# Any one tried Mr. Aqua Frameless tank ?



## OhNo123 (Jan 8, 2008)

I personally have not tried any Mr.Aqua products myself.

But in taiwan, they do have a lot of products. Many stores sell their tanks. 

I might give it a go if I have extra cash.


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## Moe (Jan 22, 2004)

they do look cool!


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## ZID ZULANDER (Apr 15, 2008)

I did see one in a store that carried ADA tanks as well. There is little difference. They had non bow front tanks as well. I have been waiting to see if they get a shipment in. I wanted to get a 60P size tank but the shipment keeps getting delayed. Price wise its great. I dont have one so I can not tell you how they hold up. If it didnt have a sticker saying Mr. Aqua I would have thought it was an ADA tank.


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## VisionQuest28 (Apr 18, 2007)

wow, thats nice looking. I dont know how that compares in price to ADA tanks (never looked, or really been interested) but that price at MarineDepot doesnt seem too bad.


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## ZID ZULANDER (Apr 15, 2008)

Just found out that the tanks are in the country... Marinedepot should have them in stock soon.


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## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

You guys would probably have a shopping spree if you saw how much rimless ADA style fish tanks go for in Taiwan. 

The quality is the same or maybe better than the ADA tanks also. 

i have a nano tray I picked up in TW for extremely cheap. Put it side by side with my ADA's and the seams actually look better on the TW tank.

I picked up a full setup. rimless 1.5g shallow tray, nano deco filter, 13w cfl clipon with extra bulb and scaping rocks for less than 30 bucks!

I actually thought bout importing them to sell in the states.. they are as cheap or cheaper than the petco rimmed tanks lol.

GF is bringing me back another nano cube from TW this week..

imo the glass is probably slightly thicker on the ADA tanks. But the nano I brought back from TW actually survived being put in a gym bag and brought carry-on with 3 flight transfers.

TW's a big glass manufacturer.. so it's kind of cheap to get glassware from them.


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## Down_Shift (Sep 20, 2008)

ZID ZULANDER said:


> I did see one in a store that carried ADA tanks as well. There is little difference. They had non bow front tanks as well. I have been waiting to see if they get a shipment in. I wanted to get a 60P size tank but the shipment keeps getting delayed. Price wise its great. I dont have one so I can not tell you how they hold up. *If it didnt have a sticker saying Mr. Aqua I would have thought it was an ADA tank.*



The seams are very different. On the ADA tanks the seems are more whitish.. on these TW tanks, they are more blue/greenish


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## smoq (Feb 19, 2008)

They're out of stock on mareinedepot already. They definitely look cool and it's nice to see someone thought about bringing them to US market. You don't see many rimless tanks at LFS, do you? That's what puzzling me a lot, cause in Europe rimless tanks were available for many years while here there aren't many options beside standard AGA aquariums when you shop locally.


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## OhNo123 (Jan 8, 2008)

Down_Shift said:


> You guys would probably have a shopping spree if you saw how much rimless ADA style fish tanks go for in Taiwan.
> 
> The quality is the same or maybe better than the ADA tanks also.


I agree! I've been in taiwan for the past two months and been to various fish stores. They have so many rimless tanks of different sizes for such cheap prices. Unfortunately for me, I am not bringing a tank back this year. 

I did see one a Mr.Aqua tank yesterday at a fish store. It was the same one as a bowfront on marinedepot.com. It looks pretty sturdy to me. I definitely want one now. 

America should manufacture more rimless tanks.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

I can understand that stores have problems with breakage when the tanks don't have plastic rims on them, but I don't see why using simple, cheap styrofoam packing wouldn't solve those problems. The tanks would cost more than rimmed tanks, but they shouldn't cost twice as much. So, I don't understand why we have so few choices on rimless tanks. And, the same goes for the messy silicone jobs on typical tanks in LFS - just so unnecessary.


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## ZID ZULANDER (Apr 15, 2008)

Hoppy said:


> I can understand that stores have problems with breakage when the tanks don't have plastic rims on them, but I don't see why using simple, cheap styrofoam packing wouldn't solve those problems. The tanks would cost more than rimmed tanks, but they shouldn't cost twice as much. So, I don't understand why we have so few choices on rimless tanks. And, the same goes for the messy silicone jobs on typical tanks in LFS - just so unnecessary.


