BC Tank Builder?

[Millepora_Maniac]

HI All,

I am looking for a 5' x 30" x2' aquarium with star fire front. I got a quote from one company, the price was staggering at over 5k after taxes for an unfinished stand, and just the aquarium with no plumbing sump or anything else.

With so many manufacturers making simliar tanks, maybe custom isn't the route i want to go. All i know is i want external overflow, and i want those dimensions as stated above. I also want it to look rimless, or at the very least eurobraced, the tank will have a wavebox in it.

Let me know what you've got! do you have a big aquarium sitting around your place?

Can you weld up a square stock stand for me? do you powder coat stuff?

Looking for any advice or recommendations.

Cheers!

[kyl]

Cost of starphire has risen like 40% in the last year and a half from PPG / whatever the other US supplier was.

[Millepora_Maniac]

Just got a verbal quote from Concept. First off, talking to Alex on the phone was great, super patient and helpful.

2400 for the glass, 400 for the stand. shipping roughly 200. so 3k. That is much more affordable.

[kyl]

With Concept you'll get what you pay for, and I suggest getting a very detailed list going with any build. Hopefully the new guy that has ultimately replaced Denny is good.

Keep in mind tank cost will probably move a good 10-20% in pricing for having the nice perks.

[gmann]

With Concept you'll get what you pay for, and I suggest getting a very detailed list going with any build. Hopefully the new guy that has ultimately replaced Denny is good.

Keep in mind tank cost will probably move a good 10-20% in pricing for having the nice perks.

mind sharing what the extras would be? I want to make sure ii have accounted for everything for next time.

[Millepora_Maniac]

I've seen a few concept builds, they looked good to me. If you're suggesting that the Concept build is not going to be as good, i'd like to know how.

I asked for all the same things, Starfire front, Dual herbie overflows. external of course, Eurobraced, i think it was 3" bracing, bevelled edges and polished. dual drilled inlets on the back pane along with the overflow. That will all be skinned with black acrylic so it looks all black and slick.

The stand i asked for is an unfinished steel tubular stand. He is gonna powder coat that for me too, so it won't rust. After the tank is up and running i'll make some magnetic panels of some sort.

All in all i am pretty happy with the price he quoted me. If it comes and it isn't to my standards, i won't accept it. This build is not going to be like any of my last ones where i have to rush it. They are also sending me a 3d drawing so i can proof it prior to the build.

I'm saving a couple hundred more bucks and likely will pull the trigger. :twised:

[shrimp]

How thick is the front and sides of glass for the quoted price?

[kyl]

I had smoked glass laminated to my tank instead of the full length acrylic insert. Well worth the increased cost in my personal opinion. It does increase overall rear / overflow panel thickness though, if you're running power heads on the back wall.

[kyl]

mind sharing what the extras would be? I want to make sure ii have accounted for everything for next time.

Full polish, beveled edges, tooled black silicone, (laminated smoke/black rear panel glass). Off the top of my head that's what I can remember.

[Ritteri]

I just built my latest Acrylic tank. 5ftx3ftx2ft high. Very pleased with acrylic for its clarity, strength, ease of polish, much better photos and it’s half the weight.

I don’t use a sand bed and use the flipper to clean the tank.

After most of my 30 years in the hobby with glass tanks, I won’t go back.