Best Place to Buy 200 - 260 Gallon Tank

[jsong]

I am getting ready to build a 200 - 260 gallon tank and would like to know what tank manufacture is the best to consider.

Places I have seen but have no experience buying from:

http://www.customaquariums.com/

http://www.fintastic.us/custom-aquariums/220-gallon/

http://www.deepseaaquatics.net/#

Also glass or acrylic? Would Acrylic hold up the clarity as good as glass over time?

Also I saw this "bow front" which looks nice, but in the long run, will this be ok?

http://www.deepseaaquatics.net/index.php/aquariums/look-down-bowfront/the-model-180-extreme-bowfront.html#!prettyPhoto

Any advise would be welcomed.

[John_Nicholson]

Deep Sea Aquatics was suppose to supply the tanks for the last NADA show. Just a couple of months before the show they raised their quote 46% on us....so I will never do business with them and am asking the rest of the world to do the same....LOL. Glass cages came to our rescue. If you have not checked them out I would suggest giving them a look.

-john

[LizStreithorst]

Glass Cages make a strong tank at a good price. I have been happy their tanks over the period of many years.. If you don't live close to them and can't pick up, they travel to shows around the country and they can deliver your tank to fish show close to you. I recommend them highly

[adapted]

I agree with the positive words for Glass Cages. I got my 120 there 6 weeks ago...no complaints at all.

[jsong]

Thank you. Does Glass Cage sell Pre-Drill tanks? I didn't see an option for this.

Also does anyone have any experience with their shipping and customer care if damaged?

[rickztahone]

Thank you. Does Glass Cage sell Pre-Drill tanks? I didn't see an option for this.

Also does anyone have any experience with their shipping and customer care if damaged?

They do drill tanks for you. They have a customer service department if you would like to reach out to them with any questions.

[Elliots]

I live in NYC and I went to White Plains, some miles north of NYC. The truck arrived as scheduled. There were no problems. If you check their prices against other tank makers they are about 50% cheaper. Their tanks may not be as neat but I saved $1,000 on a 150 gallon tank.Their customer service is now excellent. I read on the net that years ago there were problems with customer service but no more.

[adapted]

Thank you. Does Glass Cage sell Pre-Drill tanks? I didn't see an option for this.



$25 per hole.
They can accommodate about anything you want.
Shipping is reasonable if you're on one of their many routes. I think my 120 gallon was 87 bucks, but I ended up driving to central TN and picking it up..

[joanstone]

I've been looking at customaquariums.com and am intrigued with them. Ted Judy is involved with the company. Free shipping on orders over $1000 too.

[jsong]

I've been looking at customaquariums.com and am intrigued with them. Ted Judy is involved with the company. Free shipping on orders over $1000 too.

Yes. I am especially curious about their filtration system and their skimmers vs. the standard overflow you see on other large tanks which can take up a lot of space. It seems their skimmer takes no space from the tank itself.

[rickztahone]

I've been looking at customaquariums.com and am intrigued with them. Ted Judy is involved with the company. Free shipping on orders over $1000 too.

Woah, this company is really really tempting. I just inputted a "fake" order for a 280g 96"x24"x24" which includes the stand AND canopy with your choice of stain for $1,159. That is including the free shipping since you are over the $1,000 mark. I mean seriously, that is a ridiculous price (in a good way ridiculous, lol)

[jsong]

Woah, this company is really really tempting. I just inputted a "fake" order for a 280g 96"x24"x24" which includes the stand AND canopy with your choice of stain for $1,159. That is including the free shipping since you are over the $1,000 mark. I mean seriously, that is a ridiculous price (in a good way ridiculous, lol)

When I added the filtration system, ultra clear 3/4 inch glass all the way around and the bottom and the stand and the hood, it came to a bit over $4k.

I have not had a tank this big ever and going from past 55 - 70 gallon using a canister filter system (which I understand well) to the sump system has me asking a lot of questions. Such as how does all the poop get filtered out? And when I feed the fishes flakes (which float), won't it get washed down with the skimmer or over flow?

I really want to make sure my tank is predestine and clear.

Any advice and information would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[CraigJ]

I don't know how far you are from Pottstown, but here is an idea for a 250 gallon plus extras; http://reading.craigslist.org/hsh/4478069954.html

[viper0397]

If you can't find what you are looking for do what I am going to do and build your own. I need a footprint of 8' x 3.5' height for this project is really not an issue. So in this case I will be making this tank 18" tall. I am making it out of acrylic. I have found out in my research you have to use extruded acrylic for aquarium use. The thickness of the bottom panel can be thinner acrylic than the rest of the tank (because it sits on a flat surface), but there is a load calculation for thickness you would need for the sides because of the pressure of the water. Like for me I am only going 18" tall so I can probably get away with 1/2" acrylic, if you are going say 36" tall you would more than likely have to use 1" acrylic. I will be getting all of my supplies from a local place where I live and I will be spending around $850.00 to $900.00 in acrylic. Of course I will have a lot of time and love wrapped up in this project, but in the end I will have exactly what I want.

Jeff

[rickztahone]

When I added the filtration system, ultra clear 3/4 inch glass all the way around and the bottom and the stand and the hood, it came to a bit over $4k.

I have not had a tank this big ever and going from past 55 - 70 gallon using a canister filter system (which I understand well) to the sump system has me asking a lot of questions. Such as how does all the poop get filtered out? And when I feed the fishes flakes (which float), won't it get washed down with the skimmer or over flow?

I really want to make sure my tank is predestine and clear.

Any advice and information would be appreciated.

Thank you.