The rimless tanks would cost twice as much. keep in mind that if they dont have a plastic rim the edge of the glass needs to be polished. That takes time and man power to do. That increases the cost of the tank. On the tanks with the plastic molding the silicone is thick so they can get a good seal. More silicone more area to make sure the seal is good.


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## DorianBrytestar (May 26, 2009)

Also more silicone means more room for error is allowed. Uneven seams is not that big a deal with an inch of silicone surrounding it


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## GTR (May 27, 2009)

$31.98 shipped. They said in stock but I'll know for sure either Thursday or Friday. lol

I've looked at those 2.5 rimmed tanks a Petsmart several times and aways fought off the urge. lol

SteveU


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## Indignation (Mar 9, 2008)

Let us know how it works out GTR, that 13.3 gallon bowfront is mighty seductive. I derimmed a 2.5 gallon a few weeks ago, but its on a 24" stand and under a 24" light... It's begging to be upgraded.


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## GTR (May 27, 2009)

I ordered the 3g at 2pm yesterday and received immediate confirmation and then a tracking number about 3pm. MD deliveries are always next day to me.

Anyway, if I have time I'll take some shots of it but more likely Friday. The DDS has my afternoon tied up after 1:30 today.

SteveU


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## GTR (May 27, 2009)

Looks good for the price or at least I'm satisfied with the build quality. But then I've never seen an ADA tank for a comparison. It would take an awful lot better tank to make worth it to me to pay much more.

Front pane hangs a little past the ends but that might have to do with the bow front. Back corners aren't perfect but near enough for me. Silicon work looks clean.





























































SteveU


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Sure beats out the price on the new Fluval rimless tanks. Those things are outrageous... (plus I'm also not sold on the lighting or advisability of keeping the top on with no air clearance...)


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## GTR (May 27, 2009)

Looking around for a good quality substrate to run this low tech it seems the substrate will cost more than the tank and I'll have most of it left over. lol

SteveU


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

I was considering a Mr Aqua tank because of the price point. The prices are great, no question about it. But from the photos and criticism I've seen online there seem to be 3 issues. The low iron glass isn't very low iron, if that's a major concern. The glass panels have a fair amount of overlap instead of being even or flush with one another. The silicone seams aren't nearly as pretty as the new ADA tanks.

Speaking of the new ADA tanks, they got much better. I had two 60P tanks I bought a few years back that I wasn't terribly impressed with. They were rimless and the silicone work was neat and even, that's it. I had one glass side that wasn't perfectly even. 
However, I just picked up a new 60P and it's really nice. They now have NO silicone visible from the front or back. That's right, none. The glass being used is also much clearer. It was nice being able to compare the new 60P to the old ones.


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## g33tar (Jan 8, 2010)

Im loving my Mr. Aqua so far. I would buy it ten times over again...if I wanted to have ten tanks


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Did anyone find a nice stand for theirs?


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

I have a question about Mr Aqua and GLA's tanks. Are they the same other than the sticker? They come in precisely the same sizes..


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## EKLiu (Jan 14, 2010)

On Marinedepot's website they also mention the german silicone just like GLA touts on their stuff. So it sure seems like they are the same thing.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

prototyp3 said:


> I have a question about Mr Aqua and GLA's tanks. Are they the same other than the sticker? They come in precisely the same sizes..


I wondered this too. I think Mr. Aqua tanks are made by Azoo as well. I could have sworn they were the same.
Orlando swears that they are not, though.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

you should be able to tell if they are different by the finishing on the glass panes' edges


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

fishman9809 said:


> you should be able to tell if they are different by the finishing on the glass panes' edges


They both have polished and beveled edges, I believe.


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## deleted_user_16 (Jan 20, 2008)

dont you have an ADA and a GLA? anyy noticeable difference?


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

fishman9809 said:


> dont you have an ADA and a GLA? anyy noticeable difference?


