Need Advice For 300g Dream Tank Build

PapaDragon · Jul 31, 2015

I just finished my masters and a reward I promised myself was that I would finally get my 300g DD aquarium. I currently have a 150g, but it is very narrow. In my opinion everything looks two dimensional and I'm just annoyed with it. Also I bought it and the stand used and didn't adequately consider the height of the stand. I'm in a wheelchair and my stand is way too tall for me to comfortably see my corals. I have to have someone take a picture for me to see the corals near the top of my tank and I have to have pictures for things on the sand bed too.

Now here is the question

:

Who would you recommend for a tank that is roughly 72x36x28 and deliver it to me? Who would you recommend for a custom stand?

I wish I could say cost is not a consideration, but it is. Here are a few things I'd like to have, but these are more optional goodies:

starphire glass on front and sides
ghost overflow

I've been planning this for a long time so I've already started the plans to move everything that normally goes under the stand into my garage. Luckily the wall that the aquarium is against is the garage wall. Having everything in the garage is going to make everything so much easier for me.

Any advice or recommendations are appreciated.

ksfulk · Jul 31, 2015

Reef Savvy is general recognized as one of the best tank manufacturers out there. I havent priced once out myself, but I would guess a tank of your size and spec would run you in the ballpark of $4-5k and you'd be on a wait list for a few months while they get to your tank. However, search some of the reef savvy builds on this forum, and you'll see they are really really high end stuff.

I built a shorter stand in order to accommodate the tall 180 gallon tank I currently have, and I found the biggest issue with a short stand to be the plumbing of the drains, because my tank drain goes through the wall and into a livestock tank (150gallon). I had to make sure that I had a shallow enough elbow on my drain to actually drain into the tank, rather than have to drill into the side wall and lose a portion of the stock tank to nothing. Even with the best intentions in place, I still ended up having to drill holes in the stock tank about 3" down the sidewall in order to accommodate the drain. If your garage is lower than the tank, all the better. Otherwise, keep that into consideration when planning.

PapaDragon · Jul 31, 2015

ksfulk said:
Reef Savvy is general recognized as one of the best tank manufacturers out there. I havent priced once out myself, but I would guess a tank of your size and spec would run you in the ballpark of $4-5k and you'd be on a wait list for a few months while they get to your tank. However, search some of the reef savvy builds on this forum, and you'll see they are really really high end stuff.

I built a shorter stand in order to accommodate the tall 180 gallon tank I currently have, and I found the biggest issue with a short stand to be the plumbing of the drains, because my tank drain goes through the wall and into a livestock tank (150gallon). I had to make sure that I had a shallow enough elbow on my drain to actually drain into the tank, rather than have to drill into the side wall and lose a portion of the stock tank to nothing. Even with the best intentions in place, I still ended up having to drill holes in the stock tank about 3" down the sidewall in order to accommodate the drain. If your garage is lower than the tank, all the better. Otherwise, keep that into consideration when planning.

Thank you for the advice. I'm actually driving out to Melbourne tomorrow to talk to a person about a Preowned Marineland 300 Gallon Deep Dimension. My major concern is that it is 4 years old so I'm concerned about the seals and scratches. It is dry right now so I should be able to see any obvious problems, but I can't be sure without filling it with water. Anyone know if it is difficult to reseal a tank?

I filled out a quote for Reef Savvy just to get a ballpark idea. I knew they were one of the best I just had no idea it could run into $4-5k just for the tank, but I promised myself I wouldn't cheap out on the tank.

I'm also looking at:

http://customaquariums.com
http://www.glasscages.com/

StikHedRon · Jul 31, 2015

I've heard good and bad about marineland, so...... be careful. I would honestly use Miracles. They have a nice option and look for an external overflow box. Plus they will deliver it right to your door. Are you or can you have the sump in the basement or in another room so the tank can be lower to the floor? Skimmer height will be your biggest issue with having the sump under the tank.

ksfulk · Jul 31, 2015

Ive heard good and bad with the Marineland as well. I think I was reading about one of those failures recently on a thread here from one of the moderators ( @Mike&Terry )that just had one fail. Might be a good idea to see if someone else chimes in with real hands on with the Marineland ones. Ive also heard that Miracles is a real reputable manufacturer as well.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/mike-and-terrys-300g-reef.71471/page-62#post-2317519

madtownguy · Jul 31, 2015

PapaDragon said:
Thank you for the advice. I'm actually driving out to Melbourne tomorrow to talk to a person about a Preowned Marineland 300 Gallon Deep Dimension. My major concern is that it is 4 years old so I'm concerned about the seals and scratches. It is dry right now so I should be able to see any obvious problems, but I can't be sure without filling it with water. Anyone know if it is difficult to reseal a tank?

