Who makes the best aquarium?

[Very Fishy]

I am looking for comments on what manufacturer makes the best aquarium. I hope to purchase a large show tank (between 90 and 135 G)in the near future and want a nice looking piece of furniture, not just an ordinary tank and stand. I am very impressed with the high quality of Oceanic Systems tanks and stands. (you pay a high price for that, however :-\). I currently have an All Glass Aquarium that I am satisfied with but was wondering what other people's opinions and comments are. Those of you that own Oceanic System set-ups, are you satisfied?

[NickK]

I have a Oceanic 37 Show Tank and it is very solid. Oceanic makes a serious tank, but you do have to pay for it.

However, I have to tell a quick All-Glass story. This year, I woke up at 5:00am to drive to Chicago to pick up my first discus. My 55 All-Glass was ready, my NatureView 75 (made by Oceanic) was cycling, and so was a BRAND NEW All-Glass 75 (4 days old). Before we walked out the door, I went into the fish room for one last look. I quickly noticed my new Emperor 400 power filter (on the newest 75) was empty and grinding. I ran to the tank, reached down and unplugged the filter. I then noticed I was standing in 1" of water. The tank sprung a leak overnight and dropped all 75 gallons onto the carpet....and I couldn't do a thing about it since I had to drive to Chicago. We made the trip (14 hours total drive time in a blizzard), and called cleaners the next day.

I called the LFS to complain about the tank, and they gave me the expected run-around "We will call and notify the manufacturer about your misfortune". Well, All-Glass called me within the hour and paid the entire cleaning invoice!!!! This was top-notch customer service, and the replacement tank is working as good as my 6 year old 55 All-Glass.

In summary, Oceanic are top notch - but pricey. The NatureView tank is bulletproof, and I believe they are made by Oceanic. All-Glass customer service was amazing.

Nick

[Dennis_Hardenburge]

Oceanic, Allglass, & Island are all made by the same compamy.
Island 90 warrenty
Allgalss 1 year warrenty
Ocenic 5 year warrenty
I personally think Allglass is the best buy for the money, Oceanic is a little nicer looking, but if there is a manufacter problem a tank would leak well begore a year.
Dennis

[Jason]

in Canada my vote is for hagen tanks, well built, thick glass, cheap, many sizes.

and the advantage for me anyway is no tempered tanks, you can drill a hole in them anywhere you want.

[ronrca]

LOL! (Throwing a huge rock into the lake)

I make the best aquariums! First because they are very cheap to make (cant beat free glass)! Second because I make them to whatever dimenion I want/need! Third, I do my own warranty/repairs if needed (none so far)! ;)

As for brand names, glass is glass is glass! The difference will come in thickness and trim quality! My recommendation is shop around. When I purchased my first tank, 90G, I phoned around and contacted 5 stores. The price range for just a 90G tank was from $250-$800! Of course I was very confused so I phoned my favorite lfs. He recommended the cheapest because glass is glass!

Sure warranty may make a difference however I would not pay extra for it! But, thats just my opinion! ;)

[Jason]

your lucky not much free glass around here because all the window manufacturers have been using lexan for ten years.

glass is so expensive here, its just cheaper to buy tanks, but I would build if I had the glass

[ronrca]

Really!? Thats interesting! What about using lexan then? Ive heard that lexan is even stronger than glass! The only obstacle would be jointing the edges! Its done but I dont know how! Be a good project though! Start with a small tank 10G or so! Definitly worth a try if you can get free lexan! ;)

[edgeguy]

I have a 92g corner tank with a bow front made by all glass. I love the design and is well constructed.

[Hugh]

Well I bought my first acrylic tank this last month and i wont look at a glass one again ( that is if i get the same deal i got this one for :P ). I bought it at a store in Mountain View .Ca. They had TruVu tanks of all sizes and i could not believe my eyes. I bought a 60gal Black background tank for 145 dollars out the door. i dont know if this is pricey for some other parts of the country but here in Ca. That is a terrific deal. The LFS and commercial shops ( petco /Petsmart) only 40 mins away from this shop wanted 200 for the same tank. I asked the clerk if these tanks were on sale/ or damaged from the manufacturer and he said "nope thats our regular price." which only lead me to believe that the profit margin some shops set up for tanks is nuts. But if you had to buy Glass I have always used Island tanks. When I first got started it was rumored they were the best buy and since i have not had a problem with them i have used them from every size between 10 and 125.

But the light wieght, ease of maintianing, and the general look of TruVu Acrylic tanks are really their selling point for me. I love that there are no front seams.. rounded corners are so nice.