I was talking about the difference between GLA and Mr. Aqua, but yes, ADA tanks have much clearer glass.


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## dantra (May 25, 2007)

Mr. Aqua definitely has my attention. I could use a few tanks once I settle in after I finish moving. Rimless, made well and inexpensive, that's right up my ally!


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## AquaDean (Nov 20, 2009)

I have a Mr Aqua and a GLA tank, they are both nice and I'd recommend either of them. But I don't think that they are both made at the same place. Just slightly different fit and finish and I'd say the GLA are a tiny bit clearer glass. I've seen the ADA and Do Aqua tanks and I'd say these tanks could all sit side by side and 98% of folks could not tell the difference. The ADA tanks using star-fire low iron glass are really clear but if you don't have it for comparison it won't matter to you. For the price I don't think you can beat the Mr Aqua tanks.


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

CL said:


> I was talking about the difference between GLA and Mr. Aqua, but yes, ADA tanks have much clearer glass.


Do the glass edges of the GLA match up perfectly and sit completely flush?


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## duff (Feb 26, 2006)

I did take a chance and order what was listed under "rectangle" tanks on the MW site (the 5,2g), it arrived in a very timely manner late last week and to my surprise the foot print is tall with Bow in the front. Think of a five gallon bowfront tank on it's side with the bow from top to bottom with no glass on one end - Tall and narrow - 10 x 10 x 12 tall. I was hoping for 12 long and then 10x10.... Called them on Friday and may be shipping it back and getting the 3g. Customer service was great - shipping the new one at no cost... Depending on the shipping cost back to them I may keep the 5g and do something with it. The edges were fine on the 5g, a little over hang but not really apparent to the eye - you can feel it when you run your finger down the side.

Over all it looks to be a good little tank. Holds water with no leaks - at least for the 2-3 hours I had water in it. I currently have one of the old acrylic 3g tanks and it has what appears to be stress fractures on the front and side... can't stand looking at them anymore so I thought this would be a cost effective replacement.


So, buyers beware on the 5.2g tank - its tall not wide. Sad thing is that between the two tanks I could have had one ADA... I suppose now I get to play with 2 small tanks...


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

prototyp3 said:


> Do the glass edges of the GLA match up perfectly and sit completely flush?


Yes they do. It's a quality tank, no doubt. 10 MM thick glass.


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## AlexXx (Dec 1, 2009)

Duff, i emailed them about that dimension a bit ago. 10x10x12... seemed off but the man explained to me that it was exactly what u got haha. I am thinkin about the 11.5g rectangular now.... since the 5 is tall not wide. That 12 gallon long looks amazing though i cant wait to have more room one day to experiment with that thing!


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

Speaking of customer service, I'm not liking Aqua Forest much anymore. They apparently have different in store prices than on the website. 60P is 120 online, 125 in store. 60H is 200 online, 210 in store. 
Seemed pretty shiesty to me...


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## EKLiu (Jan 14, 2010)

prototyp3 said:


> Do the glass edges of the GLA match up perfectly and sit completely flush?


 
I have 2 GLA tanks (18" cube and 12" cube) and neither one is built pefectly. The glass starts out flush at the bottom, and there is a slight overlap at the top (probably around 1 mm).


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

prototyp3 said:


> Speaking of customer service, I'm not liking Aqua Forest much anymore. They apparently have different in store prices than on the website. 60P is 120 online, 125 in store. 60H is 200 online, 210 in store.
> Seemed pretty shiesty to me...


I think that they post lower prices on line to take a bite out of the shipping cost.


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

EKLiu said:


> I have 2 GLA tanks (18" cube and 12" cube) and neither one is built pefectly. The glass starts out flush at the bottom, and there is a slight overlap at the top (probably around 1 mm).


That sounds like the problem that plagues the Mr Aqua tanks as well. I ready it had something to do with being machine built.



CL said:


> I think that they post lower prices on line to take a bite out of the shipping cost.


