Red Sea Tank Failures...

[czoolander]

3 Years no issue.......... millions of these tanks on the market

Like anything in life that you mass produce you will have defective product once in awhile . Why would tanks be any different ?

I am sure every tank manufacturer has similar issues .

 

[MichaelReefer]

3 Years no issue.......... millions of these tanks on the market

Like anything in life that you mass produce you will have defective product once in awhile . Why would tanks be any different ?

I am sure every tank manufacturer has similar issues .

Its not just that- Basic Marketing states that more people will leave a bad review on a problem than will take the time to leave a good review. So yes, there may be hundreds, or even thousands of posts about there being issues, but what about the million that didnt?

 

[Keko21]

I have had my 350 G2 for a bit over two weeks now. When I was shopping my LFS warned me against getting a Red Sea for this very issue- at the time I though it was just because they were trying to up sell their new Water Box inventory.

I did my research, went and saw the tank, and still went with Red Sea and so far I’m happy I did. There is a boat load of silicone on the inseam corners of the tank. The glass is thikk! The over hang is purely aesthetic to give it a floating look, which I like- definitely no support for that front pane of glass though…

So far I’m happy- lets hope it stays that way!!!

 

[jDoSe]

Its not just that- Basic Marketing states that more people will leave a bad review on a problem than will take the time to leave a good review. So yes, there may be hundreds, or even thousands of posts about there being issues, but what about the million that didnt?

.

3 Years no issue.......... millions of these tanks on the market

Like anything in life that you mass produce you will have defective product once in awhile . Why would tanks be any different ?

I am sure every tank manufacturer has similar issues .

.

Simply the best. Love it

How many million units sold now?

Sorry for a bit if ignorance, but where are you getting these numbers? Millions plural with an M?

Three times it’s randomly been brought up in this thread by (possibly) three different people, as if to give an excuse for their customer service somehow?
I’m reading this thread going “there’s that word again…”

Assuming average sale price of 2500, wouldn’t that make their revenue 5 Billion dollars with a B on 2 million tanks sold? Even if you assume they sold the same amount each year, that’s 625 million a year (8 years since g1 released) in just red sea reefer tank sales. And that’s not including sales from salt, test kits, additives, equipment, etc which probably makes much more than their tank sales.

Looking up how much revenue they have gives around 5-8mil revenue per year. (Unsure if completely accurate.)
Around 2 million people worldwide own a saltwater aquarium, 800k in the usa.
Other aquarium industry numbers/statistics: https://www.saltwateraquariumblog.com/aquarium-industry-statistics/

Something isn’t adding up?
Also, thousands of posts regarding issues? That could potentially be a extremely large percentage…

 

[anthonygf]

From my understanding:
The seams on the g1 were too thin and poorly designed. It was too easy to use a scraper and go right through the silicone. It also put a lot of pressure on the minimal surface area of the silicone between the panes, even if you didn’t nick it with a scraper. Unlike other tanks, they didn't use any (significant) silicone on the inside of the tank; only between the panes. Probably to make the black borders look as thin as possible. Other tanks, like the IM tanks, put silicone in-between the panes, then additional silicone on the inside of the tank. It makes the seam look thicker, but makes it much more robust.

In the G2, they not only added silicone in the tank (not just between the panes), but also added “plastic armor” to the seam.

The G2 also has thicker glass, so more surface area for the silicone.

They made these changes because they know they (massively) screwed up with the g1.

For the larger tanks, the g2 also supports the front overhanging panel with aluminum in the stand.

Old g1 seam:

New g2 seam (beginning of video):


All that being said though…the tank definitely improved, but the company did not. Their warranty and customer service is still the same. Personally, I wouldn’t do business with them or support them in any way again, but that is for you to decide.

They love that word, Robust!

