Oceanic Tech Tank Owners Thread - Page 21

the tiler · #**501** 01/02/2008, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by notenoughtanks
I wouldn't reccomend using the 58 as a sump, it's too tall and you wont be able to access the equipment. Use a 30 breeder or 40 breeder. I use a 30 and am very satisfied with it under my 120. 40 will allow a little higher water level depending on what your skimmer likes. say 9 inches and still enough room for drain when you turn off the return pump

I ended up ordering a 50Gal Breeder for my sump
$109.00 a couple holes and some baffles and I am good to go

Jason

Garage1217 · #**502** 01/02/2008, 10:27 PM

WOW! Great post. Well I wish I would have found it a month ago as I am TICKED off right now...

Anyways about a month ago, I found a MINT oceanic tech 90 in stainless f/s used. I loved the tank so did some reading on oceanics site and was very impressed that it had starfire glass! Well my LFS said that it had SF on all 3 sides but the online said only 1 side. So I call oceanic, tell them I was purchasing a used but mint tech 90 and wanted to confirm that they used starfire glass. The tech simply said YES, all of our tech series tanks have starfire up front. He did not mention anything about date of manufacture or that some tanks have SF and some do not.

Long story short, I got my dream tank home as it was evening so I did not notice anything out of the ordinary. To my horror when I put it on the stand, it was very green standard glass up front. No ultra clear or any bs like that. Just green standard glass, same green as on my coffee table. Makes me totally sick that oceanic did not say a word when I called them specifically about the glass. I know I purchased used but feel I got ripped by oceanic, not the seller. Really ****es me off. I am going to call oceanic tommorow and let them know how I feel, does not matter if I purchased used or new, they should have said somthing as that is what really peaked my interest in there product.

Anyways I still love the fit and finish of the tank. It is flawless all around. Stand is perfect. Here are some pics of my new baby. Working on purchasing gear to set her up.

And for the guy asking about getting coraline off the overflow... It all came off easy with vinigar from the glass, but NOT the overflow. Even soaking it overnight it still will not come off

So I am leaving it as is, going to grow more anyways!

TOO FLY · #**503** 01/02/2008, 10:58 PM

Thanks for the reply. But I meant removing coralline from the overflow box when the tank is up and running... with water in it.

That's a real bummer to hear about the glass. It's unbelievable that Oceanic would let a Tech tank without at least one pane of low-iron glass

out the door as that's the major selling point of these tanks. I wonder if the recent, tiny drop in price has been due to changing from three panes to only one of low-iron glass? Anyway, used or not, that product bears their name and they should make good on it with you in some fashion. Good luck with it.

Paul

Garage1217 · #**504** 01/02/2008, 11:04 PM

Agreed. The quality is top notch, but the glass definitly is not even lower qty iron or true low iron. Just standard glass.

TOO FLY · #**505** 01/02/2008, 11:08 PM

BTW... I can't say for certain, but based on the pics, your front pane looks like low-iron glass.

Can you get a close up shot in brighter lighting?

Garage1217 · #**506** 01/02/2008, 11:10 PM

I can take a side image of the glass, that is the main way you can tell, not easy to tell head on unless you have a peice of low iron right next to it and a white background. It is green as a leaf via a side view.

KMP · #**507** 01/02/2008, 11:21 PM

so from the side we should be seeing blue, correct?

Garage1217 · #**508** 01/02/2008, 11:24 PM

Here is an example for you. You can clearly see what is low iron and what is standard glass. Man I am soooo ticked off. The rear glass is the exact same as the front on mine and 0 difference between my glass table and the tank. Just standard glass.

Garage1217 · #**509** 01/02/2008, 11:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by KMP
so from the side we should be seeing blue, correct?

Yes for a very large peice like that, it will have a clear bluish tint to it.

reef / aholic · #**510** 01/02/2008, 11:59 PM

The edge of low-iron glass is blue looking!!!

TOO FLY · #**511** 01/03/2008, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Garage1217
Here is an example for you. You can clearly see what is low iron and what is standard glass. Man I am soooo ticked off. The rear glass is the exact same as the front on mine and 0 difference between my glass table and the tank. Just standard glass.

Yep, sounds like regular glass. That sux! I'm ****ed for you.

KMP · #**512** 01/03/2008, 12:03 AM

thanks, my front (cant' tell on sides) has the blue tint. purchased apr 07; not sure how long it was on the floor before that.

currentking · #**513** 01/03/2008, 12:57 PM

hey guys, I just set up my tech tank this week and I am also a little upset. While hooking up my sump I spilled some water under in the stand and wiped it up the best I could. The next day I wake up and the stand is bubbling and cracking. From a little water this happens? I understand it is MDF, but for 500+ for a stand they should have done some sort of waterproofing. I emailed them 2 days ago and have not heard a reply. The entire front lip on the bottom is cracking. I am happy with the rest of the tank but the quality of the stand could have been better

currentking · #**514** 01/03/2008, 01:01 PM

here are a couple pictures of my tank

currentking · #**515** 01/03/2008, 01:02 PM

AndyNarwhal · #**516** 01/03/2008, 01:40 PM

Garage I can guarantee that your tank front was made with low iron glass. Low Iron glass is one of the defining characteristics of the Tech tank line and has been from the start. I can only guarantee that the front was made with Starphire which is a specific brand of high quality low iron glass if it was made after July of 06. Before that time when Oceanic was still in Dallas they used low iron glass from a variety of suppliers and it wasn't always Starphire.
And yes even Starphire will look blue when you look from the side. This is because you are looking at light traveling through 48" of glass. If you were to look through regular glass you would not see any light transmission beyond 36". It would look black.