I'm sure everyone across the country appreciates that, but it sure felt like a bait n switch. Besides, we pay California tax which is most likely more than shipping costs. :icon_roll


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## Kibblesnbits (Aug 4, 2007)

I ordered the 7.5g Mr. Aqua from MarineDepot. It arrived very well packaged in form-fitting styrofoam with additional cardboard protecting the base. The FedEx guy (I think it was FedEx?) did his best to run it over from the looks of the outer box, but not a scratch on the tank. The quality is pretty good. Glass is all aligned properly, seams are very clean. The sealant/glass has a slight blue-green cast at the corners. Mine did not come with any logo or sticker anywhere on it (a plus, in my book).

It's an impressive looking tank. I recommend it.

I will probably buy a second 7.5g cube from MarineDepot in the near future (since they fit very nicely, side-by-side, under a 24" coralife fixture). The longer, shallower tank (12g long) looks very interesting and I have some neat ideas for a shallow "river" tank... a friend just had one of his blue crays drop about 40 live young, so I am going to try to snag a pair in a few months. 

Oh, and head over and check out the 5.2g rectangular... it's a bow front, but not like anything I've seen!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

prototyp3 said:


> Speaking of customer service, I'm not liking Aqua Forest much anymore. They apparently have different in store prices than on the website. 60P is 120 online, 125 in store. 60H is 200 online, 210 in store.
> Seemed pretty shiesty to me...


Could be their overhead is less when people buy online so they're trying to encourage that.


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## CL (Mar 13, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> Could be their overhead is less when people buy online so they're trying to encourage that.


Yeah, that's true. They don't have to pay for it to be on display in the store that way.


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## Aphotic Phoenix (Apr 5, 2010)

Kibblesnbits said:


> I ordered the 7.5g Mr. Aqua from MarineDepot. It arrived very well packaged in form-fitting styrofoam with additional cardboard protecting the base. The FedEx guy (I think it was FedEx?) did his best to run it over from the looks of the outer box, but not a scratch on the tank. The quality is pretty good. Glass is all aligned properly, seams are very clean. The sealant/glass has a slight blue-green cast at the corners. Mine did not come with any logo or sticker anywhere on it (a plus, in my book).
> 
> It's an impressive looking tank. I recommend it.


The shipping rate was much lower than I expected. Argh, pity I've already reached my aquarium budget maximum for this month. :icon_conf Guess that will have to go on the wish list for next month.


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## tcampbell (Jun 8, 2006)

CL said:


> I wondered this too. I think Mr. Aqua tanks are made by Azoo as well. I could have sworn they were the same.
> Orlando swears that they are not, though.


No, they are different companies. I am located in Taiwan and Mr.Aqua tanks are very common, both the bow front and the rectangular ones. I have 2 of the rectangular 60cmX30X36cm tanks. The polished edges are great and the seams are fine. Comparing to ADA well, at 1/4 of the price they aren't as "pretty" with the silicon and glass but really the silicon is done well. I ahve never seen any tanks here where the glass doesn' line up correctly. The glass isn't as low iron as the ADA tanks, which should be obvious based on the price, but in smaller tanks with glass less than 10mm thick it really isn't noticable in my opinion after the tank is filled with water and there is a background. Even without the background the scape should distract any difference in color.

Ofcourse if you compare a tank at 4 times the price to it, the more expensive tank will be "better" but is it really noticable? I don't believe is is.

ADA rectangular tanks 17 Gallon sell for 25dollars US here. and ADA 60P (same dimensions) sells for about 115 dollars US. The glass is the same thickness and I haven't heard of anyone who has had an Mr.Aqua tank split here. In the 10 years I have been here I have made friends with a few of the suppliers for the LFS and asked them. They admitted they have had more ADA tanks returned due to problems then MR.Aqua.


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

CL said:


> Yeah, that's true. They don't have to pay for it to be on display in the store that way.