- Hugh -

[Jason]

oops sorry, cant get free lexan, but i can get it for less than glass.

lexan is awesome, 30% stronger than plexi and way easier to cut, I will try to make a big tank out of it, just havent found the time yet.
another cool thing about lexan is you can polish the edges with a torch and it goes absolutely smooth
one thing i want to try with it is, a tongue and groove type joint, and going over it with a 1/2 round router bit, it may even make the edges invisible

[TnMark]

I',m very happy with my 135 gallon Oceanic. Got it from Petsmart for 439. I thought the price was reasonable.

[Denny]

You can check around for prices but in the end you usually get what you pay for.

A better question would be how much are you willing to pay to get what you want? The tank itself basically means squat as far as giving it the look of fine furniture.The stand and canopy give you what you are looking for.

Some of the manufacturers have what they refer to as premium or upgraded stands that are better than the basic pine crap they usually put under them. and if you are happy with the 3 or so colors they come in then that is a way to go.You can have them made too but not many can afford that so in the end the upgraded ones are the only choice

[April]

I have three tru vu tanks. and i love them also. dont have the coloured back though. like the blue back but cost more.
bet thats where my lfs picks them up...he gets them for a deal in california and brings them up.

[Very Fishy]

Thanks for the feedback so far...

Just some observations I have made while shopping around Toronto for a show tank ( I am still saving up my money...)

Oceanic Systems - Number one on my list...the glass used for these tanks is thicker, the corners are smooth and seams are perfect, the centre brace is made out of glass, not plastic, the oak stands and canopy look great, premium unit at a premium price ( one thing I noticed is these units rarely go on sale, the most I have seen is 15% off list price floor models only)

All-Glass - same company as above but centre brace is made from plastic, seams and corners not as smooth, but overall still a good tank, new modern series stand and canopy very nice (oak).

Hagen - good value, LFS have these tanks on sale frequently at up to 1/2 price, glass is thinner and stands and canopy do not compare to above.

Locally manufactured tanks - good value but again stands and canopy are don't have that "furniture look" unless you go to a custom made one.

Acrylic - have not found a good Toronto area retailer than carries these tanks...lighter than glass but acrylic tends to scratch easily.

Home Made - I only wish I had the time ::)

[ronrca]

Aaa! Yes! The stand! This does come down to appearance, personal preferance and how fat the wallet is! The best stand is from someone you know that is a carpenter! Im extremly fortunate that my Dad is one! Just check out my yahoo pics of my 90G! ;)

[Lance_Krueger]

I own 6 Oceanic Tanks, a 20 High, 30 Long, 55 plus, 135, 150, and 200 gallon. All were used tanks, and not one of them has ever been resealed and all have no leaks whatsoever. I also have two 55's, and a 125 from Universal that are all well made, and non-leakers, but in no class with Oceanic's thicker glass and craftsmanship. I have other tanks by various manufactuers, but Oceanic are always the brand I look for when buying a used tank. I talked to a guy that used to work for Oceanic, and he said they are having more problems with their tanks now since it's been bought out by All-Glass than before, but they are still the best built tanks on the market. Supposedly Oceanic uses a different type of glass (I think it's called Saphire), that is optically higher quality, and not so green. They also supposedly have the cleanest technique of prepping the tank before putting it together with the silicone. Thus fewer seam failures, like some other manufacturers seem to have. Natures View and the E-series Oceanic will supposedly be just E-series (E stands for Economy) in the near future. They use a bit thinner glass, which is the same size most manufacturers use anyway (Oceanic tends to have the thickest glass), plus you get the quality of Oceanics manufacturing process. Plus, Oceanic buffs down the edges of their newer tanks, so they are absolutely perfect on the ends. And they bevel the edges too, which allows them to be bumped around a little more without chipping or cracking the edges when you move them around. You've just got to fondle an Oceanic to know what I mean. ;D
Lance Krueger

[mitch1313]

i would just go to your nearest pet superstore. PETSMART has combos with lighted hoods for cheap. all the petcos i have been to kinda suck though for fish stuff so don't go there.

[slicksta]

Three AGA Bowfronts.............45, 72 and a 155.....no problems at all.

[drnszgy]

I believe hagen has good quality. ADA and FIREAQUA are best for planted aquarium.

[nvladik]

I believe hagen has good quality. ADA and FIREAQUA are best for planted aquarium.

Ultimate 11 year old thread revival. :)

[King Discus]

I like all glass, costume tanks are great from glasscages.com as well.