Waterbox tank longevity?

Peach02 · Oct 8, 2019

Essentially I’m asking how long could you keep a waterbox tank without having to worry about the cabinet wearing down or the silicone wearing out? This is assuming you clean up any spilt water and don’t scrape the silicone

If it matters I’m talking about the waterbox peninsula 7226

TheHarold · Oct 8, 2019

Nothing wrong with WaterBox tanks that I know of- it’s the same as asking “how long does an aquarium last”. Easily 10+ years, double or triple that if you are careful with the corners.

The MDF is pretty sealed and I wouldn’t consider that a concern unless you’re POURING water on it repeatedly.

Small triggers · Oct 8, 2019

Cabinets made with mdf/Hdf do have a more limited life, but that's like 10-20 years... most of the issue is humidity and water exposure. Then the tank is also all about maintenance... again could be 10+ years if your careful with the seams...

Peach02 · Oct 8, 2019

TheHarold said:
Nothing wrong with WaterBox tanks that I know of- it’s the same as asking “how long does an aquarium last”. Easily 10+ years, double or triple that if you are careful with the corners.

The MDF is pretty sealed and I wouldn’t consider that a concern unless you’re POURING water on it repeatedly.

Mdf is the cabinet right?

Peach02 · Oct 8, 2019

Small triggers said:
Cabinets made with mdf/Hdf do have a more limited life, but that's like 10-20 years... most of the issue is humidity and water exposure. Then the tank is also all about maintenance... again could be 10+ years if your careful with the seams...

So you wouldn’t have to worry about reselling the tank for at least 10 years if your careful?

Small triggers · Oct 9, 2019

Peach02 said:
So you wouldn’t have to worry about reselling the tank for at least 10 years if your careful?

Reselling is an entire different question than longevity. I would think a tank and stand taken care of could resale within 10 years easy. Personally, I dont like the idea of moving cabinets made with mdf/hdf, I would buy the tank and make a new stand. I would not trust someone else to be as diligent as myself... but that's me.

TheHarold · Oct 9, 2019

Small triggers said:
Reselling is an entire different question than longevity. I would think a tank and stand taken care of could resale within 10 years easy. Personally, I dont like the idea of moving cabinets made with mdf/hdf, I would buy the tank and make a new stand. I would not trust someone else to be as diligent as myself... but that's me.

In that context, I believe he meant resealing.

Bryan68 · Oct 9, 2019

Admittedly I'm fairly new to this hobby, but I find it shocking that an aquarium is only expected to last 10ish years.

S.Pepper · Oct 9, 2019

Peach02 said:
Mdf is the cabinet right?

No MDF board. It's laminated plywood.

Peach02 · Oct 9, 2019

Small triggers said:
Reselling is an entire different question than longevity. I would think a tank and stand taken care of could resale within 10 years easy. Personally, I dont like the idea of moving cabinets made with mdf/hdf, I would buy the tank and make a new stand. I would not trust someone else to be as diligent as myself... but that's me.

Sorry I misspoke I meant resealing

Small triggers · Oct 10, 2019

Bryan68 said:
Admittedly I'm fairly new to this hobby, but I find it shocking that an aquarium is only expected to last 10ish years.

I think silicone is most dependent on how it gets scraped/messed with. 10 years for most exposed sealants is pretty good. The seal between the pieces of glass could certainly last longer as they dont get touched, but its the extending edges that usually cause the glass seal to end up breaking.

Rubblereefer · Oct 10, 2019

I have the waterbox 10g cube and build quality seems top notch. Can’t speak for the cabinet as I don’t have one but the seals are nicely done and I don’t see any reason to think it wouldn’t last 10+ years easily.

waywardreefer · Oct 10, 2019

S.Pepper said:
No MDF board. It's laminated plywood.

Medium-Density Fiberboard...not plywood. MDF always needs a good/quality/thick primer and paint job can help seal MDF and make it more water resistant, but cleaning up liquid spills as soon as possible is important. It's not as stiff/strong as plywood and can bend or sag.

That's not to say that MDF can't be used effectively for a stand, and it has been from many companies/builds. Just be careful with it.

We had a laminated MDF bedset ~5 years ago...we never paid attention that the bottom of the corner posts weren't sealed...it only took one time for the dog to do his thing close to the bed post for it to soak it up like a wick...needless to say, once we figured it out, we had to toss the bed...

Lesson...keep MDF sealed/free from damage/and wipe it down if/when it gets wet and it will last you a while

mtraylor · Oct 10, 2019

I have the 60.2 frag tank. As stated above. The aquarium stand is made of plywood, which is laminated with water proof membrane. Super nice! Will last a long time if maintained properly. I water proofed and sealed edges on mine after assembly.

There is non of that mdf crap in the stands. Mdf if it gets wet is basically ruined. Most of the aquariums made back in the day were made of mdf and didnt have longevity. After your first install you usually had a spill and created your first buldge in sump. Oh. That brings back old memories.

Feel good with the quailty. I really like mine. No complaints. Oh the glass is super nice but on the thin side.