Tank Delivery NIGHTMARE!!!

We'll know for sure when the tank actually arrives, but I am hopeful.

The tank is 72" x 36" x 49.5" tall. Yes, it is a deeep tank. 1" thick glass all the way around with a half-inch sheet of acrylic laminated onto the bottom and another half-inch sheet of acrylic inside the bottom of the tank. So the base of the tank is acrylic-glass-acrylic for a total of 2" thick. It has powder coated steel frames top and bottom for reinforcement. I was talking to a glass specialist who told me that 1" thick glass with water on the other side should withstand being hit with a baseball bat. This really makes me wonder how the shipping company managed to chip the first tank. Two tanks on the load were damaged so they may have managed to smash them into each other.

 

sounds like a really nice tank man, i just cant imagine the water changes lol

 

Indeed. Exactly what I was thinking.

Well, it's best to get carried away now than wish you had down the road. Myself, I only have room for a 90, which makes my wife happy. The cost of the hobby can be a little overwhelming. Now, I have to ask a question. WTH is Starphire?

 

And let me say also, reflecting your sentiments as well, kudos to your LFS and the manufacturer. Sounds like this was handled perfectly. They are not giving away their product, but are making amends to you for your time. It's a win-win scenario. If you feel good about it in the end, then the right decision was made.

 

Starphire® Ultra-Clear glass offers the ultimate in brilliant transparency for vision glass, atriums, storefronts and entryways. Manufactured with a proprietary low-iron formulation, Starphire glass is available in standard and extra-heavy thicknesses of 15 and 19 millimeters. Combining Starphire glass with Solarban 60 glass in a standard insulating glass unit delivers the best of both worlds: crystal clarity and energy-saving solar control performance.
Because of its unmatched clarity, Starphire glass provides exceptional color fidelity as a harmonizing element for spandrel glass. To learn more, click here.

 

What an ordeal. Great outcome. This Starphire glass is very new to me. I've never heard of it. I may have to consider using it when I build my 350gal...
Keep us updated with that monster

 

Let's just say they're not going to be done with a 5 gallon bucket;D.

I loved my tank when I had it set up through 2000. When I started looking to get back in, my LFS owner let me know that things have come a long way. One of the very first things I planned for was easy water changes. The tank has an extra drain hole in it and will be hard plumbed through the wall and outside. All I need to do is turn a valve and drain the tank down to a predetermined level. I'm going to have a 200 gal vat (30"dia, 72"tall) for make up saltwater. Make up a full box of salt at a time, keep it warm and circulated. When it's time to refill the tank, I'll flip a switch and pump it in. Should be able to do a 70 gal water change in a matter of minutes without even getting my hands (or the floor) wet. Besides the top of this tank is over 8 feet off the floor and I couldn't get a full 5 gal bucket up there even if I wanted too.

 

very nice... keep me posted on the tank, cant wait to see what it turns out to be!

 

At glass cages (not the guys building my tank BTW) it costs $500 extra to put Starphire on just the front pane. The glass is definately cleared than regular glass when you see the tank side-by side with a regular glass tank but I can't claim that regular glass tanks stand out to me as having a greenish tint. One minor draw back with the low iron glass is that it does scratch easier that conventional glass. Nothing like acrylic but if you let a piece of gravel get between you magnetic scraper and the glass you will end up with a nasty souvenier.

 

Good things come to those who wait so I guess patience is a virtue good luck.