DIY tank or aquapod

[TriGa22]

I am wondering if I should do a 12 gallon aquapod or a DIY tank where I buy the tank filters and such?

[StunnaShadez]

i have an aquapod. i am kinda wishing that i would've went with a DIY 20g instead of my ap12. just get like t5's or MH's and then drill the tank and have a sump. my next setup will be 29g w/ t5's

[InLimbo87]

I think it all depends on how simple you want your setup, what critters you want to keep, etc. Personally, I went with the all-in-one because I was looking for a simple design for my new tank. A "diy tank" would give you more options in the way of sumps, etc, but would obviously be a more complex design.

So, the question is, what do you want from your tank?

[scoobasteve]

DIY tank are a better choice becasue you have so many options. You don't have to make your setup complex with a diy build. You could add a couple of power heads and a skimmer, you could go all out with a closed loop and a sump and or fuge, or you could so super simple and throw a huge power filter on the back. With a diy alot of people assume the need for sumps, but honestly if you slap an emperor 400 or an aquaclear 110 on the back of a 10g or 20L, then you've got yourself some serious turnover. All in ones never are really all you need. Everyone upgrades the lights, mods the overflow, changes the pumps, ect. So why not just pay ten bucks for a 10g and add everything you want?

[TriGa22]

Alright. Im going to look into the tank that I want. I already have a 29 so a 20 long can use the lights I have on my 29 and then switch the lights on the 29 to T5

[TriGa22]

And for fish I am looking at some clowns that arnt the usual like pink sunk or b&w and some gobies.

[chkit]

if i had the craftsmanship i'd go DIY but i don't so i went with aquapod. i think it's more fun going with DIY.

[Bud's Reef]

I bought an AP24 thinking it would be easy, but it turned out to be DIY anyway. I ended up swapping out the fans, the pump, added another bulkhead and pump, and now I'm looking at adding lights to it.

Although to me the best advantage of the AP is that because it has a bulhead wall in the back the pumps are hidden and it just looks nice. So depending on what you want to do it can still be a good system.

I also have Eclipse 12G and 3G and they are a big pain. They look nice but I would not recommend them to anyone.

[InLimbo87]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10231323#post10231323 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bud's Reef


Although to me the best advantage of the AP is that because it has a bulhead wall in the back the pumps are hidden and it just looks nice.

This is why I went with an all-in-one over a "diy tank". I am still planning on modding mine, and making it into a nice tank. However, once I am done modding it, it will still look like a clean, simple tank. It becomes harder in the AGA style tanks to do that (ie sumps,creating your own false walls, etc).

[hgbarwick]

I went with an aquapod. I like the clean, fit, and nice look of the all in ones. They hide the pumps which I like. You still might have to do some mods. I know I am umpgrading the pumps, ligthing, adding a skimmer and such.