Best "standard" aquarium builders?

[tuggerlake26]

I'm looking into new aquariums, and trying to get an idea of what manufacturers are reputable outside of AIO builders.

My main needs:

- looking for 30-40 gallons
- preferably 30" plus, not a fan of cube dimensions
- open to glass or acrylic, doesn't need to be rimless
- needs to be shipped vs local pickup

I want something higher quality than you'd get from a brand like Aqueon or Marineland at Petco, etc.

 

[don_chuwish]

Look into Planet Aquariums MEGA Matrix or Glasscages.com. Both have some standard dimension options that aren’t “full custom” cost.

 

[ca1ore]

Mass market is mostly just tetra, aqueon or ML. Places like deep blue are gone unfortunately. Custom will cost you more of course. Glasscages is a good place to look. Also can check on fishtanksdirect.

 

[Roosterjack]

Seapora

 

[JoshH]

I'm looking into new aquariums, and trying to get an idea of what manufacturers are reputable outside of AIO builders.

My main needs:

- looking for 30-40 gallons
- preferably 30" plus, not a fan of cube dimensions
- open to glass or acrylic, doesn't need to be rimless
- needs to be shipped vs local pickup

I want something higher quality than you'd get from a brand like Aqueon or Marineland at Petco, etc.

I think if you look into Red Sea, Innovative Marine or Waterbox Aquariums you should have no problem at all finding what you want without going custom.

In fact Innovative Marines 50 Lagoon EXT is exactly 30" wide with a white or black stand....

Shop | Innovative Marine Products

Shop Now | Innovative Marine's Official Store | Free Shipping on all orders* | NUVO aquariums and saltwater reef supplies.

www.innovative-marine.com

If you want to go custom there are tons of options out there, a pretty solid list can be found in the thread below

Your thoughts on custom tank manufacturers?

So lately I seem to see a lot of threads popping up on advice on custom tank manufacturers and which ones people would recommend. Last fall I went through the same process myself and landed on a manufacturer here in Canada. But it's recently dawned on me that in my search and even combing...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[ReefBeta]

30-40 I would get one from Mr Aqua. Go to your local freshwater fish store, most carry them as high end tank. I had this before as a planted tank. Very good tank. https://sevenports.com/product/passion-32-1-gal-li-ultra-clear-aquarium-23-6-x-17-7-x-17-7/

 

[Cell]

It sounds to me like you are just looking for a step up from the base Aqueon type tanks and that is Redsea, Waterbox, Innovative Marine and Fiji Cube imo. Fiji Cube is newest to the scene but is selling nice tanks imo.

 

[ca1ore]

Seapora

Gone too I think. Couldn’t find them anywhere.

 

[tuggerlake26]

Thanks everyone. This was super helpful. I've boiled my search down to:

All Glass
- I will reach out to them. There are a few sizes I'm liking (27, 38, and 40L). If I went acrylic, would just want to know how thick they are. I've also never seen acrylic before without the eurobrace, so I'd want to see anyone's opinion who has one.
- My only concern is some threads about leaks, though it sounds like things have improved with new management.

Advanced Acrylics
- Quite expensive, but the quality looks really good. The tank I'm looking at is 1/2" thick, which might be overkill, but I have had issues with acrylic bowing in the past.
- I would just need to find a stand for the dimensions, and it's not a common measurement (36x16).

Innovative Marine
- Honestly, these are my favorite from what I can see, especially the stand quality. I just am not a fan of the size options.
- I really like the 30L measurements IF they had an EXT version. It just seems like a lot of wasted space. It would have been nice if there was an EXT or peninsula version.
- If wanted to downgrade in size, the 20 peninsula is a nice option.

FijiCube
- The 38 peninsula is perfect, but the way the tank overhangs on the stand worries me. I'm assuming I shouldn't be concerned given Waterbox and Red Sea do the same, but just goes against what I've always been told about tank placement.

Waterbox
- Same note on the stand, but the AIO 35.2 is a safe option if everything else fell through. Not ideal length, but I'd get over it.

Stand-wise my issue is I'm looking for something that's easy and that I can buy online. I live downtown in Chicago without a car, so the idea of lugging wood and building one myself isn't super appealing.

 

[don_chuwish]

Spoiled for good choices! I don't have any of them but have been researching for a potential new tank myself. I know that people like their Waterbox stands. I haven't seen any detail on how Fiji Cube builds theirs. LOVE the IM APS stand construction but I wish they had a sleeker skin style. Tough decisions!