Namebrand Tank Vs Generic Cheap Tanks

[hillmar77]

Gotta ask this question to see what you guys/gals think....
Is there a difference between a Hagen or Marineland etc. VS generic, all-glass etc.
Tanks??!!

 

[Joshwainwright]

Personally, I think the only advantage of having a branded tank is it's stand. With cheaper, custom made tanks you have to either find a stand or build one. Branded tanks however come with factory made stands in whatever finish desired.

 

[fishlove75]

Truthfully I don't notice any difference with the tanks - after all they all hold water the same way, but depending on the brand you don't always have as much flexibility with branded tanks. I have 2 branded tanks (marineland and tetra) and 2 generic glass tanks. I have never had a problem finding stands for my generic tanks, but they are standard sizes so that makes it easier. I have however had a difficult time trying to locate replacement parts for my branded tanks (ie. hoods and light bulbs). The branded tanks were very useful when I first started with aquariums primarily because you purchased them in a kit and you had everything in one box. However as I quickly advanced in the hobby, I came to realize that the kits are not all they seem I have ended up replacing almost everything that came in the kit, new filter, new heater etc. Except with my Marineland Eclipse tank - only because it is too hard to replace with that tank. But as far as funcunality there is really no difference. The thing with the brands like tetra and aqueon they are just generic tanks bundled with their brand of filter and heater which are easily replaced. Brands like Marineland Eclipse, Fluval Edge and Biorbs you eithor love them or hate them. When I first got my Marineland Eclipse tank I loved it, but now I have realized that I don't have as much flexability with my filter media and I would love to change out the filter but it is almost impossible to do with that system simply because of the hood and standard hoods don't fit the tank. So now I am stuck with it the way it is.

Generally, the branded kits are a little cheaper because you are buying a bundled package, but in the long run I would suggest just buying a generic tank and get the peripherals separate because you will get exactly what you want and the fexability to change it out if you want.

 

[Piti]

In the past month my kit's light went on the frits (got it replaced and added a new one too) the ML heater got recalled, and I found a $30 DIY co2 project works 4-6 times better then the name brand $60 kit. What it made me realise, is that maybe instead of buying the kits, I can custom make the look and feel of my tank to something that better suits me, rather than the generic filter, heater, and lights. But when it comes to aquariums, go with good price, and good warranty, because if they back up thier product, they hopefully know something is right.

(Beware, I work with furnature, and where I sell them, they have a warranty, but you have to go to a hardware store and buy extra wood for the beds for them to follow the warenty) Lesson, read every paper you can with your tank and equipment.

I'm more curios, about warranties, why if the manufacture has a warrantie, does a LFS say don't send it to the manufacture, go threw them?

 

[JoshuaA]

I'm more curios, about warranties, why if the manufacture has a warrantie, does a LFS say don't send it to the manufacture, go threw them?

I know the store I worked in nearly always refused to accept that products they sold were faulty or broken. In fact there was a 600litre tank they sold and the couple who bought it came back claiming the tank was leaking and that it had leaked over the entire kitchen, they then put a claim in against the tank producer without going through the LFS and the boss tried to refuse to deal with them.

Light units... they looked for every excuse under the sun to avoid replacing faulty to goods, claiming that it was water damage etc etc, in fact even light tubes were commonly found to be faulty yet they tried to pass it off as the customer had knocked it too much.

Once you leave that door they will try everything to stop you coming back in with what you just bought.

 

[Joshwainwright]

It's a harsh world but that's how it is. I was in my LFS once and there was a woman stood with a dead goldfish in a bag of water demanding a refund. I don't know what happened in the end as I left but I have no idea what type of person returns a goldfish that may have cost 40p at the most! Possibly the tightest person in the world?

 

[JoshuaA]

It's a harsh world but that's how it is. I was in my LFS once and there was a woman stood with a dead goldfish in a bag of water demanding a refund. I don't know what happened in the end as I left but I have no idea what type of person returns a goldfish that may have cost 40p at the most! Possibly the tightest person in the world?

It's the principle, if the fish had died before she even got home then I think she has teh complete right to complain.

In fact I complained to my local newsagents that they ripped me off 30p on a meal deal, instead of giving me the meal deal they charged me full price on each product, the next day I went in I argued the toss. For some reason the manager refused to give me a refund for 30p... for 30p and that was with receipt in hand and proof the deal was active.!! I even suggested just discounting it from something so when I went to pick up 2 freddo's she wasn't very impressed. It took 30 odd minutes and then the assistant said something behind my back which I heard... I gave them a mouthful about what I thought in front of most of the remaining customers who had ironically been waiting most of the time as the only two people working in the store (manager and assistant) for some reason both had to talk to me at the same time over 30p...

In the end I got that discount and after the rude remark towards me I notified them that over 30p they probably lost £30s worth of sales over people walking out from lack of service and disappointment. Never been in there since haha... no intention the place is a rip off as it is but when they don't even honour the deals it puts me over the edge haha.

I'd do the same if I bought a fish, and it died within hours but we don't know the circumstances.

 

[Joshwainwright]

As if!

I wouldn't dare be so vocal over £30 never mind 30p. I suppose that's the type of person I am though, I try to keep myself to myself which results in me being a little strange and shy. To be honest I should work on my self confidence and start to do things like that when I get ripped off but I'm happy with my life, so there's no need to.

 

[OldMan47]

Tanks are made of glass and sealant or of acrylic. As long as they are put together properly, they will last a good long time. Some advantages that others have cited are worth noting though. Sometimes it is difficult to fit a lid to an off brand tank so make sure you will not have that problem before buying a cheaper one. Once in a while, I have bought a tank that had strange dimensions and found that I had to make my own stand or cover. If you often do that anyway, as I do, it is not a big deal. I have gone so far as to buy broken out of production tanks and replace one of the sheets of glass. It allowed me to get a tank that I might not have been able to afford for quite a low price, even after buying the replacement glass and the sealant to install it.
Warranties are not worth much unless they are readily honored. I am not aware of any situations like the one described by JoshuaA but I find that a tank either is tight right away when I get it home or it leaks right away. I have yet to experience a tank that works fine the first week and then leaks before the warranty period is up. I have tanks that I am still using after 30 years where the company that originally made them has gone out of business. They keep right on working unaware that I would have no recourse if they were to fail except to repair them.

 

[JoshuaA]

Sometimes it is difficult to fit a lid to an off brand tank so make sure you will not have that problem before buying a cheaper one.

Very good point there, my recent 40l which began leaking from the bottom seal (bless its little cotton socks) was of odd dimensions and I ended up fashioning my own lid out of a tank divider because I couldn't find anything that would remotely come close to fitting.

A tank is like a brick, it's a fully functioning brick unless you do something wrong to it, Well that's normally the case anyway.

 

[hillmar77]

Just replaced my 55 gallon all-glass tank with a 90 gallon Hagen tank. Only difference I've noticed is my Hagen tank has thicker glass ( probly being a 90 gallon tank to a 55), polished edge for the glass ( All-glass has a rubbery feeling) , and the Hagen has no center brace.

 

[Joshwainwright]

I have a cheap hexagonal 20L tank with a broken hood. Really, I should try to make a new, stronger one...