Lifetime Aquariums

Lifetime Aquariums®

Build-to-Order Glass Aquarium System

Finally, an aquarium that you design to meet each of your needs!

With free delivery and aquarium moving kits, even the largest aquariums can be easily installed in your home or office.

  • Built-to-order for practically any fish tank size
  • Multiple material thicknesses, clarity, and tempering options
  • Marine-grade anodized aluminum frame
  • Custom holes for overflows/sumps
  • Commercial quality, professional look, and feel
  • FREE delivery Nationwide*
  • Refundable moving kits for easy installation
  • Higher quality and less expensive than acrylic
  • Engineered and Built to Last a LIFETIME!
  • Explore Aquarium Sizes or Aquarium Package Specials

Advanced Experience & Engineering

Our Lifetime Aquarium® systems are designed by seasoned service technicians and engineers to produce the versatility and unmatched durability of our Lifetime Aquariums®.

Our products are easy to service and last a very long time with minimal long-term expense. After countless hours of design, re-design, prototyping, and testing, we developed the most custom and comprehensive aquarium and filter system on the market. Built to last a LIFETIME®!

Built to Last a LIFETIME®

Over many years of installing and maintaining aquariums in businesses, we continually found flaws in aquarium and filtration systems (Servicing is done through our sister company, Serenity USA). These flaws create problems long term and can be very costly.

Rather than continuing with these flaws, we dedicated our vast experience to creating our own solutions. The result is the revolutionary Lifetime Aquarium® System, the Seamless Sump® system, the H2Overflow®, the Siphon Stopper®, and the Majestic® stands and canopies.

Each revolutionary product was born out of feedback from aquarists and our real-world experience with aquarium maintenance. This resulted in an aquarium that is versatile, low-maintenance, and lasts a lifetime.

Aquarium Glass Options

Our Lifetime Aquarium® system allows for a variety of glass options. Here is an overview of these options.

Standard Clarity Glass

Most aquariums, 300 gallons or less, come standard with 3/8″ glass for the front, back, sides, and bottom. This thickness is the industry standard for tanks this size, accounting for drilled holes, overflows, and return fittings.

The typical glass thickness for tanks larger than 300 gallons are between 1/2″ and 3/4″ (Some exceptions are based on engineered specifications. Find recommendations in our aquarium pricing chart). A 3/4″ glass upgrade may make sense for smaller tanks in high-traffic areas or if we have to drill an unusually large number of holes in the glass.

Tempered Glass (Available in 3/8″, 1/2″, 5/8″ & 3/4″)

glass aquariums

Tempering glass can add 5-10x the strength to the panel by superheating the panel, then cooling it rapidly. The glass’s exterior cools quicker than the interior, creating tension, or “loading” of the molecules, making the glass exceptionally strong.

We have full glass fabrication ability and will drill any holes you need and more before tempering for a reasonable extra charge.

Tempering does add to the lead time (usually 2-4 weeks) because we have to send the panel off for tempering. After we temper the glass, you can’t modify it later.

Ultra-Clear Glass (Available in 3/8″, 1/2″, 5/8″ & 3/4″, tempered or non- tempered)

Ultra-clear glass has about the same strength as regular clarity of the same thickness.

The difference is that Ultra-clear has a lower iron content, which gives it a clearer look. This feature is available for an extra charge.

Keep in mind, you can choose glass clarity per panel. For example, you want the front of your tank to be viewed the most, so you could make that panel Ultra-Clear, while the other sides of the tank are Regular clarity. This way, the front panel is the focal point, and you save money by keeping the other panels regular.

LIFETIME® Aquarium Frames

Our LIFETIME® Aquariums are manufactured with a marine-grade, anodized aluminum frame. This is much more durable, rigid, and rust-resistant than plastic, as it is often used for ocean-rated boats and ocean-view skyscraper windows.

Manufacturing the aluminum frame is more expensive than a mass-produced injection molded frame, but with our direct-to-consumer business model, we’re still competitive with plastic rim tanks by cutting out multiple distribution markups.

