# aquarium manufacturers



## qwerty (Dec 15, 2009)

So I've had a recent headache with my aquariums. Both of them are bowing on the front and back pane. A 10gal and a 29gal...

I contacted the manufacturers of these aquariums, and apparently no, this is not normal, and I do need to replace them or else they might crack.

So I gotta take my quarantine tank apart, and my main planted tank needs to be taken down and replaced as well.

I got the 29gal in a tetra starter kit, and the 10gal was purchased at Big Al's... Can I get a recommendation for a GOOD aquarium manufacturer that doesn't cut corners leading to defects like this? 

I've come across a company "Miracles aquariums" that says for $140 they can upgrade my to a 40gal aquarium with the same footprint using 3/4 inch thick glass... Does anyone have any experience with this company? I'm thinking of going with that (yes, I know, 3/4 inch for a 30 inch long aquarium... Probably a little overkill, but better than 30-40 gallons of water exploding onto the floor while I'm on vacation for 2-3 weeks, right?)


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

3/4" is way overkill. you don't even see 3/4" on tanks in the 150g range, unless they're braceless.

how much deflection are you seeing? I have 0 perceptable deflection in any of my smaller tanks, and they use pretty thin glass and are manufactured for Big Als.


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## huddles (Dec 29, 2009)

3/4" on a 40 is crazy overkill. save the cash.


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## qwerty (Dec 15, 2009)

Sorry, that's 3/8 inch glass...

The middle of the pane sticks out about 3mm from the corners of the pane... Both front and back, giving a total 6mm extra distance width wise in the middle front to back...

Personally I didn't think much of this after speaking to a few people... However the manufacturer, when contacted, said "This is not normal. The glass should not bow AT ALL. Any bowing at all may cause stress cracks due to improper support. Please give us the number on your receipt so we may process the warranty return for you".

I hadn't even asked them about returning it, I just wanted to know if it was normal is all...

But now this other company that I've contacted is telling me 5/16th deflection is normal... That's what, 7mm?

So how come one company is saying "Oh no, you should have NO bow whatsoever, this needs replacing, here, let us process your return for you right now" while the other company (which boasts about above industry standard products) is saying "Yeah... Our tanks will bend more than that... It's normal..."

This is the one thing I dislike about this hobby... You can rarely ever get a straight answer, and then nobody else is going to give you the same answer when you cross check it...


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## shellybee (Jan 25, 2010)

I am planning on getting my next aquarium from Miracles. They are located in Orangeville and I even went once to see where all of the tanks are made and I was very impressed. Nice to have a local manufacturer and from what I hear they really stand behind their product. Only issue is they don't deal with the public so you have to go through a dealer. Several stores that I have been in have their display tanks manufactured by Miracles since they do a lot of custom designs.
I agree that with a 10 or 29 gal tank there should not be any bowing. I'm about to set up a 30 gal tank, rimless design, and if there is any bowing I'll be taking it back! 
Good luck


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

That amount of bowing is normal. You don't normally see bracing on tanks up to 36". I have a number of tanks up to 35 gals and they all bow to some extent. If your concerned, you can add a glass brace, but it makes a small tank difficult to work on.


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## qwerty (Dec 15, 2009)

I've sorted this all out... Yeah... It does seem normal...

What really got me concerned though was that the manufacturer told me no aquarium should EVER bow AT ALL...

I can't figure out why they'd say that


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

qwerty said:


> Sorry, that's 3/8 inch glass...
> 
> The middle of the pane sticks out about 3mm from the corners of the pane... Both front and back, giving a total 6mm extra distance width wise in the middle front to back...
> 
> ...


3mm isn't bowing dude. You're fine. I'd bet money 

Having said that Miracle makes a quality unit and you can't go WRONG with 3/4" but ya it's overkill.. Unless you want pet rocks that hurl themselves against the sides 

If I may make some suggestions based on past experience-

1 If you're observant (I think you are based on your 3mm bow observation. I bet my tank bows more than that and I'll never notice) then it won't ever fail on you. You'll see it coming. Anal retentive people like us are very good at avoiding eminent equipment disasters. An anal retentive person's canister filter will never leak and flood because we look at it once a day. Because we're paranoid.

2 It won't just fail like BAM. It'll show signs that perceptive people will pick up- like bubbles in the seam, tiny seam leak, etc. THEN it'll fail.

3 Go feed your fish and enjoy.


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## qwerty (Dec 15, 2009)

Lol, you know, I think it's a good thing I don't work in the winters... I need the time off... That's where I get this anal retentive quality... You spend anywhere from 6-10 hours a day in a workplace where accidents can happen quickly and easily if you're not paying attention, and yeah, you start noticing stuff like when your aquarium bows 3mm... Good to know it has some benefits in this hobby though...


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