# Anyone have an actual copy of Aqueon's tank warranty??



## Hanafuda (Mar 31, 2010)

You can dig around on their site all you like ... I certainly can't find it. It's mentioned in one of the .pdf files called "Weights & Measures" (right here) that it's a lifetime warranty on tanks 65 gallons and up, and that's good. In fact, for glass tanks, that's great. But I'd like to read the fine print, and like I said I can't find it on their site anywhere.

Anyone have a copy of an Aqueon (not AGA) warranty card they could scan for us all to read?? I'm most interested in whether using a non-Aqueon stand (including DIY) is specifically noted as voiding the warranty.

Thanks in advance if someone comes through!!


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

You can use a non-Aqueon stand and not void the warranty. However the stand must be either a commercially produced stand designed to support the weight of the aquarium or be built to standards suitable to support the weight of the aquarium.

I know this because warranty sometimes has me look at home built stands in warranty claims to see if they were of suitable construction.

Requiring the purchase of an Aqueon stand in order for the warranty to be enforced is actually a violation of the Magnusson-Moss warranty act and is illegal.

The important thing to remember if you are building a DIY stand is that it is level and supports the tank in all 4 corners.

Aqueon stands are built to hold a weight equivalent of 3x the maximum weight of the largest tank that can fit on the footprint and must prevent an empty tank from sliding off when tilted to a minimum 10 degree angle. Also a 50 lb weight is hung on the extended door (with a full tank on the stand) and it must not tip. The last test is to prevent toddlers from pulling the tank over on themselves.

Andy Hudson
Central Aquatics R&D


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

Interesting to get some input from the other side. Reading your posting brought up a question to me. Did you get this part right or did you mean maximum?



> must prevent an empty tank from sliding off when tilted to a minimum 10 degree angle.


Maybe I'm not reading it correctly at all but it seemed to specify a minimum but not state a maximum. I had traded into a new Aqueon stand but passed on using it because of the way it was built. There seemed to be nothing to keep the tank from sliding off the narrow edges at the top.

Am I a victim of not understanding or was I a victim of a mislabeled product? I would believe either as I have found the local store where this stand was purchased is not entirely honest. 
A little input please?


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## Hanafuda (Mar 31, 2010)

Andy,

I'll leave you to address PfunMo's post, but I just wanted to thank you for your reply. Never expected to get a response "straight from the horse's mouth."

As for my interest in building a DIY stand instead of buying commercial, it's more about design than concern over structural strength. I'm sure Aqueon's stands are adequately built ... though I am not a fan of mdf or other composite materials for an aquarium stand simply because of the liklihood of occasional spills and water exposure. If I were buying an Aqueon stand I'd probably go for the classic pine over the (?) more expensive "modern" or "mission" series, simply because AFAIK it's all solid wood. Even though the "classic pine" looks cheaper and the level of finish is less than impressive, I would trust it more. (If my impressions here are incorrect, please feel free to correct me.)

But my real issue with buying an Aqueon stand is that you don't offer anything with a walnut (i.e. dark brown) finish. It's all either black, cherry, or oak (i.e. light tan).

Something for you to think about there in R&D. :thumb:

But again, I really did appreciate your response. I couldn't tell you the number of times I've read a post on fish boards spreading that bad info about needing to use the same brand stand as the tank if you want warranty coverage. Thank you for dispelling that bad info for us.


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## Narwhal72 (Sep 26, 2006)

PfunMo, sorry I meant "Maximum". To test this we have a large flat table on rollers that is hooked up to a pulley system on one side. We crank the pulley up and tilt the tank and stand over to 10 degrees. If it slides off it fails. 10 degrees isn't a lot and even a flat table top style stand (Geneva series) will not slide. It's mainly to prevent the tank from sliding off if someone was setting it up on an unlevel surface. Some stands can go much higher angles without sliding but they only have to go 10 degrees to pass.  Once you fill the tank with water the weight alone will keep the tank from moving around on the stand.

Hanafuda,
It all comes down to cost eventually. The pine stands are made with real wood but are shorter than the Modern and Mission series. The Modern stands are made with solid wood and plywood. The Mission and Impression series use MDF mostly. It's the only way a stand could be made that way and be affordable. The laminated surface provides greater water protection than real wood does. The big problem would be if water was allowed to sit or pool on the bottom of the stand. Then it could wick up the exposed edge surfaces and expand. As long as you are quick to wipe up any spills the stands will last as long as the tank.

We used to offer a lot of stands (and tanks and hoods) in the walnut color which I was always a big fan of. Unfortunately it's only regionally popular (Mid Atlantic states mostly) and the sales did not support making it any longer and they were slowly discontinued. Marineland has done the same thing over the years.

Andy


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