Andy Hudson
Central Aquatics
Research and Development

Garage1217 · #**517** 01/03/2008, 02:05 PM

Well my regular 48" long 55G is green looking through the side of the glass, my 5' diameter dining room table is green looking sideways through it, My 1/2" or so glass plates I use in car audio installs are green, and my oceanic tech 90G is green as a leaf. I have peiced of starfire in the house for a custom nano I am building, I know what low iron glass looks like and my tank for 100% does not have low iron glass on any side of it. Front and back are identicle light transmission wise shining small led light through the side. Same as all the glass in my home.

It is actually a darker green than this photo that the person showed above with the green on the left. Not even a small hint of blue in any way shape or form.

AndyNarwhal · #**518** 01/03/2008, 07:01 PM

Your entire basis for quantifying the glass is incorrect. Glass is spec'd out by optical clarity. Not by color. Low iron glass will be very variable. Unlike Starphire which is a specific brand of glass spec'd out to have 90-91% visible light transmission, low iron glass is a TYPE of glass and can vary in its light transmission and color anywhere between clear glass at 85% transmission up to and beyond Starphire (which is also a low iron glass). And yes Starphire does appear a blue color. But low iron may not and does not have to be blue. It only has to be optically clearer than regular glass.

In the picture we can clearly see the right arm and chair legs through the glass edge which tells me it is low iron. If it were regular glass and that panel was 36" or longer then you would not even be able to see the chair at all. It would be black. Can you honestly tell me you can make out details on the other side looking through the edge of your 55? Can anyone? I think not. Can you do it on your Tech Tank? I bet you can.

I am just stating the facts. As a person who is in a better position to know than you what Oceanic aquariums are made out of I can tell you that your tank was made with a low iron front glass at the minimum. You can believe what you want but you are incorrect.

Andy

Garage1217 · #**519** 01/03/2008, 07:26 PM

Thanks for the education, that is not my peice of glass above

When looking through the side of my tank, I can clearly NOT see anything on the other side. It looks dark green. The front looks the exact same as the back & the exact same transparancy as any peice of glass in my house.

And just so you know, I can hold up a 14" x 12" x 1/2 or so peice of glass from a local glass shop and under my kitchen lights I can make out my island and chairs looking through the side. It has nice polished edges

Definitly not low iron.

Anyways I think you missed my point, I am simply ticked that oceanic screwed up when I called them and specifically told me "all of our tech series fronts are starfire" when I told the guy my situation over the phone.

Anyways I am just going to live with the tank, annoyed about it but I like it. Not even going to bother calling them as it will do no good.

reef / aholic · #**520** 01/03/2008, 07:48 PM

Oceanic Tech Tank front glass panel where made with what is called Transition Float Glass not with PPG Starphire Float Glass ever. When Oceanic was bought out and moved from Dallas to Wisconsin they started using PPG Starphire Float Glass on the front panel of their tanks!!!

PPG only makes Starphire Float Glass at a certant time of the year and in limited runs. You have to buy a half of a trail full at a time, so Oceanic ended up buying enough PPG Starphire Float Glass to cover production for at least a year!!!

Also Transition Float Glass or Optiwhite Float Glass has a clear edge as opposed to PPG Starphire Float Glass edge which is bluish!!!

TOO FLY · #**521** 01/03/2008, 07:50 PM

Cool!!!

Good to know!!!

OK!!!!

Thanks!!!

Garage1217 · #**522** 01/03/2008, 07:52 PM

Well mine is dark, dark forest green

bummer

AndyNarwhal · #**523** 01/03/2008, 07:57 PM

I have no doubt that you can see through a 14" piece of glass. I have no doubt that you could NOT though a 36" long piece of regular glass. But you could through low iron or Starphire.

In any case all Oceanic Tech's made after July of 06 I can guarantee have Starphire fronts. Before that when they were made in Dallas I cannot guarantee. They may be Starphire fronts and they may also be low iron glass. The ones made with low iron glass likely also have low iron sides as well.

Tech's were NEVER made with regular glass fronts.

Andy

petes97 · #**524** 01/04/2008, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AndyNarwhal
Tech's were NEVER made with regular glass fronts.

While that may be categorically true, can you really guarantee that there has never been a production assembly error?

AndyNarwhal · #**525** 01/04/2008, 08:09 AM

That would be extremely unlikely.

Tech tank glass is dimensionally different than the glass used on other tanks so it would be impossible for them to mix up a panel used on a regular 90 gallon with a Tech 90 gallon.

And the possibility of accidentally using a back panel for a front panel is likewise unlikely. The background is applied to the back panel before assembly. Even before the pieces are even brought together in the same area.

Besides the labels on the pallets that identify the glass when you look at two pallets side by side in a stack its very easy to identify which is the low iron and which is not.

Andy