I didn't choose to include ultra clear or thicker glass, or filtration since I like using what I have. So the price I mentioned was for tank, stand and canopy only which is all I would have wanted anyways

[adapted]

96" x 24" x 24" should be closer to 220 than 280.

[jsong]

I didn't choose to include ultra clear or thicker glass, or filtration since I like using what I have. So the price I mentioned was for tank, stand and canopy only which is all I would have wanted anyways

Wold like to hear about what filter system you have and would recommend. I am new to this type of filtration system and so I have a lot of knowledge to gain.

Thanks

[rickztahone]

Wold like to hear about what filter system you have and would recommend. I am new to this type of filtration system and so I have a lot of knowledge to gain.

Thanks

Personally I have only used sponge filters, HOB's (hang on back) and Canister filters. I've never used a sump, but i'd be lying if I didn't say I've never researched and thought of getting one. It just seems very complicated.

So, for that size tank, I would probably do 2 large canister filters, something along the lines of a pair of FX5's or something like that. For the sized tanks I have had, Rena's have always been my go to's. XP3 in particular but YMMV.

[rickztahone]

96" x 24" x 24" should be closer to 220 than 280.

yes, now that I think about it, you are right. Either way, it is still a great deal IMHO.

[viper0397]

My 240 gallon tank is 96 x 24 x 24


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[viper0397]

To measure a tank take width times length times height and then divide by 231.
That will give you the total gallons of water.

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[rickztahone]

To measure a tank take width times length times height and then divide by 231.
That will give you the total gallons of water.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

great thanks. They have a read me (http://customaquariums.com/c-11-gallon-model-ratings.aspx) section which goes on to explain actual gallons to model gallons rating. Unfortunately, I believe they fall victim to the one thing they seem to be accusing other manufacturers of doing. It may just be an accident. Who knows. But again, I will say, even if it is a 240g, it includes a stand and canopy with stain of your choice, for a very reasonable price, SHIPPED.

[Elliots]

Has anyone done business with Custom Aquariums? Their prices are cheap.

[rickztahone]

Here is a back and forth from the seller I was talking about earlier:

Reply from them when I asked about their gallon description for their 280g:

"Ricardo,

I apologize for any inconvenience. I put the measurements into our calculator the actual gallons are 227 model gallons are 280 estimated based on industry standards of similar sized aquariums. If you have any questions or would like to place an order please let me know. Thank you Ricardo and have a great day!



Stacy
844-BIG-TANK
www.customaquariums.com"

To which I replied:

"Thank you very much for your quick reply. My suggestion would be to change the description to the gallons calculated. It would give your company a better standing amongst aquarium hobbyists and pros alike. I bring this up because by advertising the 280g on those measurements, it gives experienced aquarists the impression that you are purposely being misleading.
All of this isnt to knock your company, on the contrary actually, you seem to offer some killer deals. Even with that footprint, and it being a 240L, it is a killer deal. I linked your page across two very well known fish forums and were received well, but that hiccup made members believe you either didn't know your stuff, or were being misleading.
Just my 2 cents"


And lastly, their reply:

"Ricardo-

Thank you for the feedback.

We agree that gallon ratings can be confusing. Please take a look at this page where we explain our methods of explaining "Model Gallons" vs "Actual Gallons".

http://customaquariums.com/c-11-gallon-model-ratings.aspx

Also see where we have on the chart showing all of our sizes a "Model Gallons" vs an "Actaul Gallons".

http://customaquariums.com/s-4-all-aquarium-standard-sizes.aspx

In summary- we have both a "Model Gallons" and an "Actual Gallons" rating for all of our aquarium sizes. It came to our attention via your email that our package specials could probably point this out a little better, so we are updating the pages as we speak with both ratings more clearly at the top of each page. So- thank you for the feedback. We already had that on all of our other sizes, it wasn't quite as clear on the specials, however we did have a link to the ratings page shown above in quite a few instances on the site.

The essence of the problem is that most other manufacturers don't advertise an accurate rating which I have always found to be perplexing. I would imagine they round up to make it sound better... but I never understood how they get away with it particularly given how it could potential effect the chemistry of the tank when you are adding chemicals under false assumptions. Our position is to be very transparent and honest with our ratings. This is why we are one of the only company to advertise both ratings.

Why not JUST have the "actual gallons" advertised? The problem is, when people compare other aquariums to ours, it makes it look like ours are smaller even if they may be the same size or larger. It gives us an unfair disadvantage. For example, aquariums of similar dimensions as the "280 Model Gallon" aquarium you were inquiring about is advertised on some web sites as high as 300 gallons even though it is the same size and the actual gallons is closer to 222. So, for comparison purposes the "Model Gallons" will usually be a good gauge against competitors models, however all manufacturers have a different method (using actual inside H x L x D is really the best way). The "actual gallon" ratings is a better measurement that will tell you the actual gallons of water it will hold to the brim for sizing filtration and livestock purposes. We have this listed in multiple places on our web site.

I strongly encourage you to read the information at this link
http://customaquariums.com/c-11-gallon-model-ratings.aspx to get the full picture. We pride ourselves in having full and transparent disclosure on all of our products and very much appreciate your feedback.


Adam Keller

GO PACKERS!

President
CustomAquariums.com
CagesByDesign.com
CagesUnder500Dollars.com
SerenityAviaryServices.com
SerenityAquariumServices.com

Ph: (920) 886-1220
Fax: (208) 275-1357"

[jsong]

I think I will give the custom aquarium a try once I get ready to make the purchase. I am still stuck on what kind of filtration system I should go for. Before I order the tank with any pre-drilled holes, etc, I need to get this sorted out.

Any advice would be appreciated.