HELP - Seam on Rimless tank

[lastreef]

Hello,

Just got a rimless tank, around 140 gallon but the silicon seam is a little weired. Is this a bad job or that is how it is. Before the tank is filled. it's not so noticeable, but after it's filled it looks pretty bad. Pictures below. Reached out to the manufacture, they said my stand is not level. Checked with leveler, it's pretty level only slightly unlevel for both side toward the back. Have a ply wood under the tank and a 5/8 yoga matt under the tank. The seam got horrible the next day after filling the tank. Empty the tank right away, will this have permanent damage to the tank? Is the silicone bad?

Picture before tank is fill, minor silicone seam problem. You have to look very closely
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/samksy23/150g%20starphire/IMG_8342.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/samksy23/150g%20starphire/IMG_8344.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/samksy23/150g%20starphire/IMG_8340.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/samksy23/150g%20starphire/IMG_8336.jpg

Picture after it's filled with water. manfacture claim it's silicone stress from unlevel stand. Is this true????
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/samksy23/150g%20starphire/IMG_8330.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/samksy23/150g%20starphire/IMG_8337.jpg

The front is perfectly level
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/samksy23/150g%20starphire/IMG_8332.jpg

[Allmost]

5th pic scares me a bit.

my tank's silicone is not perfect, its like pic 1, but it stayed the same after filling it up.

did the manufacturer tell you if they think its safe to use this or not ?

[loscaer]

Let it sit in your garage for a couple of days and see if it holds up so you don't ruin your house.If the seal doesn't change then you are parable ok.

[irvp13]

I'd probably try to get another tank from the manufacturer. It's not fair that you get an iffy tank if it's new and probably not cheap

[MeTaLMaN1375]

Yeah Id send the pic to the manufacturer showing him that the tank is level and get a new tank if your paying new tank money then you should get a proper new tank.

[lastreef]

5th pic scares me a bit.

my tank's silicone is not perfect, its like pic 1, but it stayed the same after filling it up.

did the manufacturer tell you if they think its safe to use this or not ?

No, they didn't mention that, all that said is i should try to shim it.

Let it sit in your garage for a couple of days and see if it holds up so you don't ruin your house.If the seal doesn't change then you are parable ok.

It's already in the basement, filled up to see if it'll hold for several more days before i get back to the manufacture.

I'd probably try to get another tank from the manufacturer. It's not fair that you get an iffy tank if it's new and probably not cheap

I will check with them again and see what they'll do.

Yeah Id send the pic to the manufacturer showing him that the tank is level and get a new tank if your paying new tank money then you should get a proper new tank.

Already did, and that's what they said, mine stand is not level try to level it. It's the bs they gave me....sounds as if they'll do nothing about it. I'll check with them again.

[Decadence]

That is a problem with craftsmanship and it is a well-documented problem with rimless reef tanks; there are plenty of threads on the matter.

I would demand a replacement but if they refuse, you can always add a euro-brace or triangulate the corners for extra strength. It should only cost $50-75 to buy the glass for a euro-brace from a glass shop. I am personally in the middle of building a 120 gallon (4x2x2) and I chose to add a bottom euro-brace as I will have a lower power DIY wave box in the tank which adds additional stress on the seams.

[lastreef]

That is a problem with craftsmanship and it is a well-documented problem with rimless reef tanks; there are plenty of threads on the matter.

I would demand a replacement but if they refuse, you can always add a euro-brace or triangulate the corners for extra strength. It should only cost $50-75 to buy the glass for a euro-brace from a glass shop. I am personally in the middle of building a 120 gallon (4x2x2) and I chose to add a bottom euro-brace as I will have a lower power DIY wave box in the tank which adds additional stress on the seams.

I email them, and they are blaming it on my stand not level, which isn't really the case. This really sucks, but thanks for the info.

[Decadence]

It would be a good idea to list the manufacturer so that people here can avoid purchasing their products in the future.

If an extremely slight discrepancy in the levelness of the stand can cause a seam to begin to stress, what would a wave maker do to a tank on a completely level surface? What about years of use? I wouldn't want to buy from a company who will sell a tank that is at constant risk of coming apart with any additional stress. The only thing worse than a poor product is poor customer service to back it up. :-(

[Cloudburst2000]

I would think that on a new tank that you have some type of warranty. They are claiming it's your fault because they don't want to eat the cost of the tank. Is your stand level? I would empty the tank and take the level and show them that the stand IS level. Then that argument will be moot. If the stand and tank are both level, the company does not have a leg to stand on. Demand your money back. I'm sure there is a warranty. If they still refuse to compensate you, I would suggest contacting your credit card company (assuming you paid with credit) and providing them with all the information (including pics of both stand and tank level). If you prove your case, the credit card company will do a charge back and give you your money back. Let the credit card company know that an aquarium with shoddy silicone job is NOT safe to use. 140g would be a huge amount of water to have cascade through your house if the seam gave out. The repair costs to your home would be astronomical. Also, tell the company that unless they are willing to work with you that you will post a negative review of their workmanship and their customer service on reefcentral.com and other reefing websites. They likely cannot afford that type of negative advertisement to a large section of their customer base.