Places to get custom tanks/stands

Is there any places that you can get custom tanks/stands made online? Or not necessarily custom but I'm finally getting my dream saltwater tank. I want a nice stand with a large canopy thats not the junk you buy at a retail store. Looking for probably 120+ gallons for a tank, drilled, the whole deal. I tried looking online but really didn't get anywhere. Can someone recommend some sites that do such orders? I would love to get something on Facebook market place, GREAT prices but its just never the quality/size I'm looking for and definitely not settling. (Also cabinet and canopy need to match our living room) so thats always tough finding 2nd hand the color we want.
Thanks in advance!

 

Ask any fish stores in your area. Like local owned not petco but sometimes they do custom stands. Also sometimes reptile stores fo also

 

Ask any fish stores in your area. Like local owned not petco but sometimes they do custom stands. Also sometimes reptile stores fo also

Unfortunately we don't have much, I live in New Hampshire and we are very short on fish stores :'( there's one place an hour from me at the border and Zoo Creatures which does a lot of fish stuff (but they are widely known for their reptile stuff) its worth asking but I have a feeling they may not be able to help, I've been going to both for years. But it doesn't hurt to ask for sure. I was definitely not going to go to any major retail store...petsmart and petco are a joke for a serious fish enthusiast.

 

As far as the cabinet and hood, can you build it yourself? I build all mine.

If not maybe you know ( or someone you know ) knows a good finisher carpenter who may be able to help you out.

 

As far as the cabinet and hood, can you build it yourself? I build all mine.

If not maybe you know ( or someone you know ) knows a good finisher carpenter who may be able to help you out.

Yeah I build mine and spray paint it to. It’s not professional quality but it gets the job done

 

Actually my husband used to be a cabinet maker! He is very skilled. But we just moved to a new house and he's got a million other projects and he would definitely put my project on the back burner. I wouldn't see it for a looooong time lol

As far as the cabinet and hood, can you build it yourself? I build all mine.

If not maybe you know ( or someone you know ) knows a good finisher carpenter who may be able to help you out.

 

Actually my husband used to be a cabinet maker! He is very skilled. But we just moved to a new house and he's got a million other projects and he would definitely put my project on the back burner. I wouldn't see it for a looooong time lol

He must know another cabinet maker that owes him a favor?

 

He must know another cabinet maker that owes him a favor?

No this was a long long time ago in another state.

 

If nothing else, someone at a pet/fish store may know someone in the area that does make custom stands. Always worth a shot. Or maybe a local forum/group if there is any.

 

Glasscages.com great price they will make the stand sump and everything. I'm looking at their 300g wide. 1900$ not a bad price. Also check their Facebook page

 

Before you buy new look into Craigslist,OfferUp and Facebook market place. I see complete saltwater tanks for sale daily! Even come with the fish . Yes I’m in NY so there are more. But give it a look you may get lucky.

 

customaquariums
reef savy
glasscages
-
they won't be cheap. A lot of stores use a place call planet something (they only sell to business not individuals). glasscages is the cheapest by far; reef savy is the most expensive (bells and highest quality) custom aquariums is between them in quality and price. The three i mentioned above all have good overall reputations (bbb et all) but none are anywhere close to $1 gallon petco bargin price. We're talking serious $$$.
-
quality has to do with quality of the silicon et all. Btw reef savy has a year lead time for larger tanks; customaquariums can be several months. Both reefsavy and customaqariums can do custom stands but they are very expensive. glasscages does unfinished stands (you have to paint/varnish) and their wood selection is far narrower than the other two but of course we can be talking $$$$ for furniture quality stands.
-
rj enterprise has some decent stands. These are not high quality custom furniture but they are solid wood - most of the better stores can order them. They are around glass cages price point (a bit cheaper when shipping considered) and far cheaper than customaquarims or reef savy.
--
There are a couple of smaller business for custom aquariums (mostly west coast) that also have good reputation.
-
For 'bargins' craiglist can be fantastic but you have to be diligent in checking the condition of the tank.
--
A lot depends on just how much $$$ you want to spend.