 

[Lavey29]

I hope my tank leaks so they have to send me a brand new G2. That would be perfect.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

From my understanding:
The seams on the g1 were too thin and poorly designed. It was too easy to use a scraper and go right through the silicone. It also put a lot of pressure on the minimal surface area of the silicone between the panes, even if you didn’t nick it with a scraper. Unlike other tanks, they didn't use any (significant) silicone on the inside of the tank; only between the panes. Probably to make the black borders look as thin as possible. Other tanks, like the IM tanks, put silicone in-between the panes, then additional silicone on the inside of the tank. It makes the seam look thicker, but makes it much more robust.

In the G2, they not only added silicone in the tank (not just between the panes), but also added “plastic armor” to the seam.

The G2 also has thicker glass, so more surface area for the silicone.

They made these changes because they know they (massively) screwed up with the g1.

For the larger tanks, the g2 also supports the front overhanging panel with aluminum in the stand.

Old g1 seam:

New g2 seam (beginning of video):


All that being said though…the tank definitely improved, but the company did not. Their warranty and customer service is still the same. Personally, I wouldn’t do business with them or support them in any way again, but that is for you to decide.

Well, speaking with some custom tank builders here in Europe basically all of them said that the silicone outside the joints (thicker seams) doesn’t add much in terms of structural integrity.
It’s mostly down to the actual silicone in the glass joint. Quality of silicone apparently also a huge contribution factor.

I would think that the prevailing issue here is that the stands are simply horribly low quality. I was simply shocked with how flimsy the dang thing was when I had a reefer at one point.
Add this to the fact that they might not have used the best quality silicone it would spell trouble.

 

[piranhaman00]

No where near millions of these sold

 

[Mark Goode]

My confidence in my new £3,000+ tank took a big hit the day it was delivered, when I saw emblazoned on the crate the legend "Made in China".

 

[Blue Cheese]

Amanda - “our tanks don’t fail” ,you can purchase another if you like

 

[Mark Goode]

Amanda - “our tanks don’t fail” ,you can purchase another if you like

That's not relevant in this case; I did not import or buy the tank from China, I bought from my LFS. So all Red Sea warranties and UK statutory rights are valid and enforceable.

 

[Blue Cheese]

That's not relevant in this case; I did not import or buy the tank from China, I bought from my LFS. So all Red Sea warranties and UK statutory rights are valid and enforceable.

My apologies,Ill just stick with the they are a bad company that doesn’t honor their warranty in the USA only then

 

[doubleshot00]

Having seen enough posts if their tanks failing on Facebook (not just from the brace issue) and the posts being deleted and just their overall response. It definitely would give me pause about buying one in the future.

I had one of their smaller modules and ofc it didn’t leak since it was a nano. I can’t say I was super impressed for the price.

After seeing that post on Facebook (and they rook it down) about that tank failure and it ruined there entire floor and red sea was like “we will give you 50% off” i will NEVER buy there tanks. I think there other products are great and i use a bunch (all there elements, doser and skimmer) but the tanks are a huge issue.

 

[Mark Goode]

My apologies,Ill just stick with the they are a bad company that doesn’t honor their warranty in the USA only then

No apology required I assure you. My concerns about the place of manufacture is based on my own experience of Chinese made products. They seem to have turned built in obsolescence into an art form, with things falling apart within days of taking them out of the box. The only thing produced in China that seems to have any longevity is Covid 19, but perhaps we shouldn't go there...

 

[1ocean]

as much as I really like glass, seam leaks scare me, that is why I switched to acrylic...

 

[ClownSchool]

I have a reefer 350 (older model) and have never had any trouble. Probably 3 years into it now, had a Max E 260 before that for a few years and never had issues with that tank either.

you do see a lot of hate for Red Sea online, but it seems thats because Red Sea attracts a lot of first tank buyers because of their advertising, and then because of the hobbyists lack of experience they don’t care for it as they should because they don’t have the experience, Cleaning glass up to the seam with a razor or scraping seams or not having the tank level when you set it up. That kinda stuff.

I also think in terms of relative volume Red Sea sells significantly more than other companies, so the food still Far outweighs the bad, it’s just a larger volume of bad.

I just ordered a RS 350 G3, and after reading your post, I’m now interested in knowing how you clean the glass up to the seam?

