If it were you

[Jeremey’s reef]

I’m closing in on my next tank and I am undecided as to which of these two to pick. I have narrowed it down to either Waterbox or Red Sea. They seem very similar. Has anyone ever owned one of each or one of the two and had a friend to compare systems with? I have read many reviews and watched countless videos on both setups but I am a strong believer of “you can’t believe everything on the internet. Now there is a significant difference in pricing but I am also a strong believer in “ you get what you pay for” . Now this doesn’t mean the more you spend the better the product, but cheap prices in more cases than not means cheap build. I say all this to say I want the look that they both have but I am unsure of which one gives me the better product.

 

[Eric_n_Ga]

I just went through this while tank shopping and went a different direction totally . Both have failures both are nice . Both are high dollar. What size are you looking at?

 

[vols22]

I own a red sea and had a waterbox. The waterbox was smaller and had it for a frag tank. I just didn't have time for another tank. The waterbox was really well built and if you want to spend more on other things for your tank instead of the tank itself then I would say go waterbox. It is really great quality just doesn't have the name as red sea. Either way you will be happy.

 

[Jeremey’s reef]

I just went through this while tank shopping and went a different direction totally . Both have failures both are nice . Both are high dollar. What size are you looking at?

The Red Sea xxl900 is my first choice, but I’m curious to know what are some of the failures with these two systems

 

[Jeremey’s reef]

I own a red sea and had a waterbox. The waterbox was smaller and had it for a frag tank. I just didn't have time for another tank. The waterbox was really well built and if you want to spend more on other things for your tank instead of the tank itself then I would say go waterbox. It is really great quality just doesn't have the name as red sea. Either way you will be happy.

So I take it you are happy with your Red Sea setup

 

[hzheng33]

Not sure about water box, but there’s some reefers’s RedSea tanks with split seam, and therefore a disaster to deal with. Ben has this problem on his Red Sea

 

[Jeremey’s reef]

Not sure about water box, but there’s some reefers’s RedSea tanks with split seam, and therefore a disaster to deal with. Ben has this problem on his Red Sea

Man am I glad I asked this question I was all in on Red Sea, would you say this is a common issue?

 

[hzheng33]

Man am I glad I asked this question I was all in on Red Sea, would you say this is a common issue?

Not sure man. But Red Sea as of late last year extended their warranty on all of their tanks. Could have something to do with it but it could also be them standing behind their product. I have also seen a side of the glass maybe 1/16 of off there where it should be after a year of water....

 

[vols22]

My Red Sea e260 has been solid for over a year now. The Waterbox is no slouch either. I think it comes down to what you want to spend on the price tag. The Waterbox was a beautiful tank though. But to answer your question yeah my Red Sea has been bulletproof. I can only speak to mine though.

 

[Jeremey’s reef]

My Red Sea e260 has been solid for over a year now. The Waterbox is no slouch either. I think it comes down to what you want to spend on the price tag. The Waterbox was a beautiful tank though. But to answer your question yeah my Red Sea has been bulletproof. I can only speak to mine though.

I have done countless hours of research in regards to Red Sea systems. This is by far the most appealing setup to me, but the last time I visited Premier Aquatics a employee told me she preferred the Waterbox for reasons I fail to remember. I just wanted a few other opinions before I made the commitment

 

[civics14]

No more rimless for me if I upgrade. All these seam failures got me scared. Next tank would be a custom or IM200 ext. I want external overflow to maximize the space.

 

[jcook54]

The larger Red Sea tanks have really, really expensive upkeep. Maintenance on them is a seriously expensive proposition. It seams like once you set one up you've got to replace the floors, carpet, subfloor, not to mention the damage done to whatever might be underneath them. On the plus side, they might cover the tank under warranty!

 

[Jeremey’s reef]

The larger Red Sea tanks have really, really expensive upkeep. Maintenance on them is a seriously expensive proposition. It seams like once you set one up you've got to replace the floors, carpet, subfloor, not to mention the damage done to whatever might be underneath them. On the plus side, they might cover the tank under warranty!

