300 gallon acrylic?

[Jc1119]

Yeah, Joe was all over me for a while too. He got mad at me (his email tone totally changed) when I asked if he would match a price, and then again ultimately when I informed him of my decision to go with another manufacturer.

I can only assume (this is only my assumption) that they are hurting for business lately.

Also, I'm sorry, but it's not my story to tell.

That's cool. I was just wondering, but I guess it's a moot point. He's not going to match the price Chris gave me at Midwest. There's no way he's going to be able to match it considering almost $900 is tied up in shipping. Not his fault either. Purely logistics. Phoenix is really far from Orlando and I just dont see how he's gonna be able to eat it.

Chris from Midwest got back to me about an hour after I emailed him. Price was the best so far. Spent alot of time on their page. Their tanks are awesome. The attention to detail is second to none and the workmanship looks to be outstanding. Plus, it looks like they'll be able to cut all the extra holes I'll need for nothing....and all under warranty.

Really appreciate the hookup. Looks like I might have found the builder for me!

 

[Clay]

If you want some pics of mine, I will take some close ups of the seams (or any other area of the tank). The crating job was great, Estes (the shipping company) was slow, so expect a week in transit, but who is ever rushing to get the tank filled up with water? I spent a few months with it in my garage/basement while I plotted the build in my head.

Some things I had him do:
Got lids (just in case I ever use them, but I don't plan to)
Paint the back black (probably should have done it myself, but he did a good job)
Rectangular overflows (black) - so they blend perfectly with the background. They are nearly invisible. He offers triangle shaped ones, but I opted for more room in the overflow.
Interesting return system. He drills holes in the top and puts a bulkhead in there. If you want a specific return system, let him know. I actually like the placement (one in the front right and one in the back left) for my setup since it is a high flow tank and concealed behind a wall, but if you want something specific, you should tell him. Again, this is your tank, and you'll never sell it for what you paid, so get it the way you want it, since you'll have it for a while.

Oddly, people who saw the tank empty in the garage were really blown away by the beauty of it. There were several comments about how nice it looked, and that was empty My wife commented on the quality, and said it blows away any tank she has seen.

If you have any questions, just ask.

 

[Jc1119]

Yeah, he basically isn't charging for any of the holes I'll be using for returns, so I'm going to have him cut them. Keep my warranty cool. I'm going to have him cut (6) 1" id holes in the top, towards the back. 4 will be right next to the overflows and the other 2 will be more towards the middle of the tank. 2 for sump returns and the other 4 for two FX5's. Overflows will be 8x8 corners with (2) 1 1/2" bulkheads each... all drains. He'll paint the back black and overflows will be black as well.... sounds kinda like I'm getting a smaller version of your tank!! Lol

Haven't even started the negotiation process, but the price was great. I'm having him build a steel stand too, covered in either black acrylic or black wood. Stand isn't my call. It's the wifes. She wants it to look really nice and be built like a tank. I could probably save some money doing it myself, but she doesn't trust me to to it. For that matter I dont either. I can make it functional but I don't know if I can make it look as finished as she wants it. As soon as you walk in our house, the tank is the first thing you'll see, so it really has to look nice. And like you said, I'm never going to get what I out into it back out, so I'm going to do it exactly the way I want it.... the first time.

I'm very impressed with the pics on the site. I'd love to see close ups of yours if possible. Both my wife and I got a good laugh of the pics of you and your wife in yours! My daughter is now insisting she gets to swim in it before we put the fish in!

Build and shipping times aren't really important. Gonna be a few months before I'm ready to fill it anyways. Getting quotes on laminate flooring on Tuesday and Thursday, probably be a week before all thats done. Just moved the 90 upstairs yesterday and I figure it'll take a few weeks to build the sump, cut and run the plumbing and I'm in and out if town quite a bit over the next month or so.... they can take weeks to ship it for all I care. Most likely April- May before I'm ready to let my daughter take a swim!! Starting to get excited.
And once again, I really appreciate the hookup.... Saved me alot of time and effort in the decision making process.