Which 75 gal 4-foot tank?

[mayland]

Looking for advice on which 75-gal 4-foot long tank to choose. My son currently has a freshwater 20-gal and we’re upgrading him to a saltwater tank this summer (he’ll be 14). He is planning a mixed reef tank. I’ve been researching and see that many 75 g tanks are 3-ft, but he really likes the longer length (more fish options?). We are currently looking at the following tanks and would love any opinions to help us choose between these - or other options.

1. Fiji Cube 76 gallon shallow INT
2. Red Sea Reefer Deluxe 350 G2+
3. Innovative Marine SR Pro 2 80 AIO system

Having a hard time choosing between AIO and sump systems! We were in Orlando over the weekend and went to WorldWide Corals and they suggested the IM SR 80 AIO as a great option. I liked it too - especially for the lower risk of leaks and simpler set up (although husband is very handy so setting up a sump should be okay), and of course it's a bit cheaper. My son is concerned that the AIO system will be limiting for the skimmer, refugium, UV sterilizer etc.

Looking at the 2 sump options here, I’ve read a lot of scary stories about the Red Sea tanks. Would be grateful for any advice regarding Fiji vs Red Sea, or other tank manufacturers that would have a 75g 4-ft option that we could look at.

Thanks for any opinions/advice!

 

[mayland]

Adding that we're also looking at Planet and Cade (ouch!) as they both have a 4-ft 65-75 gal option

 

[mayland]

I think we're down to 2 main contenders:

Waterbox Marine X 110.4
Planet MegaMatrix 48x18x21

Son felt that the Fiji may be shallower than he'd like, and he really prefers a sump vs AIO so that excluded the IM.

Appreciate any opinions on Waterbox vs Planet!

 

[DCR]

Both Planet and Waterbox are quality tanks. For a starter 75 gallon, you could just go with a standard reef ready Aqueon 75 gallon tank if you wanted to save some money. I believe that as long as it is properly supported it should be good.

 

[mayland]

Both Planet and Waterbox are quality tanks. For a starter 75 gallon, you could just go with a standard reef ready Aqueon 75 gallon tank if you wanted to save some money. I believe that as long as it is properly supported it should be good.

Thank you! Sounds like both are good options. We had not looked at aqueon. Is that what people refer to as a breeder tank? (All the terminology is still new to me!). Would we need to drill that?

 

[DCR]

Aqueon is just a basic high sales volume, entry level aquarium. They are commonly sold at Petco but I also often see them in many local fish stores as well. You used to be able to pick one up at Petco during their dollar a gallon sale for like $100 - probably a little more now. That is not the reef ready version though with the overflow. I think their Mega-flow overflows are less desirable than what you could get on a Planet or Waterbox tank. You would probably have to special order one of those. They do use very thin glass to keep them inexpensive, so the stand support is critical. I have one as a sump. Aqueon also makes "breeders" which are just shallow tanks. The most common is a 40 breeder which 36" W x 18"D x 16"H, which are popular. They also now make a 60 gallon breeder which is 48"W x 18"D x 16" high - same dimensions as a 75 but only 16" deep instead of 20".

Aqueon is not going to have the nice silicon joints and the glass may be thinner than Planet or Waterbox. Planet is run by the same people that made Oceanic tanks back in 1980's and early 90's which I consider to be the most solid tanks ever made. The 75 gallon was 3/8" glass on the front and back. By comparison I think the Aqueon 75 is 1/4". I still own a couple of Oceanic 75 gallons and I have never heard of one leaking. If you could find one of those used, it would make a good starter tank and less likely to leak than just about any other option.

 

[VintageReefer]

I have an excellent one to recommend, it’s made by Current USA and they are on sale for heavy discount…1600 shipped

The tank is 48x20x20 and includes

83g rimless tank, low iron (higher clarity) glass
Ghost ext overflow
26g custom glass sump
9g custom acrylic ato
The cabinet is handmade by a cabinet maker in California - way higher quality than any pet store stands. Real wood. Marine grade plywood covered on all sides with waterproof laminate. 4 vertical load bearing supports where most companies are doing 2 or 3. It’s overbuilt and the shop takes pride in their work

I have a thread on it where I introduced it to the community after talking with a executive at Current USA about the tank. They redesigned the plumbing for us based on my recommendations and several of us have bought it so far and really like it. This is the thread, post 19 has the purchase link. The Etsy seller is a high up person at Current USA. She told me the other day that if people are interested to message her and ask if they can do any discounts and to include your zip code. Depending on your location they might be able to discount up to 10% off. They started with 30 of these And have about 15 left

Best reef ready tank deal of 2024 - whose looking for a new tank?

I’ve been holding off on posting this but now I’m ready I came across what I believe is the absolute best deal you’ll ever see on a reef ready system Background - Current USA had a custom tank built for their marketing photos. It’s all over their website under the sections for r24 led reef...

www.reef2reef.com