Oceanic 175G Reef Ready-BowFront Tank?
- Thread starter Circa
- Start date
Circa~
I just transferred to a new 225 gallon BF with 5 inch rounded corners. The tank is spectacular! It is also acrylic, so the distortion issue may not quite relate to glass. Fact is, there is no noticeable distortion other than at the corners.
I must ask, are you set on using glass?
Good luck,
McReef
I just transferred to a new 225 gallon BF with 5 inch rounded corners. The tank is spectacular! It is also acrylic, so the distortion issue may not quite relate to glass. Fact is, there is no noticeable distortion other than at the corners.
I must ask, are you set on using glass?
Good luck,
McReef
I am not really sure if this aquariam is glass or acrillic, I am pretty sure it is glass. But I havn't really compared glass to acrilic before so I don't really know what to expect. Glass probably would distort more right?
But besides that, from the people I have talked to it seems that the tank doesn't distort at all. And you actually have to "try" if you want to get the right angle to where everthing distorts.
Now the lights that Reefhead2 has are mh's but they are 250watts. I am not sure if this lighting is good for clams and light intensive creatures. But most corals and for sure fish should thrive well under thiis lighting.
I didn't think that the braces on the top would bend but I guess its very possible! Is there anything I can do to prevent heat from getting on those beams? Like maby insulation?
What do you guys think?
But besides that, from the people I have talked to it seems that the tank doesn't distort at all. And you actually have to "try" if you want to get the right angle to where everthing distorts.
Now the lights that Reefhead2 has are mh's but they are 250watts. I am not sure if this lighting is good for clams and light intensive creatures. But most corals and for sure fish should thrive well under thiis lighting.
I didn't think that the braces on the top would bend but I guess its very possible! Is there anything I can do to prevent heat from getting on those beams? Like maby insulation?
What do you guys think?
I hate to start a whole new thread, Circa, but, IMO, if you are going to make such a large investment, I would decide if I wanted acrylic or glass based on the benefits of each. They are arguably quite different.
Acrylic is MUCH lighter (~25%?) of glass, is 100% clear (tempered glass has a green tint), is a much better insulator (less temp. fluctuation), is seamless (i.e. - leakless, and quality manufacturers guarantee for life)but scratches much, much more easily than glass. Scracthes can be removed from the outside of the acrylic quite easily but it is much harder to remove from the inside (if you are careful you should not scratch it there). Acrylic can be formed to just about any shape, too.
Personally, I couldn't imagine choosing glass (I've lived with both). BUT, if you listen carefully, you may find just as many people dedicated to glass.
IMO, 250 watts is good enough for clams.
As far as the supports go, I'm not very familiar with the setup. Personally, I would look to support them better (wood?) before I add insulation.
Good luck!
McReef
Acrylic is MUCH lighter (~25%?) of glass, is 100% clear (tempered glass has a green tint), is a much better insulator (less temp. fluctuation), is seamless (i.e. - leakless, and quality manufacturers guarantee for life)but scratches much, much more easily than glass. Scracthes can be removed from the outside of the acrylic quite easily but it is much harder to remove from the inside (if you are careful you should not scratch it there). Acrylic can be formed to just about any shape, too.
Personally, I couldn't imagine choosing glass (I've lived with both). BUT, if you listen carefully, you may find just as many people dedicated to glass.
IMO, 250 watts is good enough for clams.
As far as the supports go, I'm not very familiar with the setup. Personally, I would look to support them better (wood?) before I add insulation.
Good luck!
McReef
Circa,
The braces shown in the photo are in the HOOD not the tank itself. The brace I am talking about is between the front and back of the tank BELOW the lights. When the lights crank up, the brace gets hot. If it gets splashed w/ water (Oceanic says it most often happens during water changes) then it will crack and the front and back of the tank will sag away from each other and the tank may actually come apart.
The braces shown in the photo are in the HOOD not the tank itself. The brace I am talking about is between the front and back of the tank BELOW the lights. When the lights crank up, the brace gets hot. If it gets splashed w/ water (Oceanic says it most often happens during water changes) then it will crack and the front and back of the tank will sag away from each other and the tank may actually come apart.
I researched my 180 quite a bit. Oceanic offers a couple of solutions to the center brace issue. The first is to go with what they call a Split Brace. This divides the brace into two pieces and moves them away from the center of the tank (like in an AGA 180) so that three metal halides fit in between the braces and therefore no brace is directly under a metal halide. This adds 200-300 to the price. Another is to go with thicker glass so that you don't need a brace at all. This option adds like 500-600 to the price and at least 100 lbs to the tank. The third option is to go with perimeter bracing, which adds 200-400 to the price. All these options are called "Custom, pre-engineered) which means that you have to custom order it (add 1-5 weeks to the lead time) but the drawings are already done.
Also, one point I cannot emphasize enough is to SHOP AROUND! Oceanic does not dictate retail prices to its dealers/distributors. I found a $200 difference between different LFSs for the same tank! (Tank only, no stand!) If I had been smarter, I would have pitted one against the other, but the difference was so big that I didn't bother.
