Greetings fellow reefers,
Here is the update on my tank move for my Red Sea Reefer 450:
TLDR version: they dropped the sump. And then they dropped the main tank. Both shattered. I'm heartbroken. They're buying me a new tank and sump. Continue reading for the in-depth saga.
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When I booked this appointment two weeks ago, I gave the dimensions of my tank, sump and stand as well as the fact that they are both glass and their approximate weight. The main tank without water, rock and sand is 220lbs. I let them know in advance this would take a lot to move. They estimated about 4-5 hours of labor for $100/hour.
Two gentlemen arrived at 11:30am this morning. I shook their hands, welcomed them inside, and showed them my tank.
They looked at the tank as I explained how my husband would handle the disassembly of the electronics (Reef Angel controller), that the live rock was stacked (not glued) and easy to remove, and that most of my corals were not fixed to the rocks yet so they were also easy to move. These guys just stood there, not saying a word.
Finally, the first guy says to the other guy, who's standing there with his arms crossed, grimacing, "So, are you ready?" "No," he answers. My husband and I give a nervous laugh as they head into their truck to get their equipment. I'm already thinking that this second grumpy guy is really negative and not customer service minded, but whatever. I let it go.
They set-up and start removing the corals and rock. They offer to also clean the tank glass, which I graciously accept. Everything is off to a good start. I'm chatting away, offering fresh towels if they need them, and helping out where I can. My husband clears out the contoller and its parts. They catch all the fish, and clean out the sand.
Finally, it's time to move the main tank. The first guy's hands are slipping off the glass, so my husband offers him work gloves, which he happily accepted (why didn't he have his own???). The grumpy guy has his own gloves, except he can't find one of them, so he's pulling a Michael Jackson one-glove routine. My husband offers him work gloves as well, but this guy declines.
They manage to lift the tank and move it out the front door and are almost to the truck, when one glove guy says his hand is slipping. My husband assists by holding up the middle, and rescues the tank. It safely makes it into the truck. Barely.
They return for the stand. They were going to leave the sump and all the equipment in the stand and carry it that way, but grumpy guy said it's too heavy and they should remove the sump. We agree.
As they are removing the sump, grumpy guy's hand slips again. This time, the corner of the sump hits the tile floor and shatters. What little water was left begins to flow from the sump onto the floor. It's toast. Thankfully, the tile survives.
I immediately get on the phone to Red Sea customer service to see if they can ship me a replacement sump, which is tricky since they no longer make the Reefer 450. They upgraded the Reefer line recently. Amanda answers and confirms they have one in stock, and they'll freight ship it from Texas. I tell the guys that they must pay for it, and they call their store manager. Yup, they'll pay for it.
I then say to the guys that s**t happens, and we'll get the stand and the main tank to the house. Then they will take my fish, live rock, and corals to board them at their shop (pet store) while we wait for the sump to arrive. They'll finish the job then. They agree, with many apologies.
We drive to the house. They unload the stand - no problem. This time for the main tank, grumpy guy accepts the offer of a second glove. My husband also volunteers to hold the middle all the way to help with the weight.
They walk the main tank to the front steps, which are not tall. I'm standing on the porch holding the screen door wide open so I can see everything that happens next.
The first guy goes backwards up the first step. Before he can get his footing up the second step, grumpy guy moves forward. The first guy falls and drops the tank on its corner. Glass goes everywhere. My husband tried to catch the tank, but there was no way. He injured his wrist in the process.
I ask the first guy if he's injured, and he says no. Grumpy guy hangs his head while leaning on the tank now resting on the ground. My husband walks away to cool his temper for a moment. I say, "I better call Red Sea back and see if they have a main replacement tank."
I call Red Sea, and I'm able to speak with the same customer service agent, which was a comfort considering I was heartbroken and needed a familiar voice.
You see, I was the first person in North America to get the Reefer 450. It was serial #39 off the line. I remember having to wait weeks to receive it after ordering due to a California dock worker strike, which delayed the unloading of my tank off an oceanliner. It was just hitting me that my tank was ruined, but I kept my cool.
"Hi, it's me again. You're not going to believe this..." "Oh no!" Amanda exclaimed. She already knew what I was going to say. She immediately started clacking away on her keyboard, looking for another Reefer 450. They have one. And they can combine the shipping with the sump too. And they can ship it tomorrow. Red Sea and Amanda are awesome.
The two guys are standing in the garage with my husband as he instructed them to move the damaged tanks there for now. I let them know that there is a replacement available, and they breathed a sigh of relief. They had just spoken with their manager again to let him know they dropped the main tank, and they would have to replace that one too. My husband tells them that we'll hold onto the damaged tanks until the new ones arrive, and they will take them for disposal at that time. They agreed, with many apologies.
So, now we must wait for a new main tank and sump to be delivered. My fish, corals, and live rock are being boarded at the store. We'll visit them tomorrow and meet with the store manager then.
I didn't cry until after they left. I managed to keep my cool and hold it together until then, but the floodgates opened after that. That tank was my 40th birthday present from my husband. My poor fish! Who knows if they'll survive all this stress, not to mention the corals.
But, there is a happy note to add to this tale. I got a call back from Red Sea. They told me that since I was practically completely replacing my entire tank setup, why not upgrade to their latest model?
The Reefer 525 XL is the same length as the 450, but it's 2.6 inches deeper. My main tank would increase from 92 to 105 gallons, and my sump from 24 to 33 gallons. It has their newly redesigned sump, which has separate skimmer, return pump, and refugium chambers, and the plumbing is easier to access. The ATO that comes with it is also larger, and the filter socks are upgraded too. When I asked why, they said because they understood the pain I must be experiencing, and they wanted to help with a new housewarming gift.
The floodgates have reopened.
I'll keep you posted on the continuation of this saga. I will say that the store has so far been very reasonable with no arguments or pushback over replacing the tanks, or boarding my fish. I will not make any final judgements until everything is resolved.
Until then,
Mayja
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