Photos on my website are a testament of how bad and how little i knew right in the very begining when i first started manufacturing aquariums.
I never realised that they would come under such scrutiny, and for that reason you would of thought i would have removed them.
Sadly i don't succumb to pressure (thanks for the heads up LondonDragon
) i just take it on the chin and make things better
.
Ok now the honesty:
I had no experince of ever making an aquarium up until about 4 years ago and yes there were problems ( i can see that now) with the silicon edges but this is a thing of the past.
As an independent manufacturer my aquariums have been some of, if not, the cheapest in the UK for the last 3+ years
.
For a guy that is making them out of his garage, and holding down a 9-5 at the same time that is something i think i can boast about.
How can the big guys justify their prices?
If i was manufacturing aquaria in the quantities of the other manufacturers i would undoubtably be the cheapest aquarium manufacturer in the country.
The reason:
I am a realist I know that people work hard to pay for the things they love (afterall the whole reason io started manufacturing aquariums in the first place was because i didn't want to have to pay ridiculous prices for my hobby).
I try to take onboard any feedback I get and improve on this the next time I manufacture. I am currently trying to manufacture an aquarium with no silicon showing on the upright panels whatsoever. To quote a proverb " a journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step".
I always intend to manufacture to the best of my abilities but within the constraints of safety, hence the self calculating AQUARIUM / RIMLESS AQUARIUM (designed and copyrighted by Poseidon's Palace) Building software on my website. Neither of which will allow you to build an aquarium that is unsafe (in theory). Not Less than 2 for braced and not less than 4 for braceless.
A braced 72x24x24 although it is safe to manufacture from 8mm glass it would not be the advised thickness and would be manufactured from 10mm just as the other manufacturers do.
I also try to pass on the knowledge that I get as I progress further, to those who can benefit from it. I.E. Optihwite glass scratches for fun (those who have them already know this).
If you want to spend your hard earned cash on an Optiwhite aquarium I will make it for you but i will also advise that you only need the panels that you are looking at in Optiwhite, afterall if the back is against the wall what is the point of spending the extra money.
To bring my rant / self justification to an end all i can say is " I know I cannot please everybody and I know that no matter what, someone will always find a fault, Afterall its human nature to point out the failings of others as it makes us feel better about ourselves.
If repeat orders from retailers (Rare Aquatics
, Itchy Feet Cleethorpes
, Cheshire reef Aquatics
) and other independant buyers are a condemnation of my handy work then all i can say is bring it on!!!.
Thanks
I am sure there will be comments.
Jez aka Poseidon's Palace