 

I agree. I found my 120g saltwater tank for 200$ on facebook. It's a good tank. But the braces were broken it has scratches. You can find good deals on used aquarium online. That being said. I have had my saltwater tank for 6 months. I'm in love. I can tell you with saltwater aquarium 120g it's not cheap to do right. I went budget for stuff but good stuff. Talking about 350$ skimmer 700$ lights, 350$ overflow. 200$ tank. That's just major pieces. 2 120$ wave makers. The list goes on and on. This doesn't add in the 200$ a month in electric water and salt. 1st what kind of tank do you want? If you want corals plan for corals research what they need. If you want big tangs (powder blues) you need atleast a 6 foot tank. If you plan to have a one stop saltwater aquarium that you can grow with in that part of the hobby. Go big. Like I said I have a 4 foot 120g and I'm looking into buying a 2000$ 300g. If you own your home your not moving and have the finances get a forever brand new tank. If you want to learn and not go in debt just to upgrade a used tank that will cut prices down alot.

 

Glasscages.com great price they will make the stand sump and everything. I'm looking at their 300g wide. 1900$ not a bad price. Also check their Facebook page

Thanks!!

 

Before you buy new look into Craigslist,OfferUp and Facebook market place. I see complete saltwater tanks for sale daily! Even come with the fish . Yes I’m in NY so there are more. But give it a look you may get lucky.

I've been looking for a while and yes, really really nice setups for so little!!!! Just not quite what im looking for though I need a very specific size to fit in this corner I have, and it has to match the living room color (Mahogany color) i always keep looking though, lots of great equipment

 

customaquariums
reef savy
glasscages
-
they won't be cheap. A lot of stores use a place call planet something (they only sell to business not individuals). glasscages is the cheapest by far; reef savy is the most expensive (bells and highest quality) custom aquariums is between them in quality and price. The three i mentioned above all have good overall reputations (bbb et all) but none are anywhere close to $1 gallon petco bargin price. We're talking serious $$$.
-
quality has to do with quality of the silicon et all. Btw reef savy has a year lead time for larger tanks; customaquariums can be several months. Both reefsavy and customaqariums can do custom stands but they are very expensive. glasscages does unfinished stands (you have to paint/varnish) and their wood selection is far narrower than the other two but of course we can be talking $$$$ for furniture quality stands.
-
rj enterprise has some decent stands. These are not high quality custom furniture but they are solid wood - most of the better stores can order them. They are around glass cages price point (a bit cheaper when shipping considered) and far cheaper than customaquarims or reef savy.
--
There are a couple of smaller business for custom aquariums (mostly west coast) that also have good reputation.
-
For 'bargins' craiglist can be fantastic but you have to be diligent in checking the condition of the tank.
--
A lot depends on just how much $$$ you want to spend.

Thanks so much for the time to respond, this helps a lot! I am planning on spending a decent chunk, I'd LIKE to keep it under 5k if I can, especially if I can figure out the stand situation. My husband can build a nice one. But I'm impatient LOL he said its up to me if I want to be patient or get something made, if he made it, it probably wouldn't be till next spring. Always keeping my eye open on marketplace and the likes too. But I really do need that custom size.

 

I agree. I found my 120g saltwater tank for 200$ on facebook. It's a good tank. But the braces were broken it has scratches. You can find good deals on used aquarium online. That being said. I have had my saltwater tank for 6 months. I'm in love. I can tell you with saltwater aquarium 120g it's not cheap to do right. I went budget for stuff but good stuff. Talking about 350$ skimmer 700$ lights, 350$ overflow. 200$ tank. That's just major pieces. 2 120$ wave makers. The list goes on and on. This doesn't add in the 200$ a month in electric water and salt. 1st what kind of tank do you want? If you want corals plan for corals research what they need. If you want big tangs (powder blues) you need atleast a 6 foot tank. If you plan to have a one stop saltwater aquarium that you can grow with in that part of the hobby. Go big. Like I said I have a 4 foot 120g and I'm looking into buying a 2000$ 300g. If you own your home your not moving and have the finances get a forever brand new tank. If you want to learn and not go in debt just to upgrade a used tank that will cut prices down alot.

Thats one issue Is I really need a custom size for the little nook I have in the living room. I did calculate and it looks like it will be about 130 gallons. 60x18x30. It can't be any longer than 60 inches. I would like to spend under 5k if I could. I'm prepared to pay, I've got the money so that's not too much of an issue. But anything over 5k is a bit ehhhhh out of my comfort. I did used to have reef tanks. Small but I've done saltwater before. I wanted to wait till we moved to a better house and had a generator. We just moved to our final house a month ago and its go time for my dream tank! Our previous house was too small its going to be a FOWLR tank, I'm not messing with corals in a big tank, plus I don't feel like spending a fortune for lights and stuff. I've been scouring marketplace and like places and there's so much great stuff out there...just not quite what im looking for besides equipment. I'm REALLY excited though, ive never had anything above a 30g for salt.