I filled out a quote for Reef Savvy just to get a ballpark idea. I knew they were one of the best I just had no idea it could run into $4-5k just for the tank, but I promised myself I wouldn't cheap out on the tank.

I'm also looking at:

http://customaquariums.com
http://www.glasscages.com/

I had a leak in a 120g tank once, it was surprisingly easy to repair. It didn't look perfect when done I kind of rushed it but it never leaked again. I would imagine scratches can be buffed out also. Tanks come up a lot here in Florida, if you don't want custom built into wall or something I would wait for something used.

PapaDragon · Jul 31, 2015

StikHedRon said:
I've heard good and bad about marineland, so...... be careful. I would honestly use Miracles. They have a nice option and look for an external overflow box. Plus they will deliver it right to your door. Are you or can you have the sump in the basement or in another room so the tank can be lower to the floor? Skimmer height will be your biggest issue with having the sump under the tank.

Sump and skimmer are going into the garage so the height of the stand isn't really a concern. I am a little afraid of marineland too, but I also can't really afford $5k for an aquarium if I want it anytime within the next year. I'll look at Miracles site.

Thank you for responding.

PapaDragon · Jul 31, 2015

madtownguy said:
I had a leak in a 120g tank once, it was surprisingly easy to repair. It didn't look perfect when done I kind of rushed it but it never leaked again. I would imagine scratches can be buffed out also. Tanks come up a lot here in Florida, if you don't want custom built into wall or something I would wait for something used.

With the popularity of aquariums I'm surprised resealing a tank isn't a standard service. The scratches I think are a little harder to do, but I haven't Google it yet

. You are right about Florida having tons of used tanks, but the trick is getting something that I can trust to last five plus years in my living room. Unfortunately, since I'm disabled I have to hire someone to do most of the work which eats into my aquarium budget. :mad:

PapaDragon · Jul 31, 2015

ksfulk said:
Ive heard good and bad with the Marineland as well. I think I was reading about one of those failures recently on a thread here from one of the moderators ( @Mike&Terry )that just had one fail. Might be a good idea to see if someone else chimes in with real hands on with the Marineland ones. Ive also heard that Miracles is a real reputable manufacturer as well.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/mike-and-terrys-300g-reef.71471/page-62#post-2317519

Oh my gosh! That is the nightmare scenario. I want to ovoid that. My heart goes out to @Mike&Terry.

Miracles is in Canada which makes me think getting it to Florida is going to be expensive, but it can't hurt to contact them. Thank you for the information.

Mike&Terry · Aug 1, 2015

PapaDragon said:
Oh my gosh! That is the nightmare scenario. I want to ovoid that. My heart goes out to @Mike&Terry.

Miracles is in Canada which makes me think getting it to Florida is going to be expensive, but it can't hurt to contact them. Thank you for the information.

Thank You PapaDragon! After suffering catastrophic tank failures on two different Marineland 300gal tanks (the last having been custom made by Perfecto), we made the decision to go with Reef Savvy. Our new Reef Savvy tank will be rimless with the same footprint as the 300DD, but only 24" tall.

If you do decide to go with a Marineland tank, we would strongly suggest that you buy new and purchase their stand which will give you warranty protection in the event of a failure.

madtownguy · Aug 1, 2015

Mike&Terry said:
Thank You PapaDragon! After suffering catastrophic tank failures on two different Marineland 300gal tanks (the last having been custom made by Perfecto), we made the decision to go with Reef Savvy. Our new Reef Savvy tank will be rimless with the same footprint as the 300DD, but only 24" tall.

If you do decide to go with a Marineland tank, we would strongly suggest that you buy new and purchase their stand which will give you warranty protection in the event of a failure.