 

[ekandler]

I just ordered a RS 350 G3, and after reading your post, I’m now interested in knowing how you clean the glass up to the seam?

In one word, carefully ha

I have a flipper float, so the blade side doesn’t go all the way to the edge. Either that or their blades aren’t great… either way, I clean my glass every few days and most days I go vertically on the seams. This will leave a thin line of buildup next to the seam and eventually coraline will form there. Maybe once a week or every two weeks I’ll clean up against the seam, trying to always be perpendicular to the seam so I don’t take the corner of the blade and pierce the seam.

sounds like a lot but it’s just technique. Something the Red Sea community has learned as a good way to help prevent the seam issues that are talked about a lot. If you clean your glass daily and switch to going vertical on your seams daily and only perpendicular once a week, in theory you’ve just improved the life of your seam by 7 times.

now that it’s something I’m used to it’s something I’ll always do no matter what tank I have. Anything I can do to minimize the likelihood of destroying my tank I’m happy to do.

 

[Av8tor2]

Well, I purchased the RedSea S-850 a few months ago. Low and behold, the silicone developed a bubble on the front edge.

I have been working with RedSea about the issue and they said it was NOT in a structural part of the tank. They sent me a "kit" to fix it. I haven't fixed it yet. The kit included several needles and a needle attachment to the silicone tubes, that I had to purchase. I did the research and finally purchased what I think is the best silicone on the market. I am still a little nervous of doing the repair myself.

What I am worried about; they said it wasn't in the area that was structural to the tank, but I am worried about other "bubbles" showing up in area that are NOT visible that are structural. Considering this is 200+ gallons of water sitting in my house that may go pop.

This tank is only 4 months old, FYI

 

[czoolander]

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Sorry for a bit if ignorance, but where are you getting these numbers? Millions plural with an M?

Three times it’s randomly been brought up in this thread by (possibly) three different people, as if to give an excuse for their customer service somehow?
I’m reading this thread going “there’s that word again…”

Assuming average sale price of 2500, wouldn’t that make their revenue 5 Billion dollars with a B on 2 million tanks sold? Even if you assume they sold the same amount each year, that’s 625 million a year (8 years since g1 released) in just red sea reefer tank sales. And that’s not including sales from salt, test kits, additives, equipment, etc which probably makes much more than their tank sales.

Looking up how much revenue they have gives around 5-8mil revenue per year. (Unsure if completely accurate.)
Around 2 million people worldwide own a saltwater aquarium, 800k in the usa.
Other aquarium industry numbers/statistics: https://www.saltwateraquariumblog.com/aquarium-industry-statistics/

Something isn’t adding up?
Also, thousands of posts regarding issues? That could potentially be a extremely large percentage…

I am making the point that there are literally lots of red sea tanks on the market

There are defective tanks of course but every manufacturer has these same issues . We are holding heavy weights of water inside glass boxes held together with silly putty.

You seem fixated on the few that have issues ? Whats that old saying ? The squeaky wheel gets the oil?

I am happy with my tank and i am sure there are also thousands of other happy owners

Regardless sorry to hear about any tank failure and knock on wood i hope i never experience that I have enougth problems inside my tank to deal with LOL

 

[piranhaman00]

Well, I purchased the RedSea S-850 a few months ago. Low and behold, the silicone developed a bubble on the front edge.

I have been working with RedSea about the issue and they said it was NOT in a structural part of the tank. They sent me a "kit" to fix it. I haven't fixed it yet. The kit included several needles and a needle attachment to the silicone tubes, that I had to purchase. I did the research and finally purchased what I think is the best silicone on the market. I am still a little nervous of doing the repair myself.

What I am worried about; they said it wasn't in the area that was structural to the tank, but I am worried about other "bubbles" showing up in area that are NOT visible that are structural. Considering this is 200+ gallons of water sitting in my house that may go pop.

This tank is only 4 months old, FYI

Wow absolutely do not stick a needle into the silicone, I would demand a new solution, I cannot believe people continue buying these