Nano Cube or "normal" small tank?

[bigtank]

I am a "former" reefer who will most likely re-enter the hobby within a year and would like to start with a small tank such as a 12g JBJ nano cube or a regular 15g number.

Some background info: I had a 70 gallon reef tank back in high school. While it was a really good learning experience, it was also very problematic. Money was pretty tight, as a student with little lump-sum money and a very basic part-time job. My parents were also not welcome to my hobby and especially the expenses involved. I set the tank up when I was 16 years old and had it for about 18 months, until we moved to a smaller house and I left for the Army. I had mostly LPS corals, did okay with a clam and BTA for a while, had MH's, a hang-on skimmer, basically the best I could do with limited cash and unwelcoming parents. There were a lot of problems with algae and aiptasia...an RO/DI system was out of the question...and so on. The tank size also proved harder to work with than I had in mind.

I have pretty much stayed up-to-date on the hobby since then and have learned more...a lot of things I wish I knew back then. This year I am set to leave the Army in the summer and get an apartment in College Station, car, job, and start college in the fall. I have saved up a lot of money in the military and would like to do it right when I do start reefing again.

I want to start with a small system before setting up a 30-40 gallon tank capable of supporting SPS and other more demanding animals. I think a little 15 or 20 with T5 lighting and a small sump with a Euroreef skimmer would make a fine choice for soft corals and LPS. Also a manageable size with less upkeep than a 70. I also want to keep the small tank after the larger one is in place.

However, I have seen a lot of pretty nice reefs housed in the self-contained Nano Cube on here. Kind of amazes me, less than 200 bucks and you have most of what you need right there. Maybe add a powerhead, throw a heater in there...pretty much ready to start adding what goes inside. I would love a 15 as I described, but the Cube sounds so simple and basic that it's tempting.

I want to focus on the fundamentals...will definitely get a good RO/DI system, refractometer, grounding probe, and other key items. I have learned that sound equipment and husbandry practices are far better than expensive stuff to fix problems.

Questions? Comments?

[Carl_in_Florida]

I think a nano takes more time than a larger tank. I would need someone with both to chime in here on that note. But from what i see and hear, that is the case.

I ould always take an AGA over an all-in-one that you have to modify. And if you plan on keeping anything other than a mushroom, you will have to upgrade both the lights and pump. Starts to sound like building a whole tank to me.

Carl

[Cutiewitbooty]

I would say start with a standard tank. I know that when you get the nano cube you have to add stuff and tank stuff off to make it work better, so why not just get a plain tank and get exactly what you want? I agree, the smaller the tank the harder is is to maintain, things can go bad really fast.

[phenom5]

definately get a regular tank. nano cubes or aquapods or whatever are pricey, and you still have to mod them. this all equals up to a lot of cash spent. you can get more out of your money with a standard tank. i'd pick up a standard glass 15g or 20g and then put the money you would have spent on the cube into good lights or a skimmer.

nano's can be difficult, you have to be obsessive about water quality, but as far as them taking more time then a larger tank...i can scrape the glass, do a 20% water change, clean all my PH's and my skimmer in my 10 in half the time it would take to scrape the front glass of a 125...but i have to do that on a weekly basis...six one way, one half dozen the other if you ask me.

[Kogo]

sorry, posting error

[Agu]

I agree that you should get a standard tank and use the money saved for better equipment.

The difference in time commitment isn't that great, but it's spread out more with a nano. I spend 10 minutes per day six days a week doing minor maint and an hour on Sunday evenings doing water changes on three nanos. That comes out to about two hours/week. That's about the I spent once a week on my old 180.

[surfnvb7]

i'm in agreement with everyone else here. go with a standard tank like an AGA or whatever.

btw....how would you hook up a euroreef to a nanocube/aquapod anyways??? :confused:

[acuoio]

If you like the looks of the Cube, go with the cube. In my opinion, a nano reef tank should be a show tank. Something that looks good on the inside and the out. Unless you can hide a regular rectangle tank in a wall, it's going to look unappealing.