Wow that really sucks. Congrats for trying again! I can't even imagine 300 gallons, fish, sand, everywhere.... I would either cry myself to sleep or blow up my house and start from scratch.

Reefpharmer · Aug 1, 2015

Glass cages is very hit and miss. Their silicone work leaves a lot to be desired unless you enjoy the glop-the-silicone kind of look. I had. Miracles tank quoted and it wasn't much more than a leemar (when they were still making them)

RAYISKING · Aug 1, 2015

Did you end up seeing the tank in melbourne to many scratches right

PapaDragon · Aug 1, 2015

Reefpharmer said:
Glass cages is very hit and miss. Their silicone work leaves a lot to be desired unless you enjoy the glop-the-silicone kind of look. I had. Miracles tank quoted and it wasn't much more than a leemar (when they were still making them)

Thanks for the warning. A local reefer said pretty much the same thing. I sent quote request to reef savy and Miracles so now I just wait and see.

PapaDragon · Aug 1, 2015

RAYISKING said:
Did you end up seeing the tank in melbourne to many scratches right

It has been stormy all day so I didn't go. I have to admit the horror stories are making me think hard about trusting marineland with my house. I also have become very attached to my fish and corals so if anything happens to them because I was cheap I would feel so bad. I'm not against a used tank at all, but it has to be right.

PapaDragon · Aug 1, 2015

I am planning on doing this in a few phases:

First, I've already been purchasing equipment for the move over the past year or so. Most of the equipment on my 150g will go on the new system. I bought an external skimmer, new sump (haven't even used it yet), got kessil 360WE's, I have two of the new mp40's, an apex, and a bunch of other things. My goal is to get things on sale or used whenever I see a deal so I won't get pressured into wasting money on equipment I know I'm going to replace.

Second, I'm going to get the garage setup and working with my 150g. This again will help me figure out what I need before I get the new tank. I'm also hoping that once I do pick the new tank all I'll have to do is disconnect the 150g and slide in the new one. Some things I want to do in the garage is get a 20 amp GFI circuit and some outlets installed and a sink (a sink is optional right now). One of my friends from work is going to help with running the plumbing into the garage from my 150g. My guess is I'll have to run with the 150g for awhile to understand the short comings in my configuration.

Finally, I pick my new tank and stand.

RAYISKING · Aug 1, 2015

I just paid for my new 300 going to build the stand I had the 150 from marineland the cube and just moved to Florida this may. I won't be setting up my new 300 for a couple months since I will be moving looking for a new house. I know you have read the horror stories of the tank but my 150 I bought used 2 years old used it for 2 years then I came down here. Didn't have any issues and the 300 I'm buying new now working on how I'm going to configure sump and what equipment I'll need to so I feel your pain.

SPSREEFS · Aug 2, 2015

Marineland are excellent tanks in my opinion. If you use their stand, the tank is guaranteed for life against failure. THATS ONLY IF YOU USE THEIR STAND. Another consideration is where the tank will set. A raised floor is far more risky then a concrete floor. A raised floor may need to be reinforced to hold all that weight.
I love the Marineland tanks.
Which ever direction you go, I look forward to tagging along and seeing how it all works out for you.

oldsaint · Aug 2, 2015

Not to discount Mike&Terry's horrible experience, but I have had my 300dd running with out issues for about a year and a half. A good friend of mine had hers running for 5 years then won the 300dd at MACNA last year, moved homes and has had that 300 up with out issue for about 5 months. Plus, I know of at least 4 other local reefers that have had a 300 over 4-5 years. Also, I would check with Marineland about other stands. My understanding if it's a manufactured stand and not a DIY then the tank is still under warranty. The stand I use and several others have used in replace of the Marineland's come from R&J aquatics out of Jacksonville.
Best of luck with the build. Yes, what an awful rainy day yesterday. I was driving in it all the way back to Brandon from the WWC sale. Took me about 2.5 hours to get home.

Mirya · Aug 2, 2015

I recently went through looking at various aquarium builders as well, although for a much smaller tank. The quote I got from Miracles was more than Reef Savvy! Anyway, two other builders for you to consider is SC Aquariums and Oceans by Design. I ended up ordering my tank through Oceans by Design. It'll be about 5-6 weeks before I get it.