Seeking Insight from Glass Tank Builders and Smart People

Not surprising they're busy, they have prices that seem to rival glass cages, and it seems their pricing is based on the cost of the materials most of all so scales a bit nicer with pricing. Although seeing their 24" tanks (in the 300g range) all listed with 1/2" glass on the bottom does worry me a bit, yes I know you can request 3/4" but the standard aspect makes me question their expertise in their craft. While yeah I'm sure they have the machines to get everything cut to size, and what not, tank building goes a bit further than that, I mean hell I could get 5 panes of glass and make a tank... not sure I would trust it :D

So the big 64 dollar question, is whether or not their quality is closer to that of glass cages or a big step beyond it.

Also there was a mention of the top frame having rivets to hold the pieces aluminum together as opposed to the whole thing being one welded piece? Anyone know what the sheering load is on rivets are??
 
Not sure exactly how there doing it or with what size their using but from what I looked up, 3/16" blind aluminum rivets have a shear strength of just over 300lbs.
 
So, here's a little history. They started out as an aviary and aquarium leasing company. They cornered a market on leasing, setting up and maintaining systems for hospitals, nursing homes, etc. Actually quite a brilliant move for a company in the aquatics business. With their rapid growth it became apparent they needed to build their own tanks, which they did for years for their own leasing company use and then they finally made their tanks available to the public and here we are.

This is the parent company. http://www.serenityusa.com

I agree on the website the glass thickness is incorrect, however, I don't believe they are building tanks unless they meet the industry standard glass safety factor requirements. They also offer tempering if you want.

This is what I was told, I hope this helps clarify a few things.
 
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sfsuphysics said:
Not surprising they're busy, they have prices that seem to rival glass cages, and it seems their pricing is based on the cost of the materials most of all so scales a bit nicer with pricing. Although seeing their 24" tanks (in the 300g range) all listed with 1/2" glass on the bottom does worry me a bit, yes I know you can request 3/4" but the standard aspect makes me question their expertise in their craft. While yeah I'm sure they have the machines to get everything cut to size, and what not, tank building goes a bit further than that, I mean hell I could get 5 panes of glass and make a tank... not sure I would trust it :D

So the big 64 dollar question, is whether or not their quality is closer to that of glass cages or a big step beyond it.

Also there was a mention of the top frame having rivets to hold the pieces aluminum together as opposed to the whole thing being one welded piece? Anyone know what the sheering load is on rivets are??
Click to expand...

I don't know what the sheering load is on the rivets they use, but I'm confident it's a hell of a lot stronger than the cheap plastic being used on big production tanks like Marineland's DD tanks.
 
dickenscd said:
What is their current shipping schedule? I have placed my order with CA and tried to reach them several times in the past few days, but nobody picked the phone.

I need to tear down a wall for setting up the tank, I might need to wait until receiving my tank before tearing down the wall.


James
Click to expand...

Mine took 3 months from when I placed the order to hitting the driveway
 
I like to thank everyone specially cuzza in advance for the great info! I have been looking into getting a 96h30w24h 310 gallon peninsula and wasn't sure about customaquarium.com.What a nightmare it is looking for the right manufacturer.I can't say enough about reef savvy,but there is a long wait and you better have some deep pocket. (LOL) looking forward to seeing your tank build cuzzA. Thanks again!
 
For those concerned about shear strength of the rivets, I saw a recent trade show video where they talked about changing over to bolts for the cross braces. The purpose being it allows for oversized aquascape to be placed and then the crossbrace put back in place. Bolts should be stronger than rivets.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
denisejoelrod said:
I like to thank everyone specially cuzza in advance for the great info! I have been looking into getting a 96h30w24h 310 gallon peninsula and wasn't sure about customaquarium.com.What a nightmare it is looking for the right manufacturer.I can't say enough about reef savvy,but there is a long wait and you better have some deep pocket. (LOL) looking forward to seeing your tank build cuzzA. Thanks again!
Click to expand...

Hey no problem. That's what RC is all about. Sharing info. ;)
 
+1 - they finally got back to me - lost my email and phone number ,but found me here, lol. So hopefully i will get my written bid soon.
 
For anyone with one of these tanks ... it looks like the top bracing is not just front-back, but also side-side, creating a grid of four or more squares. Is that correct? I am wondering if this inhibits access to the tank at all? Also, are the glass covers practical (retain too much heat, promote creep, etc), or given the grid bracing, do you have to come up with some other way to get a cover on the tank to prevent jumpers?
 
Yes, depending on the size of the tank they will have cross braces. Personally I do not like sealing the top of an aquarium with glass. A better option is aluminum window screen frames commonly sold for a few bucks at home improvement stores. Instead of using patio screen, use clear bird netting. 3/8" will keep just about every fish in the tank.
 
Thanks, I like the idea of netting vs. glass to keep fish in the tank.

About the bracing, does anyone have any experience with these tanks and whether the bracing restricts access to the tank?
 
I really do wish some of the pure mathematics behind calculating glass thickness was available. There are similar problems that I come across while building my current tank, that I don't know how to deal with because all the information out there are several basic makeshift calculators that don't even give the same results in the end.
 
LadAShark said:
I really do wish some of the pure mathematics behind calculating glass thickness was available. There are similar problems that I come across while building my current tank, that I don't know how to deal with because all the information out there are several basic makeshift calculators that don't even give the same results in the end.
Click to expand...

Here is your solution. Bookmark it.
http://www.theaquatools.com/building-your-aquarium
 
Any updates on the tanks everyone ordered? Getting ready to pull the trigger on one and just want to here a few more first hand experiences.
 
foxt said:
Thanks, I like the idea of netting vs. glass to keep fish in the tank.

About the bracing, does anyone have any experience with these tanks and whether the bracing restricts access to the tank?
Click to expand...
the bracing is great. doesn't restrict access at all. it is anodized aluminum spaced 2 feet apart and about 2 inches wide. my tank is 10 feet long and bracing leaves 5 x 4'x2' access panels. as for a top, use white plastic grid that you get at home depot for drop lighting. it is light yet rigid and made to allow light through. best top you can use

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