LFS Advised me not to purchase Waterbox RedSea

[h2so4hurts]

I think what a lot of people misunderstand about high volume products is that there are always going to be outliers and you're only really going to hear about the best and worst experiences. Ask your dealer about manufacturer collected failure RATES. I would guess that most of these people are relaying anecdotes about "I know a guy" or "I had one" or "I read on a forum" and the perceived quality of a product is disproportionately affected by hearsay (or 1 in 100 events).

 

[shred5]

I have a Redsea and a WaterBox aquarium. The RedSea looks nice but that is where it ends. Leaky plumbing, crappy stand that I have no confidence in. The middle of the stand has dropped like the large one that they sent the fix out on. Scares me to because the front glass rest on nothing. Hinges have tons of rust. Thing is not that old either. I would never buy another. I also agree with the person who say the metric plumbing stinks because if you have a issue there is no easy fix.

Waterbox I do not have much of a opinion on. I have a small AIO with no stand or anything. They seem real nice.

 

[madweazl]

SCA for me, standard plumbing. Think they‘re still made in China, but what’s not? China makes plenty of quality products and the China bashing always sounds a bit racist.

SCA are made in California. I have their 150g center overflow and it has been a solid tank for the money ($1000 delivered IIRC). It is not on the same level as something like Reef Savvy but they're also a fraction of the price.

In regard to the AIOs, I'm not a fan. In the case of Red Sea and Waterbox specifically, you end up with proprietary items (like others have mentioned) and this also includes the dimensions of the tank. This makes getting stands and canopies more difficult as now they're a custom size. I cant think of any AIO that has anything you could remotely call quality in that regard.

 

[IKD]

This thread has been much more civil than I expected! LOL.

I think the average experience is more positive than negative on any RS or WB but the postings tend to skew more negative. I don’t think you’ll go wrong with any of the brands mentioned here. Just figure out your budget, add 60%, then double it. LOL

 

[Fourstars]

SCA are made in California. I have their 150g center overflow and it has been a solid tank for the money ($1000 delivered IIRC). It is not on the same level as something like Reef Savvy but they're also a fraction of the price.

In regard to the AIOs, I'm not a fan. In the case of Red Sea and Waterbox specifically, you end up with proprietary items (like others have mentioned) and this also includes the dimensions of the tank. This makes getting stands and canopies more difficult as now they're a custom size. I cant think of any AIO that has anything you could remotely call quality in that regard.

thanks for clearing that up! I have the same tank and I’m very happy with it.

 

[Mkvc]

My LFS also advised me away from Redsea and Waterbox. Ordered from Planet Aquariums instead and I'm pretty happy with the tank so far.

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Redsea = wallmart
Waterbox = cosco

If I had to choose between the two, waterbox all day long. The plumbing in the redsea is downright shamefull.

For customs, I really liked my AGE glass, starboard hybrid.

 

[Rrwilson1223]

I’ve had my RSR750 for 8 months now and couldn’t be happier. Haven’t had any issues (knock on wood) and been really impressed with design. It was very highly priced, but you get what you pay for. I also like the heavy duty glass over acrylic.

My one caution about LFS tanks is that they are generally contracted out with a vendor and will always be a bit biased. Ran into the same thing with a LFS here before I bought my Reefer. Funny thing is, when I contacted the vendor to make a similar tank as the RS, they called it “custom” and wanted nearly the same amount.

I’ve got a custom tank upstairs from one of these companies in LA and it’s fine. But the connectors and sump were not necessarily made for the stand so it can be a PITA sometimes. I like the look of the RS tanks but you can’t go wrong with Waterbox either.

 

[Rrwilson1223]

Yeah basically anytime I would search aquarium automatically Waterbox and RedSea would pop up everywhere and asked myself the same question if quality is that low why is it so widely owned...

Truth be told. I gave my LFS and their vendor every chance to match the aesthetics and design of the RS. I wanted a large glass aquarium without a center plastic brace down the middle. Also wanted a basic white stand with plumbing to a large sump for a refugium. Guy called my back and said it would cost more than what RS wanted... smh

 

[Futuretotm]

Have a Redsea <6months old. NO issues on my end. Haven't complained to anyone and have been quite. Keep in mind you dont hear the satisfied customers. However, in the last week, on the RS facebook page (750s, 425xl etc, all sizes it would seem), this has been happening. Again only a few days, and like clockwork, they muzzle the threads there.

 

[Jimbhoy13]

Welcome to R2R. All people have their likes, dislikes and preferences. I’ve had an aqua one 180 for just over 3 years. I thought it was great - maybe because it was my first reef tank. The cabinet is now warping and the doors barely hang on.
I now have a WB 130.4. I love it. The quality of the glass DT and sump is great. The cabinet is first class. So solid and well made. No regrets with this but it’s new and time will tell. I think it’s quality will last.

 

[Sthomp01]

I have a RSR 750XXL that we like. No issues with seams as we have the new stand with additional supports. Love the look of the tank. Lots of room in the sump as well.

 

[Regular_Reefer]

+1 for SCA, can’t go wrong with being able to deal with the owner directly for custom builds or stock tanks/stands

 

[Rrwilson1223]

Have a Redsea <6months old. NO issues on my end. Haven't complained to anyone and have been quite. Keep in mind you dont hear the satisfied customers. However, in the last week, on the RS facebook page (750s, 425xl etc, all sizes it would seem), this has been happening. Again only a few days, and like clockwork, they muzzle the threads there.

Thats interesting. I noticed that the 750s (like mine) used to have issues with seam issues at the midpoint. But they added a brace and reinforced stand that appears to be solving the issue. I wonder if these are the older tanks? Not that that helps the optics. Only issue I've had is with occasional jumpers. But the DIY lid helped solve that.

 

[AbjectMaelstroM]

+1 vote for SCA. I've got the 120 pre drilled. Delivered within a week and was flawless.

The only "gripe" with it is that returns are drilled for 1/2" bulkheads but it's not a deal breaker.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

I'll just say that I have a waterbox frag tank and I wish I could go back in time and stop myself from purchasing it. I would never buy either of these brands ever based on my experience.

 

[MeMyFishandI]

Don't sell yourself short. Skills can be learn. Tools can be bought. But space might be the issue in your case.

We build our stands in the apartment. Sure it looked like a war zone for a couple weeks but we did it. And we rented the tools, which is way cheaper than buying (and you don't have to find a spot to store them).

 

[FlexingFishSticks]

+1 vote for SCA. I've got the 120 pre drilled. Delivered within a week and was flawless.

The only "gripe" with it is that returns are drilled for 1/2" bulkheads but it's not a deal breaker.

Did they make you that stand as well?

 

[FlexingFishSticks]

We build our stands in the apartment. Sure it looked like a war zone for a couple weeks but we did it. And we rented the tools, which is way cheaper than buying (and you don't have to find a spot to store them).

Unfortunately my gf is a clean freak and will not allow me to do that. That is a great idea with renting tools thank you will use that in the future for smaller project

 

[FlexingFishSticks]

I'll just say that I have a waterbox frag tank and I wish I could go back in time and stop myself from purchasing it. I would never buy either of these brands ever based on my experience.

Any specifics on why?