Once again, I know that the LFS where I got my AGA 180RR made a killing. I buy there quite a bit and the owner is a fellow gun nut and he made it clear that he made enough on the tank that he felt bad about charging me delivery ($50) which I paid anyway because I was so giddy about getting the tank. Anyway, his price was over $200 cheaper than the other LFS (whose owner's kids I have also put through College.)
I love my AGA 180 RR in spite of the rounded corner overflows. Keep in mind that these monsters weigh close to 350 lbs! I was on one side of the thing when we moved it into the house and lifted it onto the stand (40" high!) Remeber that wherever you put the stand, there it will stay until you move or get rid of the thing!
Also, one point I cannot emphasize enough is to SHOP AROUND! Oceanic does not dictate retail prices to its dealers/distributors. I found a $200 difference between different LFSs for the same tank! (Tank only, no stand!) If I had been smarter, I would have pitted one against the other, but the difference was so big that I didn't bother.
Once again, I know that the LFS where I got my AGA 180RR made a killing. I buy there quite a bit and the owner is a fellow gun nut and he made it clear that he made enough on the tank that he felt bad about charging me delivery ($50) which I paid anyway because I was so giddy about getting the tank. Anyway, his price was over $200 cheaper than the other LFS (whose owner's kids I have also put through College.)
I love my AGA 180 RR in spite of the rounded corner overflows. Keep in mind that these monsters weigh close to 350 lbs! I was on one side of the thing when we moved it into the house and lifted it onto the stand (40" high!) Remeber that wherever you put the stand, there it will stay until you move or get rid of the thing!
esmithii~
seems like a crappy
design, to me. I understand it better, now. I might actually protect the brace with some type of heat-resistant tape...hmmm. Even duct tape would keep water from hitting it and cracking. There must be something else out there, I just can't think of it right now.
seems like a crappy
Yep the tank is very pricy, in fact over $3000 can. Its the best I have seen and Oceanic's quality looks great. The comments people have raised so far have really questioned my decisions. And I am taking everything I hear into consideration.
Now as far as glass and acrilic goes I know "EVERYONE" has an opinion on that. Maby starting a thread might help me and others out...
This thread is going very strong!!
Now as far as glass and acrilic goes I know "EVERYONE" has an opinion on that. Maby starting a thread might help me and others out...
This thread is going very strong!!
Esmithiii,
The tank in question has two PLASTIC supports molded into the rims, top and bottom, just like the ABS PLASTIC hood.
IMO, these tanks are crap(sorry if you own one)and ridiculously expensive. If you want a refugium, you'll need to paint the inside of the glass doors. The front of the stand is plastic, and the stand itself is particle board. The shop I work in sells custom built tanks, and very nice stands(furniture like quality), for almost half of what we can get an Oceanic for. We've had one of these(175gln) in the store for about 2 months, and we still make fun of it. The overflows on this tank are WAY too big, and take up alot of space. They were'nt desinged to accomodate the return tubing, as well.
The hood for the tank is the worst part. Its solid plastic, one piece ABS, crapolla. I imagine it would last a couple of hours before a MH started to destroy it.
I'd rather a typical, box shaped tank, any day. They have alot more room to play with. They are typically designed better. You can get a real stand and hood for them, in an array of styles and colors. In the end, you can spend the extra money you saved, after buying a nicer tank, on some really cool livestock.
JMO, Dave.
The tank in question has two PLASTIC supports molded into the rims, top and bottom, just like the ABS PLASTIC hood.
IMO, these tanks are crap(sorry if you own one)and ridiculously expensive. If you want a refugium, you'll need to paint the inside of the glass doors. The front of the stand is plastic, and the stand itself is particle board. The shop I work in sells custom built tanks, and very nice stands(furniture like quality), for almost half of what we can get an Oceanic for. We've had one of these(175gln) in the store for about 2 months, and we still make fun of it. The overflows on this tank are WAY too big, and take up alot of space. They were'nt desinged to accomodate the return tubing, as well.
The hood for the tank is the worst part. Its solid plastic, one piece ABS, crapolla. I imagine it would last a couple of hours before a MH started to destroy it.
I'd rather a typical, box shaped tank, any day. They have alot more room to play with. They are typically designed better. You can get a real stand and hood for them, in an array of styles and colors. In the end, you can spend the extra money you saved, after buying a nicer tank, on some really cool livestock.
JMO, Dave.
Hey thanks for all the reply's everyone, I am still really interested in this tank despite what people have told me. I know that there are alot of individuals on this board that want to tell me about other tanks... But that is not why I made this thread.
But I have heard alot of good thinks about the tank, and at the same timea lot of bad things. I am gonna take alook at normal rectangular tanks as well now since so many people are telling me to do so. But for mh lights I hope I can find a canopy that fits....
So if anyone else wants to say anything still I would be most glad to here it. Reefhead 2 should post here soon about his light situation. So I will keep this thread alive.
But I have heard alot of good thinks about the tank, and at the same timea lot of bad things. I am gonna take alook at normal rectangular tanks as well now since so many people are telling me to do so. But for mh lights I hope I can find a canopy that fits....
So if anyone else wants to say anything still I would be most glad to here it. Reefhead 2 should post here soon about his light situation. So I will keep this thread alive.
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