Huge Disappointment

[Easto]

Man, I am feeling pretty bummed out right now.

I'm sure I have said it before, but I have been slowly trying to piece together items for a reef tank. By slowly I mean I bought the tank last summer 2014 and I still don't have water in it.

I've been busy with life we'll call it.

Last year at Boxing Week sales JL Aquatics had the Vertex Omega skimmers on sale. I bought the 130 based on everyone's recommendation that it was a great skimmer for a great price.

A few weeks after getting the skimmer I received a call from JL Aquatic about the skimmer. Apparently someone had purchased the same skimmer and their box was missing the pump. I told them I didn't open it so I didn't know. I offered to open it to check and I was told dont worry, but if there is an issue let them know.

That skimmer box has sat in the corner of my room for 11+ months.

Tonight I started to move my stand which I finally finished. I grabbed my sump and put it under the stand then was worried about the clearance for the skimmer. I ran upstairs and got the skimmer to see if I F'ED up the stand. As I opened the box..... OH SHIT. The section that looks like it's reserved for the skimmer is empty.

I am pretty bummed out, because I could have checked it when I got the phone call and I didn't. It's now almost a year and I finially get to open the box and my excitement quickly turned into (however I am supposed to describe how shitty I feel).

So I ran to take some pics of the equipment (which is sparkling clean), my invoice, and sent an Email off to JL Aquatics to see. I have heard nothing but good reviews from JL Aquatics, but I feel my situation is a bit unique. I am keeping my fingers crossed with this one.


TO BE CONTINUED...

 

[Easto]

#2

Part of the reason I have been slow with this tank is location. There isn't a good spot on my main level for it and my basement is unfinished. We do however have a small portion of the basement at the bottom of the stairs finished and that was were I was going to put my tank. The problem was I had a desk, computer, and other crap there.

As I am moving my stand and stuff into place, my wife was very positive. She's been busting my balls over the past year about all the fish stuff I have been ordering. Today she was cool and lately been cool about it.

Long story short.....

After my frantic Email to JL Aquatics I came to realization that the tank location is shitty. I actually asked if she thinks I should wait until the basement get finished and she agreed. The location was a spot I was going to settle with, which I think is a terrible idea. As much as I want to get this tank going it was a bit of a shot in the nuts realizing Location Location Location matters.

So, within 30 minutes I discovered my protein skimmer that I ordered last Christmas (and finally opened today) has no pump. I was planning on having water in the tank for Christmas, but now have to pack up all my stuff and waiting until I can get the basement finished and have a proper spot for the tank.

Part of me almost feels like getting rid of everything. It's all new in the box - 2 Kessil A350, Vertex Omega 130, BRS Dual Reactor, Apex Jr, EB8, Bunch of Pukani.....

I always wanted a salt water tank since I was a kid. Not sure what I am going to do, but sleeping on it is probably a good idea.

 

[Seggsy]

Nano cube on the main floor until you get the basement sorted. Clowns, shrimp, goby, easy soft corals will be no trouble at all.
GL on the skimmer!

 

[Easto]

That's a decent idea.

This was going to be a 75 Gal. Not huge, but it's also not easy to just find a spot for a 53" wide stand.

Hmmmmmm.....

 

[Pipes]

Don't give up. Your further ahead than I am. All I have is a refractometer! And that is for work.

We all hit speed bumps. Question is how do we learn from them.

Will you be doing the basement work yourself? If you want some free advice on how to proceed with your finishing the basement, then let me know. I can point you in the right direction. Or at least direct you in what to look for in the planning phase.

 

[Nighthawk26]

Don't stress man. Better to get it how you want it, than to finally get it up and running then have regret 2 months later, and 2 after that ripping it all apart to move it. I've been 13 months, and only in the last 3 weeks or so is everything up and running. I did everything I possibly could to try to get it right the first time. You're doing the same. Nothing wrong with that!

 

[sunnykita]

a little hitch in the road to getting it set up, we've all been there and some of us still are waiting for the right time, or certain renovations to be completed before setting up, life gets in the way at times. I have two smaller tanks running now, have a room to finish before setting up the 150, a 135 to be set up in the mean time, but something always seems to come up. Have faith, plan it out, a smaller tank may be the solution in the meantime if you're really bummed about it. Best to do it right and be happy with the results, rather than having the pain of setting it up, then realizing that it needs to be moved. Good luck with the skimmer.

 

[BigReefer]

i think doing the basement is smart then u dont have to move it down the road ... now getting a nano or biocube in the mean time isnt a bad idea...

 

[AdInfinitum]

Hey, life happens to all of us so don't feel bad...

A month with my stuff in a temporary setup will end up being close to a year by the time I'm done.
And in the meantime I've wiped out years of SPS growth and a fair collection is now a group of unhealthy looking frags.

 

[Easto]

I am keeping my fingers crossed that I hear back from JL Aquatics today.

I guess this gets me more motivated to start on my basement.

@Pipes , I understand you're a plumber. I may need your expertise on my bathroom rough in. I think I may want to move somethings around, but I don't think I am handy enough and I don't want to run into water/sewage issues because something wasn't done properly.

 

[Joshbrookkate]

Perfect tank placement...with fish room behind? Worth the wait.

 

[scubasteve]

be glad you wont ever have to move it. build it exactly how you want it. it does make life alot easier when its built to fit or else you end up like me with tanks wherever you can fit them. hell i had my seahorse fry in the kitchen for the first bit and ya you can imagine how po'd the wife was about that one.

 

[Easto]

I'm still hoping to hear back from JL

 

[sirhc13]

I'm about 18 months into my build!
Slow and steady.....hoping to have it wet by the new year

 

[Easto]

Just an update on my Vertex Skimmer:

I spoke to JL Aquatics on the phone the day after sending an Email. They were very apologetic, even though Vertex didn't put a pimp in the box.

I received another call a couple days ago letting me knob they haven't forgotten about me and a new pump is being sent to them by Vertex. They actually remembered calling me in January.

The no pump issue was not JL's fault, however the service up to now that I have received is second to none.

I was warned however that Vertex is very slow, but when JL gets the pump in they will let me know.

2 huge thumbs up!!!

 

[BigReefer]

Best christmas call for you

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[chief hill]

I don't know if I would want a pimp in the box they can be violent if they don't get their money. Lol. Glad to see it all worked out for you.

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