Not happy with new custom tank

[islanddave]

Hello,

I will not mention names here because my intention is not to bash someone's company. I am merely looking for advise based upon others input and experience.

I had gone through 4 marineland tanks that were damaged in one way or another. The LFS was very good on each and ultimately the last one that I got a full refund on.

Due to these experiences I decided to have one built. Nothing fancy a 120 short that was drilled on the end for a ghost overflow.

Problems that I see. The trim on the tank is really crappy. It has machine marks all over it, and has deep scratches in some of the trim. The overflow holes are chipped on the inside. Not visible when the box is installed but could potentially cause a trouble some leak. And then there is the scratch on the inside of the front pane about 6 inches from the top. It is very minor but there nonetheless. It might diminish with water in the tank i don't know.

I paid double the price of the Marineland's and I guess I expected a perfect tank or at least one that was 2x as good as a factory Marineland tank.

FYI I did give the tank a one over before the delivery guy left, but it took much glass cleaning and some time to find all of this.

Am I being too picky or critical? I would like to hear what others have to say.

Thanks
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[islanddave]

Just some pics to show you what I am talking about.
The first 5 pictures detail the scalloped chips on the inside of the bulkhead holes. I have concerns about the gaskets sealing properly against these.

 

[islanddave]

These pictures show how little silicone was used on the inside fillets on the bottom of the tank. I do realize that these are are a secondary seal and serve primarily to protect the main join between the panes. I would think that they should be bigger/more substantial on the bottom due to granules of sand coming into contact with them.

Last picture is of the scratch. On the inside and about 2" long. Almost dead center and about 6" from the top. I have underlined and circled the scratch with a dry erase marker. Small but it does just barely catch your finger nail so it will attract algae.

Also this thing does NOT have a center brace. Its made from 1/2" glass and is 24" high. Is this pushing the limits? as the trim is definitely not structural.

Thanks for your time.

 

[Ztous]

The clam shell on the holes shouldn't matter. Light sanding until the edges have a dull smooth feel will take some of the stress out and prevent any future cracks. A wide flange gasket should still seal.

I wouldn't be impressed to pay someone for that level of work but I thinks it's salvageable.

 

[vhuang168]

I would return that tank!


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[Diana A]

^+1

 

[Ron Reefman]

If that scratch is on a viewing surface(i.e. not the back glass) I'd send it back.

 

[GimpyFin]

Yeah, I'd be really unhappy and want to return it too. That's terrible work!! I'd be a little concerned with the chips around the bulkhead holes and the scratch would drive me nuts, especially being front and center. Tank builder gets an F, IMO.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

FWIW most acrylic tanks are not going to have a bunch of silicone. They used a chemical welding process to meld the pieces together, so there really is no need for silicone in the seams. Personally I would be more concerned with there being silicone because I would want to know why it was needed. If the seams were done correctly there would no need for silicone in the corners.

P.s. I don't know why I thought it was an acrylic tank. When I re-read your post I couldn't figure out why I thought that. If it is...I stand by my seam statement. If that tank is glass and has all those chips in it, send it back. You do not want chips in your glass tank, they are a stress point just ripe for a fracture.

 

[sde1500]

I wouldn't have kept the tank long enough to even make a post on here. That scratch is bad, never should have passed inspection for them to send it out if you ask me.

 

[sus]

I can see your frustration and wouldn't be too happy myself. When you pay good money for a custom tank, it should be pretty much perfect!
24" high with half inch glass seems questionable as well if the brace is purely cosmetic. My custom tank is 18" high at 1/2" thickness and that was the max they would go.

 

[sus]

Also, when my tank was delivered, I noticed the bottom was scratched terribly in transit. Was planning to go bare bottom so I raised a stink and got a discount on the tank.

 

[rjjr1963]

Poor workmanship you can see. What flaws can't you see? I'd demand a refund.

 

[BlackTip]

I'd demand replacement, based on that scratch alone. 5" is not a small scratch in the viewing pane.

Good luck

 

[swiftvision]

If you paid twice then a Marineland for a custom tank, then what did you expect?

A one off tank is more like 4-8x the price of just an off the shelf mass produced model.

I paid 3X for my custom tank (vs ML) and got it at over half off due to friend pricing.

 

[albano]

A one off tank is more like 4-8x the price of just an off the shelf mass produced model.

I paid 3X for my custom tank (vs ML) and got it at over half off due to friend pricing.

4-8x the price for a 120g sounds very high to me

 

[sde1500]

If you paid twice then a Marineland for a custom tank, then what did you expect?

A one off tank is more like 4-8x the price of just an off the shelf mass produced model.

I paid 3X for my custom tank (vs ML) and got it at over half off due to friend pricing.

http://www.fishtanksdirect.com/mari...18wx24h-reef-ready-glass-fish-tank-97010.aspx round up to 1k for a 120 tank, you are saying a good one should be 4-8k? :lmao: Plus him "only" spending 2x that, he should expect huge scratches, and shoddy workmanship? I'd disagree.

 

[FullBoreReefer]

Ouch! Did you sign for it?

 

[FullBoreReefer]

I can see your frustration and wouldn't be too happy myself. When you pay good money for a custom tank, it should be pretty much perfect!
24" high with half inch glass seems questionable as well if the brace is purely cosmetic. My custom tank is 18" high at 1/2" thickness and that was the max they would go.

1/2" is plenty on a 24" tank

 

[Tripod1404]

Is that tank acrylic or glass? If it is glass I would be more concerned about the "double" silicone sealing. Silicon does not bind properly to a already-cured silicone. I don't know why they did that but if it is because they tested the tank and realized it is leaking and then made a second silicon sealing above the first one, that is a disaster waiting to happen. Eventually that second seal will peal-off and if there is a issue with the primary silicon sealing underneath, it will show up. This is why people who reseal their leaking tanks put in great effort to remove all of the old silicone before resealing.