My experience with small All-Glass Aquariums
Written: Jun 07 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent construction, company with good customer service
Cons: a little small for saltwater tanks, but make great freshwater, nano or sumps.
The Bottom Line: A great choice for freshwater tanks or saltwater nano and sump tanks. The smaller size makes an easier to clean tank, but you can keep less fish.
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| colstudent69's Full Review: AllGlass Standard Size Aquarium |
Before I purchased my 75 Gallon Reef Ready SW tank, I started out my aquarium hobby with 3 different All-Glass aquariums. I have used a 20 Long, 29 and 55 gallon All-Glass aquariums.
The Construction/Quality:
Why did I purchase all three as All-Glass aquariums? Because their construction is fabulous. I've looked at other aquariums from other companies and while some of them were slightly cheaper, there was always something inferior, either the thickness of the glass or the quality of the trim.
All-Glass aquariums uses an excellent amount of silicone sealant to prevent leaks in their tanks. It is typically noticeably thicker than silicone in other manufacturer's tanks. It is also usually free of bubbles which can lead to leaks. While you want to avoid using a razor blade to clean the silicone in the tank, I have used a toothbrush to clean the silicone and it always withstood that abuse.
When you are purchasing your aquarium, the tank is actually a very small amount of your total purchase. I highly recommend not skimping to save a few bucks on your tank. If your tank leaks, you can easily lose all the livestock in your tank which will definitely cost more in Saltwater (SW) and can even be more in FW.
My 20 Long: 30x12x12
I purchased this tank initially as a turtle tank and it was great for that. My turtle swam all over the place and over the course of 2 years he never put any significant scratches in the tank. I recently converted the 20 gallon Long into a sump for my 75 gallon tank. While it is doing a good job and handled the modification well, I would not recommend the 20 Long as a sump, it isn't tall enough to handle much water.
My 29 gallon: 30x12x18
This was my first freshwater tank and I later converted it into a small SW reef tank. It withstood several moves and was in service for 4 years with no problems at all. I really liked the extra 6 inches of height and was the perfect height for a CPR Aquatic Cyclone Bak-Pak 2R
I eventually sold the tank as I was moving cross country and I checked with the owner 3 years later and it was still in great shape.
This is a great tank for freshwater, but I would recommend avoiding it your first saltwater tank. It is difficult to keep the SW water quality consistent enough. Of course there is a big trend in SW right now to keep smaller and smaller tanks, called Nano tanks. This is considered the largest Nano tank and can be used to get used to the effort needed for a Nano.
The 29 would actually make a fabulous sump as long as the stand it was put in could handle the extra height.
My 55 Gallon: 48x13x20
After my success with my 29 gallon reef tank, I decided to upgrade to this 55 gallon tank. I liked the extra water volume that this tank has because it makes it a lot easier to keep the water stable.
However, once I started trying to place live rock in this tank, I quickly started to dislike the tank. The 13" front to back is just too narrow and makes it nearly impossible to make an appealing reef. It can be done, but requires a lot of patience. By the time you put your heater, powerheads, HOB protein skimmer and thermometer in the tank there isn't much room left for fish, coral and rock!
I eventually sold this tank because I was moving and it was changed into a freshwater tank, which it is much better suited to handle.
If you were really set on the 55 before reading this, I would HIGHLY recommend the 58 gallon reef ready (Oceanic) or 75 gallon reef ready tanks over this one. This allows you to put all the equipment in the sump at the bottom and gives you a lot more space in the main tank.
All-glass also makes a 55 gallon reef ready tank, but you will still have the narrow front to back dimension. The price difference is pretty minimal from the 55 to the 58 or 75 and you'll be happy you upgraded.
The Company:
Oceanic and All-Glass are basically the default fishtank companies out there. They have been around for years and their customer service and warranties are among the best in the business. Even with the bow-front tanks failing more frequently, I've heard they are always very good at replacing the tanks and even substituting with another shape of tank if the owner wants to get out of a bow-front tank.
Oceanic's website is a flash based website that does not seem to have an alternative low-tech version, which bothers me:
http://www.oceanicsystems.com/
All-Glass aquarium's website is much more low-tech and easier and faster to use:
http://www.all-glass.com/
You won't actually buy directly from the company, but instead will buy from a local dealer. You can find a dealer very easily on the all-glass homepage. Most local pet stores carry all-glass or oceanic tanks.
Summary:
While these tanks are better suited for freshwater use, the experienced saltwater hobbyist can use these as well. I really enjoyed my 29 gallon and if I can ever have a second tank again, it probably will be a 29.
Avoid the 55 for the problems mentioned above, but the 20 long makes an excellent turtle or reptile tank.
You can usually get a tank very cheap on its own, or as part of a starter tank kit.
My Other Aquarium Related Reviews:
Testing Equipment:
Salifert pH test kit
Salifert KH/Alkalinity Test Kit
Salifert Calcium Test Kit
Salifert Magnesium Test Kit
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals FasTesT pH Test Kit
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals FasTesT Ammonia-Nitrogen Test Kit
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals FasTesT Nitrite-Nitrogen Test Kit
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals FasTesT Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and pH Test Kit also called the Multi-Master Test Kit now.
Aquarium Pharmaceuticals FasTesT Nitrate-Nitrogen Test Kit
Aquarium Systems SeaTesT Hydrometer
Pumps:
Hagen AquaClear Power Head 201
MAG-DRIVE PUMPS
Rena Air Aquarium Air Pumps
Skimmers:
CPR Aquatic Cyclone Bak-Pak 2R
Aquarium Systems SeaClone Protein Skimmer SCPS-100
Aquarium Supply Stores:
Marine Depot Aquarium Supplies
Aquariums:
All-Glass Large Size Aquariums
My Aquarium Advice:
The top 10 things you NEED to start a saltwater aquarium
Recommended:
Yes
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colstudent69
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Member: Brian
Location: Houston, TX
Reviews written: 127
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Instructional Technology Educator
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