to his shop to show him my invoice for the bulk head and he gives me the cash for it! My gas bill is off the charts at this point.
The stand and canopy where okay. No major flaws yet.
The sump was made of cheap .25" plexi and not acrylic with no bracing.
I made mistakes by not specifying every little detail of the tank. I should have told him the exact specs for the overflow box size and the top opening of the tank. I should have told him to make the sump with "acrylic" and not plexi. I should have told him to make a brace for the sump top and to use .5" thick acrylic.
To top off everything else, Young does not speak English very well and it makes communication of details very difficult. He is Vietnamese and all his employees barely speak English. I am not being racist or anything (I am Asian) but it's one of those cheap Asian mom/pop businesses. They are not professional at all.
I trusted him in the beginning and that was my mistake. I thought he knew how to build reef tanks but he actually specializes in building tanks for Asian/Chinese/Vietnamese Restaurants that house live fish for eating, not display tanks.
there is no attention to detail with WMS.
drdoolittle
Active member
Wow.. i guest its a Hit or Miss with World Marine.
I agree with Warren and jmc74.. I had both my Main 220 and 45 gal frag tank built by them and I am pleased of the quality.. He even lend me his truck to deliver my tank from San jose to Tracy.
I agree with Warren and jmc74.. I had both my Main 220 and 45 gal frag tank built by them and I am pleased of the quality.. He even lend me his truck to deliver my tank from San jose to Tracy.
Cozen89
Premium Member
I said this earlier in the thread, but my kritter tank was made very very well and I got it at a good price. Took about 3.5 weeks, but what's a few weeks for a tank you are happy with and will have for years?
Just make sure you specify the exact style you want. He has descriptions and pictures on his website.
Just make sure you specify the exact style you want. He has descriptions and pictures on his website.
xinumaster
reef addict
my 375g WMS made tank has scratches too. One is about 18" long that I didn't notice until a pilled off the protective sticker. The edges on the top opening were not polished. I sometime cut my hand and/or arm when I slide my arm on the edges specially when I'm cleaning the tank.
dochou,
I feel sorry for you. By writing that much, I know you were very angry. I hope you feel better now. I think those business should be very careful now and put quality as their top priority. They can't assume others don't know what they did anymore. Thanks for sharing with us all. I know who to avoid now.
I feel sorry for you. By writing that much, I know you were very angry. I hope you feel better now. I think those business should be very careful now and put quality as their top priority. They can't assume others don't know what they did anymore. Thanks for sharing with us all. I know who to avoid now.
jmc74
Premium Member
well, thanks for the heads up, now my next tank I still will order from WMS, as I just got a quote from Kritters and they are way too expensive compared to WMS, I will be getting a smaller tanks for soft corals and Zoas, and the price they quote me for a 30x18x8 at WMS was $70, and the Kritters wants $180 for the exact same size.
I don't know anyone that cannot deal with possible scratches or their poor english, but for more than double in price, what else do you get? not funny
I know what you mean about quality, since I'm not using the tank for show, it is only for propagation, so the quality they offers is good, I have not seen the show tanks, but when I got mine, it didn't have any scratches, only the bottom edges were not 100% clear, but I don't care, I can't even see the edges, unless I'm very close to the tank...
so, they still have my business, but I know now what to search for in the future.
I don't know anyone that cannot deal with possible scratches or their poor english, but for more than double in price, what else do you get? not funny
I know what you mean about quality, since I'm not using the tank for show, it is only for propagation, so the quality they offers is good, I have not seen the show tanks, but when I got mine, it didn't have any scratches, only the bottom edges were not 100% clear, but I don't care, I can't even see the edges, unless I'm very close to the tank...
so, they still have my business, but I know now what to search for in the future.
