Abstract: The unit price of a floor-standing arowana aquarium is only 40–60% of what the importer actually pays. Crating, oversized-cargo freight, door-width clearance, crane siting, on-site filling, and customs paperwork each add a line that rarely appears in the first quotation. Buyers who treat the unit price as the landed cost typically face a 25–40% overrun before the tank holds water.
The Unit Price Is Not the Landed Price
An arowana tank is not a small parcel. A 200 cm floor-standing unit with a bottom filter cabinet weighs 350–600 kg, arrives in a wooden crate roughly 2.3 m × 0.9 m × 1.6 m, and cannot be rolled through a standard hotel front door. It needs a delivery team, possibly a crane, and a waterproofed floor. None of those lines are on the product page.
The table below shows the typical cost split for a mid-range arowana tank delivered to a mid-warehouse and installed in a showroom in Southeast Asia. Percentages shift with distance and site complexity, but the order of magnitude holds.
| Cost component | % of total landed cost | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Unit price (tank + cabinet + equipment) | 45–55% | Glass, stand, sump, pump, LED, media |
| Export crating and bracing | 3–6% | Plywood crate, foam corners, angle iron |
| Inland China haulage to port | 1–3% | Factory to Shenzhen/Guangzhou |
| Ocean freight (LCL or FCL) | 8–15% | Depends on cube and oversize surcharge |
| Destination port handling + customs | 3–6% | THC, documentation, duties |
| Inland delivery to site | 5–10% | Trucking, possibly crane |
| On-site installation and filling | 8–15% | Uncrating, leveling, sump hookup, water |
| Spare parts and first 90 days service | 2–4% | Heater, UV lamp, test kit |
| Total landed and installed | 100% |
Crating: The Line That Separates a Safe Delivery from a Broken Glass
Arowana tanks ship as oversized, fragile, rectangular glass panels. A standard carton will not survive a trans-Pacific move. The crate needs bracing on every vertical edge, foam between the glass and the frame, and a wooden pallet that a forklift can pick from both ends. Buyers who accept a flimsy crate to save $80 usually end up filing a damage claim on arrival.
Ruibit ships floor-standing arowana units in purpose-built wooden crates with internal angle-iron bracing, because the difference between a crate that survives a rough port handling and one that does not is measured in the first 10 cm of internal bracing. The crate is also where the handling marks go: "This side up," "Fragile glass," "Do not stack." A photograph of the crate before loading is the single most useful document if a claim later arises.
Freight: LCL, FCL, and Oversize Surcharges
A single arowana tank rarely fills a 20 ft container. For a 200 cm unit, LCL (less-than-container load) is the normal route, but LCL carries two costs that FCL does not: consolidation handling at origin and destination, and an oversized-cargo surcharge if the crate exceeds standard dimensions.
| Freight scenario | Typical cube | Relative cost | When it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCL, single tank | 8–12 CBM | 1.0× baseline | One-off showroom order |
| FCL, 4–6 tanks | 28 CBM | 0.55–0.7× | Multi-unit distributor order |
| Air freight | <1 CBM | 4–6× | Urgent replacement panel only |
| Express courier | Small accessory | 8–10× | Spare parts only |
The oversize surcharge is the line buyers forget. A crate longer than 2.2 m or taller than 1.6 m often triggers a reefer or flat-bed arrangement at the trucking stage, adding $150–400 per move inside the destination country.
Site Access: Where Projects Stall
Delivery is the stage where hotel and showroom projects stall, not where the tank is built. Three site facts lock the logistics budget:
- Door width. A 2.0 m tank cannot turn through a 0.9 m door. If the only access is a stairwell or a window, the delivery team needs a crane or a glass lift.
- Floor load. A 400 kg tank on a 0.5 m² footprint puts 800 kg/m² on the slab. An upper-floor showroom needs structural confirmation before the truck arrives.
- Drain and water source. Filling a 600 L tank on site needs a hose, a dechlorinator, and a drain. A hotel without a floor drain will need a water truck or a bucket brigade.
A Worked Example
A distributor in Bangkok ordered a 200 cm ultra-white arowana unit with bottom filtration for a showroom. The unit price was $1,850 EXW. After adding crating ($110), LCL freight to Laem Chabang ($420), customs and THC ($180), local trucking to the showroom ($130), on-site leveling and filling ($240), and a first-year spare parts kit ($65), the landed and installed number was $2,995 — 62% above the unit price. The single overrun was a $90 crane rental because the showroom's rear access was narrower than expected.
What to Ask Before You Approve the Quote
Four questions separate a delivery-ready quote from a unit-price trap:
- What are the crate dimensions and weight, and does that trigger an oversize surcharge at destination?
- Who books the inland truck to site, and what is the plan if the back door is too narrow?
- Is on-site leveling, sump hookup, and filling included, or is that a separate contractor?
- What happens if glass arrives cracked — does the factory send a replacement panel by air, or is the whole order delayed?
Send us the tank size, the destination city, and the access route (door width, floor, elevator or crane), and we will quote the crate, freight tier, and installation scope as separate lines so there are no surprises on delivery day.
FAQs
How much does it cost to ship an arowana tank? The unit price is only 45–55% of the landed cost. A 200 cm floor-standing unit typically reaches $2,800–$3,200 installed when crating, LCL freight, customs, local trucking, and site installation are added. Expect a 25–40% overrun if you budget only the product price.
Should I use LCL or FCL for an arowana tank order? LCL works for a single showroom unit (8–12 CBM). FCL is cheaper per tank at 4–6 units (28 CBM, roughly 55–70% of LCL per unit). Air freight is 4–6× the cost and only fits small replacement panels.
What makes crate design matter? Arowana glass panels need plywood bracing on every vertical edge, corner foam, and a forklift-ready pallet. Flimsy crates save about $80 at packing but usually trigger a damage claim at delivery. The crate should also carry "Fragile glass" and "This side up" marks for rough port handling.
What site access issues usually delay delivery? A 2.0 m tank cannot pass through a 0.9 m door and may need a crane or glass lift. Upper-floor showrooms need structural confirmation because a 400 kg tank on 0.5 m² puts 800 kg/m² on the slab. Filling also requires a water source and floor drain.
What four questions should I ask before approving a quote? Get crate dimensions and weight (oversize surcharge), who books inland trucking, whether leveling and filling are included, and the claim process if glass arrives cracked. Separate crate, freight, and installation lines so there are no surprises on delivery day.
