Your thoughts on custom tank manufacturers?

[Smoke-Town]

Dying from covid would be a natural death...

Lol...bold statement. Let's leave it at that.

Thank you @JoshH For creating this. Getting real information and experience from custom tank builds is so hard between all the Fan boys and industry defenders as well as those not humble enough to speak ill of something they spent a lot of money on even if they have regrets. This is the only thread I've ever seen that shows what appears to be honest experiences of many. The polls are fun but almost irrelevant compared to the descriptions of issues and more importantly the descriptions of customer service experiences. That's invaluable information.

I'm starting to consider a custom aquarium for one of my tank upgrades. Glass cages was already one of my choices before I found this thread. They still are a likely choice. Miracles has been added to my list of potentials. I'm still a year out as I'm doing an addition on the house first on a nice level slab to put the new 3-400g tank. No sense in putting it where that current system is now and supporting the floor for it just to have to try to move it across to the new location in a year.

So mostly hoping to see more post pandemic reviews WITH prices paid. Ill assume that those who are not disclosing the amount they paid are embarrassed and believe their end product was not worth the money.

Cost, quality, and customer service are all absolutely critical in determining value.
C + Q + S = V. Cannot solve for V if you're missing any of those variables.

I would say one hidden variable for individuals would be location. Having the ability to go over things in person can make a big difference in the end result. More than that, a local delivery to its final stand would save money and stress of shipping freight.

 

[JoshH]

Lol...bold statement. Let's leave it at that.

Thank you @JoshH For creating this. Getting real information and experience from custom tank builds is so hard between all the Fan boys and industry defenders as well as those not humble enough to speak ill of something they spent a lot of money on even if they have regrets. This is the only thread I've ever seen that shows what appears to be honest experiences of many. The polls are fun but almost irrelevant compared to the descriptions of issues and more importantly the descriptions of customer service experiences. That's invaluable information.

I'm starting to consider a custom aquarium for one of my tank upgrades. Glass cages was already one of my choices before I found this thread. They still are a likely choice. Miracles has been added to my list of potentials. I'm still a year out as I'm doing an addition on the house first on a nice level slab to put the new 3-400g tank. No sense in putting it where that current system is now and supporting the floor for it just to have to try to move it across to the new location in a year.

So mostly hoping to see more post pandemic reviews WITH prices paid. Ill assume that those who are not disclosing the amount they paid are embarrassed and believe their end product was not worth the money.

Cost, quality, and customer service are all absolutely critical in determining value.
C + Q + S = V. Cannot solve for V if you're missing any of those variables.

I would say one hidden variable for individuals would be location. Having the ability to go over things in person can make a big difference in the end result. More than that, a local delivery to its final stand would save money and stress of shipping freight.

I thought it was a decent idea atleast lol. It would be nice to see some updated information from some. And new reviews to sift through. But it isn't always easy to do for some people so I understand that.

I will say that adding a 4000+ pound object on top of a concrete slab. Might be worth talking to an engineer about. Typically floor slabs on grade are pretty thin. So adding the dead weight of a car on a relatively small footprint can cause issues down the road. Might as well start a new build on the right footing so to speak.

I'm excited for you and hopefully you can settle on a manufacturer that makes you very happy, regardless of who that is.