- Now, this is what I've been waiting for,
optiwhite glass, a gorgeous stand in six swappable colors,
that's built like a tank, pun intended,
quality schedule 80 plumbing, and a premium PVC sump.
This is exactly where I wanna start a new reef.
The Aquaforest OceanGuard tanks are pushing the boundaries
of what we've come to expect from a prefab aquarium system.
Not just in the quality of the materials,
or the clarity of the glass,
and the overall sleek appearance,
but also with their extremely well-made cabinets
that come in six colors using easily swappable doors
and side panels so that you can change the look at any time,
plus that gorgeous PVC sump with a generous ATO reservoir
and robust schedule 80 plumbing to match.
These systems are in a league of their own
and there's a lot of great details to cover,
so let's get into it.
The OceanGuard aquarium systems are currently
available in five sizes, the 275, the 435,
the 605, the 790, and the 980.
They range in lengths from two feet
all the way up to six feet,
and system volumes from 75 gallons up to 259 gallons.
So whether you prefer a small cube tank
or a much larger reef system, you've got options.
Now I've set up many, many different aquariums
over the years from many different manufacturers,
but I have never had an unboxing experience like this.
The OceanGuard is shipped in a very well-packed
four-piece crate and the stand's already assembled
and the sump and plumbing is tucked inside of the stand.
And the stand is tucked inside of the tank.
Once you've removed the first three pieces of the crate
you just need to lift the stand straight up
and out of the tank, remove the sump and plumbing box,
flip the stand over and into place,
and then you can just carry the tank
off of the base of the crate
and set it directly on the stand.
It is just fantastic.
The tanks themselves are constructed
from thick Pilkington optiwhite ultra-clear glass,
so you can see the true colors of your fish and corals.
The panes are immaculately bonded
with a proprietary black silicone that looks fantastic,
but more importantly, is made specifically
for marine aquariums.
The back and bottom panels, along with the overflow,
are blacked out and all of the edges of the panels
are beautifully beveled to complete the look.
I'm also a big fan of the dimensions of these tanks.
The lengths and the heights match really nicely,
and even the largest model does not exceed a 24-inch height
which is really important, not only for light penetration
but also for ease of maintenance.
And all of the models are at least
as wide front to back as they are tall.
So for example, the 605 I have here measures 47.2 inches
by 24.6 inches by 22.6 inches tall,
which makes for very easy and attractive aquascaping.
At the top of the overflow panel,
there is a removable handcrafted acrylic weir
with a nicely inlaid seahorse on the front,
and AF logo vent on the top.
The lid also has three sizes of breakaway cutouts
to accommodate a central light mount if you need it.
The fact that it's removable makes cleaning the weir
something that can be done at a sink
rather than at the tank, and also means
it's completely replaceable should anything happen to it.
The overflow system is based on the Herbie method
with a main drain, an auxiliary or emergency drain,
and a return.
The main drain uses a floating stalk
mid style standpipe and silencer,
making it easier to keep things silent
especially when paired up
with its very precise European gate valve.
The return pipe is threaded
and uses Loc-Line with a flared nozzle at the tank.
And down below has a maintainable check valve
to prevent back siphoning
when the pump is turned off or loses power,
a bypass port for adding on extra filtration,
like a reactor, and a barb with a length
of thick walled silicone hose in purple
to prevent vibration from the return pump.
All of that plumbing falls nicely
into the sump exactly where it needs to.
The sump itself is incredibly well made
from PVC and looks phenomenal.
It has a very simple, but well thought out design
with a quiet water entry system,
a large skimmer or refugium area,
an adjustable baffle, and a return pump chamber
as well as a substantial ATO reservoir,
which is really nice to see.
The removable filter soft trays use a cascading design
with a polishing sock first and a media sock second,
both topped with silencers.
And if you prefer, they can also both be completely removed
to make space for media reactors or other equipment.
At the front of the sump,
you have a window with a max water level line
for the filter socks, graduated water level markings
for the skimmer chamber, as well as a max fill line
and graduated markings for the ATO reservoir.
While it doesn't have any frilly features,
like dosing tube or probe holders,
that means you can place aftermarket holders
wherever you like, leaving that up
to your personal preference
and leaving things sleek and simple
for those who don't intend to use them at all.
Now the OceanGuard preassembled cabinets are next level.
First they're built from the same marine grade
pressure treated multi-layered hardwood panels
that are used for building yachts.
The doors use premium Japanese stainless steel hinges,
so no rusting here.
There's not only a foam mat
on the top of the cabinet for the tank,
but also inside for the sump.
The push openers for the doors are recessed in the frame
and they carry a B 31 certified safety rating.
And all of that is awesome.
But when it comes to looks, these cabinets are top notch.
They're available in six colors,
white, warm sand, crushed ice, rhino,
dark gray, and carbon black,
so you can easily match them to the decor in your home.
The completely waterproof doors
and side panels are easily removable,
which means you can swap them out
for a different color at any time,
changing up the look of the cabinet
without having to dismantle your reef tank,
which is fantastic for when you want
to freshen things up after a few years.
You can even mix and match those door and end panel colors
to create your own custom look.
These beautiful cabinets are also taller than most,
sitting at 37 inches, which puts the aquarium
at a comfortable height to view while standing or seated
which I can certainly appreciate being six foot three.
Between this incredible cabinet, the sump, the plumbing,
and the crystal clear aquarium itself,
you have a brilliant stage for your reef
and I'll be outfitting this one
with Aquaforest sand and rock as well.
And if you wanna be twinsies,
you can click here to pick out an OceanGuard for yourself.
(soft rhythmic music)