Last edited by a moderator:
jmc74
Premium Member
ok, I just received a reply from "socalcreations@socalcreations.com"
and their quote:
to: socalcreations@socalcreations.com
redir: http://www.socalcreations.com/submitpage.htm
subject: Aquarium Information
email: xxxxx@xxxxxxx
Name: Juan
City: Antioch
State: Ca
Phone+Number:
Dimensions: 24x16x8
Aquarium+Shape: Rectangle
Top+Bracing: Eurobraced (thicker acrylic required)
Back+Color: Clear
Overflow+Dimensions: 3x3
Overflow+Placement: Right Back
Comment: this is for a propagation, so it need to be open top
Juan,
Our shop minimum order is $260 and the smaller tank falls into this category. (small tank)
The larger tank would be around $300/ (this was a 48x16x8)
and their quote:
to: socalcreations@socalcreations.com
redir: http://www.socalcreations.com/submitpage.htm
subject: Aquarium Information
email: xxxxx@xxxxxxx
Name: Juan
City: Antioch
State: Ca
Phone+Number:
Dimensions: 24x16x8
Aquarium+Shape: Rectangle
Top+Bracing: Eurobraced (thicker acrylic required)
Back+Color: Clear
Overflow+Dimensions: 3x3
Overflow+Placement: Right Back
Comment: this is for a propagation, so it need to be open top
Juan,
Our shop minimum order is $260 and the smaller tank falls into this category. (small tank)
The larger tank would be around $300/ (this was a 48x16x8)
Are you for real? I mean like a real person? What do you get for the extra price? You get someone who knows what their doing and most likely won't burn your house down due to the fact that they don't care. It's a bitter pill to swallow but our hobby is expensive, get used to it.
Last edited by a moderator:
jmc74
Premium Member
what safety can you get from a small tank? like I said before, I have not seen the show tanks they make, I only speak for what I have seen and I have purchased, im giving the ridiculous example of the 2 quotes I got for a small frag tank, SoCal is crazy to even think that a tank that size can be purchased for $260+shipping+tax
I don't care how well they are made, if I don't have 20,000 gal tank on my living room, why should I care if they are bonded. how many times here all of us bought a used SHOW tank? you know the 60, 75, 90, 120, 180, 240g etc. what you think you get a warranty? really from who? the warranty is not transferable, and if a tank fails, trust me the mgf will ask for a proof of purchase, or no warranty will be honored. so here im talking few dollars for small tanks, I personally never seen a tank burst, except a TRUVU, I personally seen ,and I had a 40g truvu that the seams cracked, why because they build it paper thin. the tank I ordered from WMS is build to my spec's using 1/4" all around, unlike the quote I got from TruVU via a reseller, for $580 for a thinner material, and according to truVu I didn't need the extra thickness, well I seen many Truvu tanks, leak, and bow from the water pressure, mine is thick and stays flat.
I don't care how well they are made, if I don't have 20,000 gal tank on my living room, why should I care if they are bonded. how many times here all of us bought a used SHOW tank? you know the 60, 75, 90, 120, 180, 240g etc. what you think you get a warranty? really from who? the warranty is not transferable, and if a tank fails, trust me the mgf will ask for a proof of purchase, or no warranty will be honored. so here im talking few dollars for small tanks, I personally never seen a tank burst, except a TRUVU, I personally seen ,and I had a 40g truvu that the seams cracked, why because they build it paper thin. the tank I ordered from WMS is build to my spec's using 1/4" all around, unlike the quote I got from TruVU via a reseller, for $580 for a thinner material, and according to truVu I didn't need the extra thickness, well I seen many Truvu tanks, leak, and bow from the water pressure, mine is thick and stays flat.
drdoolittle
Active member
I got my 220 in a 3/4 inch acrylic last year and my 45 last month... I got both in a week. Both tanks are well built and satisfied with the result. I would definitely buy from them again..
I not saying that people should buy from there. I just emphasized that i wanted a really good quality tank and Yau ( owner) agreed and offered that if i was not happy with the tank after it was built. I was not obligated to buy it and will refund me my deposit. But I was happy with the tank, so I took it home.
For my 220, he even lend me his truck so I didnt have to rent Uhaul.
Sorry to here about the guys that got a bad deal with World Marine. But my experience with them is positive.
I not saying that people should buy from there. I just emphasized that i wanted a really good quality tank and Yau ( owner) agreed and offered that if i was not happy with the tank after it was built. I was not obligated to buy it and will refund me my deposit. But I was happy with the tank, so I took it home.
For my 220, he even lend me his truck so I didnt have to rent Uhaul.
Sorry to here about the guys that got a bad deal with World Marine. But my experience with them is positive.
Mel-E-Mel
Active member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10415915#post10415915 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jmc74
what is that suppose to mean....?
I believe he means you get what you pay for. dont get me wrong, besides the scratches they left while cutting the protective film, not drilling the hole for the bulk head and trying to charge me extra to drill it and not polishing the edges, im happy with mine. it does the job. just not too happy with there customer service...spend the extra couple hundred and get peace of mind.