Stronger Joints with More Silicone

Lifetime Aquarium® Joints

The profile of our aluminum frame not only allows for more rigidity than a plastic frame but also creates areas to apply more silicone with a better bond.

This significantly increases our tank’s strength and durability, particularly large aquariums with large spans.

Fully Polished and Beveled Edges

Polishing and beveling each edge of a fish tank is a labor-intensive, time-consuming step that many manufacturers don’t do: But we do.

This process dramatically increases the strength, integrity, and longevity of your tank.

For our pentagon/hexagon tanks – we bevel the angled edges to the correct angle to match the tank’s shape for a uniform, strong bond.

LIFETIME®

  • Strong mechanical bond
  • Mitered edges to match the shape of the tank
  • No glass-on-glass contact
  • Highly polished edges – Including the concealed edges
  • No risky microfractures
  • A liberal bead of high PSI aquarium-grade silicone

Other Manufactures

  • Square edges and uneven silicone joints
  • Vulnerable microfractures
  • Potential glass-on-glass contact points
  • Limited mechanical bonding strength
  • Sanded edges are not as good as polished
  • Hidden edges are not sanded or polished

LIFETIME® Frames vs Euro Style Frames

Our proprietary aluminum frame system adds strength, durability, and allows us to custom-build virtually any size fish tank. Most custom glass enclosures, however, are made with a euro-frame design, which is pieced together with large chunks of reinforcement glass, and lots of ugly silicone.

If you want a “euro” style custom aquarium, be sure to examine close-up pictures of the frame. The aesthetics are not always ideal and can be a lot heavier because of the additional glass.

Plastic Framed Tops – Inherent Risk of Failure

Most mass-produced aquariums are made with injection-molded plastic tops. These will usually last a while but eventually become brittle, particularly when exposed to UV light.

As we explained in the Acrylic vs. Glass comparison, plastic is porous and will absorb moisture. And with long-term exposure to UV light, an aquarium top can fail and lead to a total failure of the aquarium. This is far less likely with our reinforced aluminum frame.

Plastic Frames – Center Brace Failure Can Be Disastrous.

One of the most common calls we receive is from aquarists with well-established aquariums that suddenly fail. This is almost always due to the center brace failing. The center brace is the fish tank’s weakest and most vulnerable part because it has the highest force exerted on the weakest structure. Over time, the plastic becomes weak and brittle as UV light breaks it down and dries it out.

Our LIFETIME® Aquariums have marine-grade anodized aluminum center supports that are reinforced with a secondary aluminum bracket and riveted for extra strength.

No longer is the center bracket a long-term failure risk!

Tested By Us. Loved by Aquarists.

We have reviews from customers all over the country who have raved about our LIFETIME® Aquariums and how they’ve been excellent first fish tanks or the perfect solution to their current one:

I sent a request into the customer service asking about my tank that had just developed a crack in the top brace. Seeing as it was a holiday, I did not expect to hear from anyone on the same day, but to my surprise, I had a response within the hour. While the answer to my question was not what I was hoping to hear, I was very pleased with the quick response and the honest advice given. I will be sure to visit Custom Aquariums in the future for all of my aquatic needs!! I am very satisfied with the service that I received!

Jessica W.

I have a 300 gal. reef aquarium that the top center glass brace broke off. After measuring the ends and center I noticed the center of my tank had bowed a full inch. In fearing that my front glass wouldn’t stand the water pressure I looked online for any help I could find. Within the hour CustomAquariums.com came to my rescue. And within 3 hours a plan was in place! Thank you so much CustomAquariums.com for your quick concern to my emergency and helpful staff. I also have to say in being in this hobby for the past 25 years. It’s been a major concern with the structure of aquarium tanks holding up to wear and tear caused by saltwater, new wavemakers, and just water pressure. The design of the marine-grade anodized aluminum frame makes for a long time worry-free hobby.

Jesse Arias