Aqueon all-glass-aquarium warranty?

[fug202]

I think I understand your question. You are referring to the thin plywood 'floor' located within the lower cabinet portion of the stand, and you have noted that it is warped. I've experienced this with pre-fab wooden stands as well - the floor of the cabinet is not very robust. In one case (6' X 2' stand) I put reinforcements beneath the floor board to support the weight of canister filters and supplies. In another other case (4' X 1.5' stand) I just accepted that the floor board is thin and it bends slightly under the weight of two filters. It doesn't affect anything really (a tilted canister filter still works), but I can see why you are annoyed by it.

I doubt Aqueon has a warranty to cover this issue. As with many pre-fab things nowadays, corners are cut to reduce cost of materials. The floor of the cabinet is sufficient to hold light items, but seems stressed to hold heavier items like canister filters and sumps (** you'd really need to reinforce the floor board if you use a sump). Aqueon would likely argue that the stand was not designed to hold heavy weights (that is, you should hang filters on the back of the aquarium), and that you should reinforce the bottom if you planned to do place heavy items on it. Also, water coming in contact with the wood may cause it to warp, and that is not Aqueon's responsibility.

One reason I think the floor of the cabinet is raised is that if it was flush to the ground, it might make leveling the aquarium even more complicated. Shims are relatively easy to work around the edges of a frame, but if the entire bottom of the stand was at ground level, or if there were many supports to reinforce the elevated floor, shimming may become a problem. An improperly shimmed stand is a much bigger problem than a weak, elevated floor in the cabinet. Still, it would be nice if manufacturers used better materials for the floor of the stand, especially for larger tanks where sumps and canister filters are typically used.

Ian

I have an 90 gallon Aqueon all-glass, and the stand is their brand also, the one that came with it. I notice my canister looks a bit tilted just now, so I take it out to make sure the rubber inserts are still it in (they always fall out). They were all still in. So I moved the filter out from under the aquarium stand and see that the floor board has actually warped!?! Both ends of the floor are still at the original level, but about 5 inches from the left side, to about half way along the board is noticeably warped down.

First off, why the *blank* would you have the floor board suspended above the ground like the rest of the frame - even so, why not put supports under it so it doesn't warp or drop.

I can't find ANY warranty info on Aqueon's website, but the aquarium is just under a year old, so it must be covered right?

 

[BassetsForBrown]

I think I understand your question. You are referring to the thin plywood 'floor' located within the lower cabinet portion of the stand, and you have noted that it is warped. I've experienced this with pre-fab wooden stands as well - the floor of the cabinet is not very robust. In one case (6' X 2' stand) I put reinforcements beneath the floor board to support the weight of canister filters and supplies. In another other case (4' X 1.5' stand) I just accepted that the floor board is thin and it bends slightly under the weight of two filters. It doesn't affect anything really (a tilted canister filter still works), but I can see why you are annoyed by it.

I doubt Aqueon has a warranty to cover this issue. As with many pre-fab things nowadays, corners are cut to reduce cost of materials. The floor of the cabinet is sufficient to hold light items, but seems stressed to hold heavier items like canister filters and sumps (** you'd really need to reinforce the floor board if you use a sump). Aqueon would likely argue that the stand was not designed to hold heavy weights (that is, you should hang filters on the back of the aquarium), and that you should reinforce the bottom if you planned to do place heavy items on it. Also, water coming in contact with the wood may cause it to warp, and that is not Aqueon's responsibility.

One reason I think the floor of the cabinet is raised is that if it was flush to the ground, it might make leveling the aquarium even more complicated. Shims are relatively easy to work around the edges of a frame, but if the entire bottom of the stand was at ground level, or if there were many supports to reinforce the elevated floor, shimming may become a problem. An improperly shimmed stand is a much bigger problem than a weak, elevated floor in the cabinet. Still, it would be nice if manufacturers used better materials for the floor of the stand, especially for larger tanks where sumps and canister filters are typically used.

Ian

Yes, thank you that is precisely what I meant by "floorboard". Sorry for my confusing post, I was not referring to the floorboards of my house, but rather the thing raised floor of the aquarium stand.

 

[ryansmith83]

I'd agree with Ian. Most of the stands sold by aquarium manufacturers are probably more focused on supporting the tank rather than worrying about the strength of the "shelf" inside the cabinet. That shelf is usually for light items like air pumps or food, or other items you'd stash away underneath the tank. You may even do a quick search on their website to see if that particular stand model comes with any kind of literature or warranty -- it may specifically state that the stand's shelf isn't designed to support a sump or items exceeding a certain weight.