They don't really display the tanks, they are just stacks of them scattered around the store. It's charming actually.



tcampbell said:


> No, they are different companies. I am located in Taiwan and Mr.Aqua tanks are very common, both the bow front and the rectangular ones. I have 2 of the rectangular 60cmX30X36cm tanks. The polished edges are great and the seams are fine. Comparing to ADA well, at 1/4 of the price they aren't as "pretty" with the silicon and glass but really the silicon is done well. I ahve never seen any tanks here where the glass doesn' line up correctly. The glass isn't as low iron as the ADA tanks, which should be obvious based on the price, but in smaller tanks with glass less than 10mm thick it really isn't noticable in my opinion after the tank is filled with water and there is a background. Even without the background the scape should distract any difference in color.
> 
> Ofcourse if you compare a tank at 4 times the price to it, the more expensive tank will be "better" but is it really noticable? I don't believe is is.
> 
> ADA rectangular tanks 17 Gallon sell for 25dollars US here. and ADA 60P (same dimensions) sells for about 115 dollars US. The glass is the same thickness and I haven't heard of anyone who has had an Mr.Aqua tank split here. In the 10 years I have been here I have made friends with a few of the suppliers for the LFS and asked them. They admitted they have had more ADA tanks returned due to problems then MR.Aqua.


I think you misunderstood which tanks we were talking about. We are thinking GLA and Mr Aqua tanks are the same. Not ADA, we know those are entirely different.

Did Orlando give an explanation as to how they're completely different from Mr Aqua yet offer the exact same sizes across the whole range of tanks? I don't think it's a bad thing, products are re-badged all the time.


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## King Friday (Mar 29, 2010)

prototyp3 said:


> Speaking of customer service, I'm not liking Aqua Forest much anymore. They apparently have different in store prices than on the website. 60P is 120 online, 125 in store. 60H is 200 online, 210 in store.
> Seemed pretty shiesty to me...


So, order online and do an in-store pickup. Many retailers offer this service.


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

King Friday said:


> So, order online and do an in-store pickup. Many retailers offer this service.


Many also honor their online price if you bring it to their attention. Which I did. And they did not.


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## CrabbyGuy005 (Jun 19, 2009)

prototype3

i seriously hope you are just joking. you are arguing over a $5-10 difference that is basically covered just in your driving versus postage charges (how much would ups or fedex be.... $10-20?). 

i know people are frugal here in the bay area and feel the need to watch their pennies... but you really need to know WHERE you are watching your pennies. people who buy online have to accept the tank that is sent to them. in the store, you can choose amongst more than one tank (hopefully) and see the condition before purchasing whereas those ordering online can only hope the shipper is honest and has the customers interest in mind. they give the price to online shoppers in order to woo customers... not dissuade locals. 

in all else, if you really want the darn price... order it online and be happy with what they sent you! matter solved. sorry but not everything in the world has to go your way. being someone who observes nature... you should KNOW that!

also... i went to Tokyo, China, and HK recently... 
just wanted to let you all know... most of the tanks with Japanese names come from Chinese factories. all of the tanks... even the cheaper ones were of low to NO iron.... clear on edges... the higher price on the ADA may just be a matter of higher rejection rate, thus higher operation costs to maintain a high level of "quality" example: if 10 aquariums were made and only one passed my quality inspection... i can sell the better one at 9x more expensive and sell the others at just above cost to another lower quality re-brander. this is business and happens all the time. you don't have to talk to a HK shop owner for long b4 they will all tell you that.


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## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

I'm not sure why my post would spark such a spirited response.. But with a nickname like that, I'm not surprised.. :hihi: (welcome to the board!)

I bought the tank, I'm not a cheap individual. This is based on principle. I believe if you advertise a price, you honor it. It's as simple as that. Here in the SnS I've made a typo on a prices before and I honored them. I'm not a retailer, but I just think it's the right way to do business. 

You obviously have a different idea of what good business is, and that's fine. 



CrabbyGuy005 said:


> prototype3
> 
> i seriously hope you are just joking. you are arguing over a $5-10 difference that is basically covered just in your driving versus postage charges (how much would ups or fedex be.... $10-20?).
> 
> ...


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## tcampbell (Jun 8, 2006)

prototyp3 said:


> They don't really display the tanks, they are just stacks of them scattered around the store. It's charming actually.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


"Mr. Aqua tanks are made by Azoo as well" - sorry I was commenting on this quote. Azoo and Mr.Aqua are not the same. Mr.Aqua is not made by Azoo. That is what I meant. Sorry.


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