AGA or perfecto? which is better?

[dorkfish3]

I am going to set up a 125g w/ a 55g sump FOWLR (fish only). A LFS is having a huge sale and said the could get me a reef ready 125 aga or perfecto with overflow kits for $400 without a stand. I am not sure which one is actually better. i do know that the AGA has center overflows and the perfecto has corner overflows. does anyone know if ones better or not?

[sanababit]

ok i got a visio aquarium reef ready (meaning that i ordered with 2 1 1/2" holes drilled on the back) and black back for 250 dlls, its a 90 gal tough but i got it made to my liking, yours could go to 350 just a tought, dont rush into it, take your time, plan out your tank, IMO the less equipment you see in there the more natural your tank will look

[aquarius77]

Hard to say really, i guess it all comes down to where you want your overflows.

Look through each tank really well and see if you can find imperfections in the glass, like waves and distortion. Also look at the clarity of the glass on each, i have a perfecto 55 gallon brand new that i used as a sump because the glass is very poor quality, its green and cloudy.

[aquarius77]

That does sound expensive for either tank.

[Tswifty]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10755020#post10755020 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aquarius77
That does sound expensive for either tank.

Yeah I don't know how great of a sale that is, but anyway I prefer AGA, and AGA has always been recommended to me for viewing area, and quality of their seals. Perfecto tanks have much larger seams than the AGA brand which I think makes them look "cheaper." That's just my opinion though.

Also, I like overflows on the back wall better than in the corners. I think they're a little easier to work with regarding aquascaping, and a black background hides them nicely. Just my thoughts though.

Best of luck!

[jimicasper]

perfecto

[dorkfish3]

hmm yeah thanks for all the imput. I think I will go with the AGA tank. $500 for a brand new tank stand and bulkhead kit is the best deal I have found here in missouri. most of the time they are around 900. the only reason it is so cheap is b/c they are have a huge sale at wholesale prices. for the equipment I have it covered.
I am going to use an ASM G3 skimmer, mag 18 return, 2 seio 2600's, 4 or a 6 bulb T5 retro kit, 55 gallon sump, not sure on the heater but those arent a big deal. it should be a nice FOWLR setup.

[cd77]

It does sound expensive. Try to barter if you can. You may also want to check out glasscages.com -- Before pickup charge (which is ~$70 to St. Louis) with (what I figure is) a similar setup you're looking at $480 -- plus they let you do a lot more customization if you're willing to spend a few extra dollars.

[Chibils]

I prefer AGA, but $400 is still a lot for a sale. My 90G was only $215, and 125 isn't too much bigger.

[NanoGurl]

125g AGA MegaFlows here are $399 here. Plus $50 x 2 for kits.

[GTriever]

Hmmm... my AGA 125 has the overflows in the corners. Price around $475 with the dual overflow kits.

[icechimpee]

All-glass vs perfecto can easily be a brand war. IMO I haven't noticed a difference in quality. Go for whatever is cheaper or is more customized to your liking.

[jopo43]

either one

[jopo43]

$400 sounds right for here

[RickySan]

AGA

[woodman24]

I have the Perfecto 125 and like it thus far. Like someone else said they probably are similar quality. Perfecto includes the overflow kits which is a savings of about $100 with two overflows. I also found the stand and canopy to be of better quality on the two tanks I was comparing. The Perfecto used real wood instead of the compressed and laminated kind. Basically, here, I could get the 125 gallon Perfecto with the nicer stand and canopy for the same price as the AGA 90 with stand and canopy so I went with the Perfecto.

[dwd5813]

do you like tropicana or minute maid? if you like tropicana, go with AGA. minute maid? Perfecto is for you!

okay, seriously.... they are pretty equal. i have had both, and once the stickers are off, it would be hard to tell them apart. IMO, the only factor to consider is where you want your overflows.
that said, i did specify that i wanted an AGA tank the last time i ordered one from my lfs.

[cd77]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10781365#post10781365 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dwd5813
do you like tropicana or minute maid? if you like tropicana, go with AGA. minute maid? Perfecto is for you!

okay, seriously.... they are pretty equal. i have had both, and once the stickers are off, it would be hard to tell them apart. IMO, the only factor to consider is where you want your overflows.
that said, i did specify that i wanted an AGA tank the last time i ordered one from my lfs.

Thus making you a Tropicana fan?

[dwd5813]

LOL you know it!

[cd77]

:)

I think both companies make fine aquariums. I was surprised though when I bought my last tank (70 gallon Perfecto) that the LFS employee told me to only expect the stand to last about 7 years because, and I quote "you know, salt and water and stuff..." -- that was after I had made the purchase and we were hauling it all into my SUV. Is there any truth to what that LFS guy said? If so, I'd imagine the same applies to AGA.

[Dr Begalke]

check out the oceanic tech tanks, they have some nice features like starphire front glass and euro-style bracing (no cross brace in the middle)...

http://www.oceanicsystems.com/products/tech-series.php

but i agree, not much difference between aga and perfecto from what i have seen...