For Sale Fiji Cube custom tank builds

Will at Fiji Cube (www.fijicube.com) is a GIRS sponsor, and offers custom build tanks. For those of you in the market to buy a tank, I figured I would post here so that you could get a sense of what it is like. I figured this was the best place to an unbiased post, for people wanting to buy a tank.

To get your tank, you can contact: Info Fiji Cube <info@fijicube.com>

My story, part 1:
I wanted a reef-ready rimless tank, with an external overflow for a very clean look. Not just that, but I wanted the overflow mounted slightly off to the left side, so the tank isn't symmetrical. I also wanted low-lead glass, because I'm spoiled by having an acrylic tank and I'm used to amazing views and wanted the best. I wanted it to be exactly 72" long, and exactly 18" deep, and 18" tall for the look I want.

I did a lot of research, and found a few very high-end builders in other states. Prices were pretty steep. I also was going to have to pay for shipping... which involves crating and is very expensive in and of itself.

I found Fiji Cube here on the GIRS site, and requested a quote. I received a prompt response, and the price was better than an off-the-shelf similarly sized rimless aquarium from the cheapest supplier I could find anywhere on the internet. Plus, I don't even have to pay for shipping. I can just pick it up in Minneapolis. I thought maybe he had left off some of the features I want, and emailed to confirm. He in-fact confirmed everything, and sent a computer model of what the tank will look like:

. Its 50% down to get rolling, so I jumped on it. I'm super excited, and will post pictures and updates below.

 

To keep costs down, I am building my own stand. To do this, I recycled an old 72" x 18" aquarium stand, completely disassembled it, and added new upright braces/legs to make it taller. I wanted the top of the tank to be as high as possible while still allowing me to stand in front of the tank comfortably to be able to reach the aft lower recesses of the tank. I stained the whole thing with Thompson's Water Seal. Next step is to add torsional bracing and some sort of removable cover for the front and sides.

The stand was assembled with polyurethane glue and screws. All of the original nails were removed. Multiple 6" long vertical screws were also added to each vertical brace, except the front 1 x 6 which is removable to allow my sump to fit right in there. Total cost on the stand so far, about $25.

I'm thinking of going with old cedar or reclaimed barn wood for the front and sides.

 

I did hear back from Gaston at TankmeUSA.com with a quote, but it took so long to get the quote I had already made my decision to go with Fiji Cube. FYI, the quote from TankmeUSA.com was around twice the price of Fiji Cube when you factor in shipping, but it included their "zero" overflow, in which they actually drill slots for the overflow into the rear glass so that you have no boxy protuberances in your tank anywhere. Very cool but pricey.

 

I picked up my tank yesterday. FijiCube is located on the NE side of the Twin Cities right off of the interstate in a pretty easy to find location. They have a large truck loading dock and the tanks are actually manufactured elsewhere. Will at FijiCube had a dry display tank at his pickup location, so I figured I would share a photo of it too:

This is what my tank looked like when I picked it up, all crated and shrink-wrapped (Will is pictured):

I saw a lot of other tanks crated up and in boxes, as well as some that looked like they were being setup for retail. Will said that he and his wife Sarah are going to open up and start selling other products as well from his location on the NE side of Minneapolis. Will, my brother and I loaded my tank from his loading dock into our truck. Being used to a large acrylic tank... the 5/8" thick low lead glass seems like it weighs a ton.

3 hours later we got it to my house and off-loaded it into my living room. It took a prybar and a few minutes to get it uncrated, and here is what it looked like right out of the box:

After wrangling it up onto the (still not finished) stand I made, here are a few photos:

The overflow is very low profile, and a fantastic improvement over my old tank's space hogs that took up nearly a square foot of real estate in my old acrylic tank. It sits pretty high in the tank, which was my request. I don't use wavemakers, and I wanted a high waterline. The overflow came with lids, which I really like to keep down noise. The Fijicube logo is on the back of the overflow box, the part that sits outside of the tank, facing my back wall. Its equipped with three downward-facing bulkheads. The inner box on the overflow fits very tight and is removable simply by pulling on it, and then it pushes back in, which is a great idea for easier cleaning.

The tank was made with black silicone, and looks great. I requested a black backer, and it is flawless. The low-lead glass isn't quite as clear as my old acrylic, but close enough and I'm very happy with the transparency. The tank came with a foam pad which is supposed to be its foundation. It was a little bit of a challenge to get the foam pad to be centered under the heavy aquarium, but it was already cut-to-fit and looks great.

The overflow box and bulkheads were included, and will said he would drop the return bulkheads in the mail for me.

Overall, my impression of the tank was that it is far higher quality than one would expect from a guy making custom tanks from his garage. In fact, that's an understatement. The glass was not drilled. It appeared to have been cut for reef fittings with a water-jet cutter. The silicone injection between the glass panels looked as though it had been done by someone who knew what they were doing. Although I did not buy my stand from FijiCube, the stand on the display was melamine finished gloss white, and it was braced with extruded aluminum for its support. I enjoy woodworking, and I can tell you that stands like that don't come from someone's garage.

I will post pictures of the build as I go, in the appropriate area of the forum to do so.

I am extremely pleased with the value, quality, and appearance of my FijiCube tank, and would strongly recommend FijiCube to anyone wanting a custom tank.