I personally don't like tubes and cords and filters and skimmers and fuges and lights hanging off my tank. My biggest pet peeve are lights that sit on stands over the tank. It lights up everything else. Short people in the house get sun blinded.

I hear complaints about buying a nanocube only just to modify it. Show me a tank that isn't modified.

[grim]

I was going to go with one of those setups. Decided just to get an Oceanic 30g instead. I wanted to pick my own filtration and lighting, not pay that money just to mod. Then I started reading about the failures, decided it wasn't worth taking the risk.

The little 30g oceanic cube uses incredibly thick glass for a tank that size and the construction is impeccable. Was an easy decision for me. In the end the difference in cost between the 24g cube and the oceanic would have been negligable.

jim

[hrrsncrg]

I am a newbie as well. I am looking at the 24g Aquapod. In another post the biggest downside was an electrical problem. But I called Current-USA today and they have cleared all those issues up. In fact, the 24g never had electrical issues it was the 12g. Also the 24g's glass thickness is .05, so they have taken care of cracking as well.

For me the standard 24g is what I think I am going to start off with. Then later when I want to upgrade to different corals that normal lighting will not support I plan on upgrading my lighting. Current-USA also advised that the 24g is made to upgrade the lighting, etc.

I agree with the previous poster that all tanks have upgrades. It's all about how much you can spend and what you want your tank to look like.

craig

[bigtank]

Interesting opinions, especially the last two replies. I guess it would make more sense to go with a regular tank with a sump and fuge (don't see the need for a skimmer in a small tank with softies and LPS) and then put a skimmer, Ca reactor, and all the big goodies on the larger tank later on.

I really want the flexibility offered with a real sump as opposed to all hang-on equipment and heaters and powerheads in the tank. I don't like cords either, but with a sump I won't have cords going into the main tank and all that. I also think T5 lighting is the wave of the future for smaller systems. Metal halides are great, but I don't want the heat and evaporation I had to deal with there. I also want better bulb life than I had with halides and people are reporting with PC's...again T5's look very promising.

I have been a member of this forum for more than 5 years now. Y'all have been great, lots of talented people here with extensive experience. Thanks for the recommendations and I hope to make this dream into reality. It will be great to finally be able to do it the way I want to.

[ratimpulse]

Sweet i notice your stationed in korea, i was born there. Sorry random.... Anyways I have to agree with nanos and aquapods take money to upgrade. I started my nano and then went to take down my nano cube and transfer it to a 10 gallon AGA. I believe there are more options with an AGA tank. If you want to go nano i suggest one of those dual stands and buy 2 10 gallon AGA tanks, have the display tank drilled and then have the other one your sump/fuge. I plan on doing this in the next few weeks. Also if you plan on doing a SPS tank i would suggest a kalk reactor.

Also I do have to say i believe a nano tank is harder to keep then a larger tank, i have 1 55 gallon tank and 3 nanos and i put more time into one of those nanos then itno my 55 gallon.

[bigtank]

I'm not saying it's really easier to maintain a nano, but procedures like water changes will be more manageable, especially with a sump. I never dreamed of doing a 50% water change on my 70...that would have taken forever and such a PITA. If I had to do that on a 15 or 20, not such a problem. While money will be much less of an issue this time, a 15 sure doesn't have to cost as much as a 70. Less LR and sand, one pump instead of 5 powerheads and a Mag 3, fewer animals (also fewer losses due to experience and better planning).

I am also one of those people who wants to keep a variety of animals, not just LPS, not just an anemone...but everything from zoos to SPS. Some people do this in only one tank, but I think it would be better to have two.

[jap1]

I have the 12 aquapod and I LOVE the way it looks but when I had everything in my 10 gallon plain tank it was so much easier to have all the extra equipment in it. I was using a hang on refugium/protein skimmer that seemed to work pretty well. BUT it looked really ugly compared to the aquapod. I guess if you're going for aesthetics, then go with a nanocube. If going for better functionality and ease of upgrading, then go with a normal tank.