Opinions of Aquarium brands

[Bawugna]

Hi Folks,

I was wondering if you all have favorite tank brands and why or just the opposite....tanks you would avoid. I am interested in what quality is out there today. I used to know the companies to avoid 30 years ago but things have obviously changed somewhat. I am looking to buy a 75 gallon tank with a black rim, a standard tank nothing bowed or drilled, just 5 plates of glass.

Thanks in advance.
Jim

 

[Ch4rlie]

My two main go to tanks I like to look out for and to purchase, usually second hand are ClearSeal tank simply due to its simplicity and I like Juwel/Fluval aquariums, does what it say on the tin.

I used to have a Juwel 350 Trigon and I LOVED that tank though it did have it drawbacks such as difficult to reach the bottom of the tank for maintenance but that has remained a favourite of mine, had to sell it unfortunately a few years back as needed the cash at the time. Now am on lookout for a Juwel 190 trigon...

The main tanks I use are ClearSeals and I have a 25 gal and a 30 gal long, these tanks im are underated and usually pretty cheap to buy second hand (though sometimes without hood or light unit), with external or HOB filters and T8 lighting, simple but effective

The one thing if you plan to buy brand new tanks is that the standard lighting, filter and heater tends to be the minimum required for the sized tank, so upgrading on all 3 is worth considering doing, sometimes a deal can be made with the store if you request upgrades but depends. And in USA there are sales of tanks for a dollar a gallon or somethig like that (wish had that here in UK)

 

[StandbySetting]

Juwel are my brand of choice at the moment, the build quality of their tanks is second to none. My only gripe is the filtration system which leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[Bawugna]

Thanks Ch4rlie! I am looking just to buy the tank, no set up. I will source all that out separately so I can by exactly what I am interested in. I am going with a plain old glass lid since it will be hidden by a cabinet I plan to build. The lighting is pretty much that same story, I will figure out what best suits my needs and just buy it based on that. I have realized that the companies I was familiar with years ago have either changed name or are gone....Odel, Oceanic, and AGA. I just want to make sure I find one that is not cheaply made with poor QA/QC. I have seen posts where people talk about nightmares of tanks coming apart at the seams and such. I all the years and all the tanks I had, I only had one that failed after many moves and more years than I actually know. It was a 125 gallon that developed silicone bubbles that eventually reach from inside to the outside. Other than that, I never had one fail. I am just interested in horror stories that might steer me in a particular direction.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Sounds as if something like ClearSeal or similar is what you are after, it comes with glass shelf about 1 - 1.5 inches wide on both front and rear glass so you can add glass sliding shelfs easily.

Not sure if that brand is available in USA but thats what I get as, like you, I can add exactly what lights and equipment i wish, so having a tank like that makes it easier for me.

I use the glass shelf for my lighting unit but it gives you an idea -



And the tank as empty, the black trim along top of tank can be removed if that appeals.
(ignore the spirit level, this was way back when first setting up the tank, but was the only half decent picture I have of an empty ClearSeal tank )