Positive and negative tank experiences

I

iannuzzelli

New member
Good day all,

I have had fresh water tanks in the past, looking to do a reef tank and have some question about tank reliability.

I have been looking at a
Marineland 97008 120 gal (48" x 24" x 24"), 1 overflow
and
Marineland 97013 180 gal wide (72" x 24" x 24"), 2 overflows

I know bigger is better, I just list those two b/c I am undecided as to which space I'd like to occupy.

Has anybody had any experience with this tank manufacturer? Are they reliable? What do you have or would recommend?

I have also been toying with a Red Sea Reefer. My issue with that is I have cats and could see one of the little A-holes jumping into the tank. I also am unsure about the "kit" that comes with it. Are they a good quality product?
 
In general Marineland makes "decent" products..
They are not the top of the line nor are they something that you should avoid like the plague..

In general red sea makes a "better" product vs Marineland.. (and the price follows..)
 
mcgyvr said:
In general Marineland makes "decent" products..
They are not the top of the line nor are they something that you should avoid like the plague..

In general red sea makes a "better" product vs Marineland.. (and the price follows..)
Click to expand...

What do you have? I certainly can't afford top of the line but I also can't afford to have a cheap one blow out. what would you recommend?
 
I personally just picked up a Deep Blue Professional 80G rimless tank not too long ago and am VERY happy with it so far..
It was certainly not expensive either and I was able to get it from my local fish store for far less than its sold for online due to shipping costs I guess.
 
I wouldn't hesitate to buy a marineland tank, I used a 15g as a sump without issue, granted much smaller but still good build quality. Out of the 2 you have suggested I would go with the 180. The two biggest factors being tank volume (60g is a pretty good difference towards stability) and the length of the 180. Given they have the same depth and heighth the extra length will allow you to keep a greater variety of fish. Personally I have an SCA which is similar to Red Sea in terms of offering equipment and stand but with a lower price tag. They offer a solid tank with good equipment and you can even call and get Steve to customize a tank and stand for you.
 
top shelf said:
I wouldn't hesitate to buy a marineland tank, I used a 15g as a sump without issue, granted much smaller but still good build quality. Out of the 2 you have suggested I would go with the 180. The two biggest factors being tank volume (60g is a pretty good difference towards stability) and the length of the 180. Given they have the same depth and heighth the extra length will allow you to keep a greater variety of fish. Personally I have an SCA which is similar to Red Sea in terms of offering equipment and stand but with a lower price tag. They offer a solid tank with good equipment and you can even call and get Steve to customize a tank and stand for you.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the input, I'd love to go with the larger of the two but the space (and the wife) might be an issue. I should also mention I am Canadian so any Canadian suppliers would be awesome.
 
Sounds like a good place to start is to talk with the wife although sometimes it's easier to ask forgiveness then permission. Decide where you would like to put your tank and pick the biggest one that will fit in that space. As for Canadian suppliers I'm sorry but can't really help you there as I live across the border.
 
top shelf said:
can't really help you there as I live across the border.
Click to expand...

I won't hold that against you.

I do want to go the biggest I can for the space, I am more concerned with finding a decent manufacturer at this point. I want to avoid having a catastrophic failure
 
iannuzzelli said:
I won't hold that against you.

I do want to go the biggest I can for the space, I am more concerned with finding a decent manufacturer at this point. I want to avoid having a catastrophic failure
Click to expand...

Hi there! I am not sure what your budget is.....but I have a Innovative Marine shallow reef 80. Gallon....they also make a 120 gallon shallow reef.....I am happy with them and their customer support. It is a all in one like the Red Sea...but not as expensive....and not as many bells and whistles as the Red Sea. I like the fact that it is 16 inches deep....easy to reach the sand without a ladder...
 
Cancun said:
Hi there! I am not sure what your budget is.....but I have a Innovative Marine shallow reef 80. Gallon....they also make a 120 gallon shallow reef.....I am happy with them and their customer support. It is a all in one like the Red Sea...but not as expensive....and not as many bells and whistles as the Red Sea. I like the fact that it is 16 inches deep....easy to reach the sand without a ladder...
Click to expand...

I will have to check them out for sure! Thanks for the info
 
Xxero said:
I have a 36x18x25 Marineland 65g Reef Ready tank that's been running for about a year and a half now. It's a veeeery basic tank, but it is solid and well built.

I like the SC Aquariums tanks, as mentioned above, and it will probably be my next upgrade :bigeyes:
http://www.scaquariums.com/category-s/101.htm
Click to expand...

Good to know about the Marineland tank

I am trying to get a quote for a similar tank from SC. If its decent I might just go with that option
 
IMHO and IME, Marineland makes a fine tank. I know of several in the 20+ year range and still going strong. Either size is nice - as mentioned above, bigger is generally better.

As for a given tank leaking - is it is on a level and planar stand, any of the major manufacturer's tanks are as safe as can be reasonably expected.

My only suggestion, really, is to get one of whatever size without drains. "Reef Ready" to them generally means it will be plumbed for 1" drains, and they will be where they want them, not necessarily where you want them. It is way too easy to drill the holes yourself where you want them to be. I prefer center overflows so that both sides of the tank are as open and unobstructed as possible. (and the tank will be less expensive)
 
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