 

I wanted to thank everyone for responding, I absolutely love this forum. I was super active up until covid, haven't been on in a while. (We have freshwater tanks also) I have a clearer picture of what I'm looking at, seems the size im needing is a standard size so thats GREAT (either 60x18 or 60×24, not sure the depth yet) and probably going with 30" or so tall. I calculated it on glass cages and omg everything I need (including stand + canopy) is well below my price range. I also did custom aquarium calculations and omg the options are overwhelming. I'm not THAT savy with overflow and sump specifications. I would need someone to do it for me *cries* plus it got over 5k very quickly hahah but I did like their options to have thicker glass on certain sides. (Only 2 sides of tank will be visible)
I took a picture of where the tank is going

 

Well fowlr will open up some options. But i honestly would plan for corals unless you wanted angels or non reef safe fish. That being said glass cages has great price for what you get. 1st unless you are tall 30" high will be a pain to reach the bottom of. 2nd I would aim to have width equal to height. So 60x24x24 would be a good size that's about 150g. They have a 60x30x25. Glass cages will make the tank to the size you need. They will build the stand and plumbing wouldn't be too hard since the overflow is internal it would come down into the bottom of the stand. I'm betting your husband can help there. I never plumbed a tank before and managed. But 5k you can get a good setup. But think rock and sand isn't cheap either. Also check water box tanks they come with everything.

 

REEF
That's lights stand and all. And should fit your space idk about shipping though

 

REEF
That's lights stand and all. And should fit your space idk about shipping though

Not the right kind of stand though, we want a mahogany canopy and stuff. It is nice though and thanks for the link

 

This was just posted.... I am HIGHLY tempted!!! Its perfect except for the size. Color is right.
But I really did want a bigger tank. Do I settle for less? :/ I wanted non reef safe fish, is this honestly big enough for some cool fish? I feel even an extra 40gallons would be great. But I don't know! I could save a LOT of money but is it worth it for the downsize

 

Glass cages prices on stands are not bad; but you would still need to apply a finish and their wood selection is limited (I think mostly oak but they had something else). It just isn't fine furniture quality if that is your target. Another approach that can be taken is to buy a steel frame (this would almost certainly be required if your tank is large enough) and then have a cabinet maker apply a thin shell around it with a nice veneer.

It all depends on the target quality level. About 99.99% of the people who are going to read this thread are not going to be looking for fine furniture quality in their stands. I will say for me it was a journey simply to find something that was solid wood and not particle board (which i absolutely refuse to use).

I should note I have not actually used any of the suggest vendors (yet). I've been planning a large project that will still take another year to complete and spent considerable time researching vendors, looking at pictures and reviewing issues people have. When the number one and only complaints about a vendor are related to delays that gives me hope that the actual product is reasonable. Still with glass cages the biggest complaint i've found has been sloppiness around the silicon. This doens't mean the tank leaks it just means it isn't as clean as it could be (as an example aqueon tanks for example have a huge amount of slop in their silicon work).

Thanks so much for the time to respond, this helps a lot! I am planning on spending a decent chunk, I'd LIKE to keep it under 5k if I can, especially if I can figure out the stand situation. My husband can build a nice one. But I'm impatient LOL he said its up to me if I want to be patient or get something made, if he made it, it probably wouldn't be till next spring. Always keeping my eye open on marketplace and the likes too. But I really do need that custom size.

 

Glass cages prices on stands are not bad; but you would still need to apply a finish and their wood selection is limited (I think mostly oak but they had something else). It just isn't fine furniture quality if that is your target. Another approach that can be taken is to buy a steel frame (this would almost certainly be required if your tank is large enough) and then have a cabinet maker apply a thin shell around it with a nice veneer.

It all depends on the target quality level. About 99.99% of the people who are going to read this thread are not going to be looking for fine furniture quality in their stands. I will say for me it was a journey simply to find something that was solid wood and not particle board (which i absolutely refuse to use).

I should not actually used any of the suggest vendors (yet). I've been planning a large project that will still take another year to complete and spent considerable time researching vendors, looking at pictures and reviewing issues people have. When the number one and only complaints about a vendor are related to delays that gives me hope that the actual product is reasonable. Still with glass cages the biggest complaint i've found has been sloppiness around the silicon. This doens't mean the tank leaks it just means it isn't as clean as it could be (as an example aqueon tanks for example have a huge amount of slop in their silicon work).