Man that seems like quite the investment

 

[Jeremey’s reef]

Man that seems like quite the investment

My house sits on a slab though but the comments about seems failing are kind of scaring me in a different direction

 

[sharis100]

I had both a Red Sea and a waterbox at the same time before our house disaster. The Red Sea failed and popped a seam and had to be replaced before it was even 6 months old. Red Sea did this without even blinking- this was before their public acknowledgement. The waterbox was only slightly less expensive. It was a thing of beauty. The glass work was better than the Red Sea and the cabinetry was superior. We did not use the waterbox sump and used a trigger system. But we did use the V3 Red Sea refugium sump. It had issues, poor workmanship and fit for the filter sock holders. Had to have that replaced at the beginning- again under warranty. What you are paying for is the warranty for Red Sea. It is a pretty tank, but once out of warranty, the parts are expensive. If you want any sort of customization, look at some other companies. Mode does a great job, beautiful tanks- see the Coral Shoppe for their Mode tanks and some of the most beautiful glass work. Planet Aquarium is also well made. If you want a plug and play, then Waterbox would be my first choice over Red Sea -until they fix their production and cabinets and seam work.

 

[Jeremey’s reef]

I had both a Red Sea and a waterbox at the same time before our house disaster. The Red Sea failed and popped a seam and had to be replaced before it was even 6 months old. Red Sea did this without even blinking- this was before their public acknowledgement. The waterbox was only slightly less expensive. It was a thing of beauty. The glass work was better than the Red Sea and the cabinetry was superior. We did not use the waterbox sump and used a trigger system. But we did use the V3 Red Sea refugium sump. It had issues, poor workmanship and fit for the filter sock holders. Had to have that replaced at the beginning- again under warranty. What you are paying for is the warranty for Red Sea. It is a pretty tank, but once out of warranty, the parts are expensive. If you want any sort of customization, look at some other companies. Mode does a great job, beautiful tanks- see the Coral Shoppe for their Mode tanks and some of the most beautiful glass work. Planet Aquarium is also well made. If you want a plug and play, then Waterbox would be my first choice over Red Sea -until they fix their production and cabinets and seam work.

Waterbox it is thanks for your help Ms. Shari

 

[hzheng33]

I had both a Red Sea and a waterbox at the same time before our house disaster. The Red Sea failed and popped a seam and had to be replaced before it was even 6 months old. Red Sea did this without even blinking- this was before their public acknowledgement. The waterbox was only slightly less expensive. It was a thing of beauty. The glass work was better than the Red Sea and the cabinetry was superior. We did not use the waterbox sump and used a trigger system. But we did use the V3 Red Sea refugium sump. It had issues, poor workmanship and fit for the filter sock holders. Had to have that replaced at the beginning- again under warranty. What you are paying for is the warranty for Red Sea. It is a pretty tank, but once out of warranty, the parts are expensive. If you want any sort of customization, look at some other companies. Mode does a great job, beautiful tanks- see the Coral Shoppe for their Mode tanks and some of the most beautiful glass work. Planet Aquarium is also well made. If you want a plug and play, then Waterbox would be my first choice over Red Sea -until they fix their production and cabinets and seam work.

What does the warranty cover?

 

[sharis100]

What does the warranty cover?

The Red Sea covered the tank and the stand and all the parts it came with- which we had to use. The length of warranty has been extended I believe due to the public acknowledgment of their production line failures. We never took advantage of the waterbox warranty, but it was 24 months when we had one. I do know waterbox considers their owners as ‘family’ and have get togethers and lectures. You would need to ask a local dealer like Premier how the warranty stands up next to Red Seas.

 

[hzheng33]

The Red Sea covered the tank and the stand and all the parts it came with- which we had to use. The length of warranty has been extended I believe due to the public acknowledgment of their production line failures. We never took advantage of the waterbox warranty, but it was 24 months when we had one. I do know waterbox considers their owners as ‘family’ and have get togethers and lectures. You would need to ask a local dealer like Premier how the warranty stands up next to Red Seas.

Sure it sounds nice and everything but what is the value of the tank/stand vs the damages to the house/livestock/hassle. I’m just surprised that they can’t even throw in some money for your recovery.

 

[sharis100]

Sure it sounds nice and everything but what is the value of the tank/stand vs the damages to the house/livestock/hassle. I’m just surprised that they can’t even throw in some money for your recovery.

They do not pay for any livestock losses or damages to anything - like equipment or floors etc. - that are not part of their tank system.