30 replies to this topic

[kinga]

Hey guys. Not sure if anyone other than me is stupid enough to build a tank but I shopped around for 10mm glass to build a tank. I made up a rough sketch and flicked it around to 3 glasiers around me in Mandurah and the price difference was huge. With out naming the high ones, the first 2 quotes came back at $2,700 and $1,890 just to supply which almost a dagger to getting the big deep tank I was chasing. Then the 3rd quote came through from golden glass in waroona was $475. I even rang them and asked if it was a mistake and put a deposit down straight away.

Not sure how this compares but just thought i would share what I have and if I have even paid 2 much let me or others know of anyother suppliers around. Cheers

[Riggers]

A tank that size for less than $500! Bargain!! Good pickup mate

[ice]

Just remember that not all glass is the same, make sure they are all quoting on the same spec of glass before you commit to anything mate.

[humbug]

Also, check out the glass thickness calculators.  There are a number on the internet.  They are provided by independent people/organisations who are concerned about your safety and the safety of your family.  As well as glass thickness, bracing methods, material quality and construction methods all impact the quality, safety and longevity of a tank.  As ice suggests - make sure you are comparing apples to apples when comparing prices.  Even a difference in glass thickness can make a HUGE difference to price.

Good quality tanks aren’t cheap to build. Quality materials cost money. Correct bracing requires additional materials. The workmanship required to achieve strong joints requires time and attention to detail, and labour isn’t cheap. At the end of the day, the way to produce a budget tank is to cut corners. No business is going to sell you a tank for less than it cost to build, and NO business is making big profits on the tanks they build. Reality is – as with pretty much everything in life - you get what you pay for.

Edited by humbug, 11 August 2015 - 12:56 PM.

[jase87]

sounds way to cheap.. I definatly wouldnt trust it.. .. :/ I'm sure that price would reflect the quality/thickness of the glass (possible rubbish)

[living1978]

Great Deal mate. Make sure it comes with warranty for piece of mind and the money your saving have it insured.. Win win for you pal... I have bought tanks in past for $ 600/700 same size and they were great .

[litigator666]

Lets think of it on a positive way.  

 

Being cheap doesn't mean its not good quality.  The business may have sourced the glass somewhere cheap (imported) and they have lesser overhead to pass on so they can flex their price to as low as they can and be competitive.  Some also lowers the price to penetrate a market and build a reputation.  

 

As long as the thickness is right and quality finish with a warranty, that will be a good deal.  

 

 

For all you know, those $2.7k and $1.9k tank quotes you got are the same specs - they just want to get more money off you - greedy business.  I have been qouted $1.3k for 8x3x2 tank but got my tank free and refurbished - not new but happy with it though.

[Terry]

If you have kids and don't care for their safety go for it. The problem is that you will loose your fish too

[BengaBoy]

s/he's talking about the price of the glass only. not labour. s/he is going to build it her/himself.

 

I have just rung around for a small panel for a glass repair and the prices varies by 250%

 

try your local lfs for supply only - they will have good contacts and might be willing to act as middleperson.

[humbug]

Sorry - you are right.  I misread it as the prices for a completed tank.

[sandgroper]

It all depends on how long you want a tank to last 1yr, 2, 3, 10 even, or a life time. The expense comes down to glass quality, thickness, construction method and labor (the last 2 are related). To build a tank cheaply you have to compromise on material and labor. This could mean low quality glass and silicone, also you have to build it quickly. The quickest way to build it is just butt join every thing, the correct way and strongest is to internally bead (glass strip) all joins. That means a continuous bead (glass strip) all around the bottom, up the sides and all around the top, plus the appropriate no of bracing across the top. I have had my tanks all built like this and never had a problem with them. I still have my first custom built tank today, built when i was 17, i'm now 52. You do the maths, it's a NO BRAINER REALLY don't cut corners as it will lead eventually to disaster and somtimes someone innocent gets killed or injured because of it.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                           Yours truely Safety Sam

Edited by sandgroper, 12 August 2015 - 12:01 AM.

[Buccal]

When it comes to price differences in buying glass to build a tank,,,, there are many companies that don't really have much time to serve insignificant customers or those tiny jobs are not worth their while to administrate,,, hence a inflated quote.

Price of glass supply can be significantly cheaper if the supplier happens to have scrap/spare glass in the racks left over from other jobs and enough to forfill your order,,,, it's purely up to the supplier if they wish to pass this savings on to you.

These are some realistic reasons for drastic pricing valuations above and also below.

Larger suppliers/companies with heavier turnover also obtain their stocks for cheaper.
6mm is dirt cheap when compared to 10mm,,,,, 6mm is 60% of 10mm, but it's not 60% cost of the 10mm. It's way cheaper.
6mm is most commonly used in quantity being used mainly for windows in the housing industry.

[kinga]

yeah good points 4 and against. I did spec that it was for an aquarium and they indicated that they have supplied bigger ones with no issues.

plus they seemed pretty genuine. even given plenty of hints and advise. as a business some people deflect the risk buy pricing themselves out of the game.

 

im a bit of a researcher and there are heaps and heaps of good sites for building tanks so no real danger there I reckon.

[humbug]

I suggest it would be best to practice on building smaller tanks first.  Learn the skills and techniques on a smaller scale where the likelihood and consequences of a failure are far less.  Getting it wrong on a large tank could not only be disastrous for your fish and your house, but for personal safety as well.  There are some good videos on the net showing just how destructive a large tank giving way can be.  Scary stuff! 

[Buccal]

Large spears of glass rocketing through your abdominal regions,,, fun times
As someone already mentioned, it's a worthy upgrade to get 30 - 50mm wide cleats and run around every corner joint.
This doubles the surface areas of the glued joints. (double strength). I did this myself.

[MattyB]

I would be making sure the glass is clear float and not toughened or laminate.

[Johnsy]

Surely getting a proffesionally built 6x3x2 isn't going to be very expensive anyway??

Dunno why you'd bother building it yourself. You spend a little extra money for peace of mind. I don't know what sort of fish you keep, but there would be no way I'd trust a home built tank for my collection.

I'm about to happily spend $5000 on a new tank, expensive huh.... Not really compared to coming home to thousands of dollars worth of fish on the floor.

[ice]

Gotta agree with Johnsy, peace of mind is a wonderful thing, id much rather have an expert that has been doing it for years like Olli at Aquotix or Paul at morley build it.

[Peckoltia]

Paul at Morley - very competitive prices and his build quality can't be beat. He made my 8x3x2.5 about 15years ago, built like a German tank. Never had any issues.

[Riggers]

At the end of the day have a go mate, you get the right silicon + decent glass + some common sense, you'll have a tank that you built that will last ages. I'm all for DIY!!