And I honestly have no problem applying my own finish. I do like their prices, but there's a few other things that just aren't the quality I'm after. I value the imput on the silicone too. I emailed custom aquariums for a quote, I know its probably going to be 4k or something but if its of good quality (like their sumps and overflows) then I'm all for paying more. I totally agree on the partical board...uggh no more! I want this tank to look nice. I've never been able to have top quality fancy looking stuff but finally I'm in a financial position to do so. I did find this on market place this morning....and I'm honestly really tempted.... but not sure if its worth the downgrade from my portrayed 130g

 

And I honestly have no problem applying my own finish. I do like their prices, but there's a few other things that just aren't the quality I'm after. I value the imput on the silicone too. I emailed custom aquariums for a quote, I know its probably going to be 4k or something but if its of good quality (like their sumps and overflows) then I'm all for paying more. I totally agree on the partical board...uggh no more! I want this tank to look nice. I've never been able to have top quality fancy looking stuff but finally I'm in a financial position to do so. I did find this on market place this morning....and I'm honestly really tempted.... but not sure if its worth the downgrade from my portrayed 130g

You can always get a larger tank - just make it taller To be honest I've never been a fan of the fancy top canopy - i do use a glass covering on my tanks to block jumpers but otherwise i prefer the top to be open or bare - but that is a matter of taste. One thing you might ask is if that is real cherry or just 'cherry' stain. To be honest from the photo it looks like real cherry.

 

Glasscages is under new management. Their tanks look amazing if you look at their Facebook page. And no don't settle for less. Non reef safe fish can get big you will want as much room for them to swim in as possible.

 

Glasscages is under new management. Their tanks look amazing if you look at their Facebook page. And no don't settle for less. Non reef safe fish can get big you will want as much room for them to swim in as possible.

Thanks for input! If we did get this 90g I would definitely find suitable fish that would be happy in that size. But man I really wanted some biggies

 

The age old question when is big big enough. If you have a tank that is 40 gallon; is 90 gallon big enough. If your tank is 90 gallon is 150 gallon big enough; if your tank is .... if your tank is 500 gallon is 800 gallon big enough ... don't forget to check how much weight your floor can support that will help dictate how large of a tank you can buy.

For me personally i like deep tanks. My 120 is 2 feet from front to back and i want all my new tanks to be 3 feet from front to back. I kind of like having a lot of plants

Thanks for input! If we did get this 90g I would definitely find suitable fish that would be happy in that size. But man I really wanted some biggies

 

So you guys I got the 90g!! We pick it up on sat.
It was a tough decision. I know I wanted a larger tank but honestly it fits better in the spot, and for the price.... its littlerly saving me THOUSANDS of dollars. I really didn't think I'd find such a perfect tank, like it was meant to be after I made this thread. Shes had it professionally maintained, its a custom cherry wood stand, sump, lights everything. I believe they are upgrading because they are keeping the bird wrasse. Fish are coming with. A blue tang, foxface, hawkfish, pair of clowns, and a heniochus (yay!) Its 2.5 hrs away in the next state. Its going to be one **** of a day moving this tank and the fish.

 

Congratulations. It's a nice tank should be 48x18x24 if I recall correctly. Welcome back to the ocean!

 

So you guys I got the 90g!! We pick it up on sat.
It was a tough decision. I know I wanted a larger tank but honestly it fits better in the spot, and for the price.... its littlerly saving me THOUSANDS of dollars. I really didn't think I'd find such a perfect tank, like it was meant to be after I made this thread. Shes had it professionally maintained, its a custom cherry wood stand, sump, lights everything. I believe they are upgrading because they are keeping the bird wrasse. Fish are coming with. A blue tang, foxface, hawkfish, pair of clowns, and a heniochus (yay!) Its 2.5 hrs away in the next state. Its going to be one **** of a day moving this tank and the fish.

And that is just it. Although a custom job tank seems really cool by the time you factor in the insane cost to get it built, shipped and get all the odds and ends you are spending an insane amount of money to get it. As a fellow owner of a used 90 gallon setup, I offer you congratulations. Even though it doesn't offer the most space it still gives you a fair number of stocking options. Used setups are really the way to go as it not only saves you tons of money but also the hassle of putting together all the mechanical equipment to get the tank running the way you want.