New to Nano Tanks...some assistance please

[aaron02]

Hi all, I am new to nano tanks and aquariums for that matter. I have done some research and as I am sure you all know, there is a ton out there which can get overwhelming. I was hoping someone might be able to assist with my first item...my tank. I am looking to set up a ~20 gallon tank after set up items. I know the smaller they are the herder they are, however I have limited space but a lot of patience. With that said, I am looking at the following.


JBJ Nano Cube RL Rimless Biotope Aquarium - 30 Gallon
Innovative Marine 16 Gallon Nano Aquarium
Clear For Life Rectangle Acrylic UniQuarium 20 Gallons


Does anyone have any thoughts on these? Glass vs acrylic at this size? All in one tanks, good idea? I know this limits me for the future but I also dont plan on moving anytime soon with more space. Do the filters, pumps, etc with these all in ones cut it? If not this would be part two, which of these tanks and then which of the following are the best buys:

Lights
Filter
Pumps
skimmer
heater


THANK YOU SO MUCH!

[premilove]

how much space do you have? can you fit a 24"x24"x12" ? check out my build.. your equipment depends on what you want to keep.

if you want to keep all corals:

LEDs-
Radion
AI Nano
Kessil a150( depending on your tank size)
Maxspect

T5's
ATI 4 bulb

Metal Halide- one 150w hqi however you must factor in the possible necessity of a chiller and the increased electricity costs..

Tanks- It really depends on your space. If you want an all in one tank- solana, biocubes, nanocubes seem to be the popular ones. If you go with a reef ready tank, you will have the added bonus of a sump, ultimately increasing your water capacity.

Pumps- It all depends on your tank. If you go with something that is reef ready, you will need a more powerful pump. AIO tanks usually use maxijets for returns. I used 2 mj 1200s when I had my nanocube. I'm using a mag 5 on my 30g+my sump, which has a solid 15 usuable gallons of water.

Skimmer-once again it all depends on your tank. If you go with one of AIO tanks, your space is limited, as the skimmer would need to fit in the rear chambers. With that being said, the popular skimmers seem to be- Aquamaxx HOB-1, and TUNZE 9002. There are several HOB(hang on back) skimmers out there. I personally would recommend going with a sump. If that's not possible, I have had a better experience with the Aquamaxx HOB-1 as opposed to the TUNZE.

Heater- once again, depends on your tank.

I am not too familiar with the choices you listed above. As far as AIO tanks go- in the past, I setup a JBJ 12g, 2 jbj 28g, a Solana, and a DIY AIO 10g that failed miserably.

My first JBJ had the metal halide hood, 150w. Keeping that tank below 80 degrees was a nightmare. I had to prop up the hood on some pieces of wood and had my controller keep a fan running. I was still in highschool at that time, and I could not afford a chiller. This was before LEDs were on the market. For equipment- 2 MJ 1200 returns, koralia nanos, and i never really needed a heater. I converted my rear chamber into a refugium.

The second JBJ I setup originally had the JBJ LED professional series hood or whatever it was called. I took apart the hood and noticed how crappy the LEDs were and immediately sold it off and bought an Ecoxotic Panarama Pro. This was a mistake. I sold that, bought an Ecotech Radion, and never been happier. I used the stock heater it came with. Due to my limited funds, I macgyver'd my ecoxotic stand mount in order to mount my radion, which can be seen in my current build. BC of that, I had to use the TUNZE 9002 in the center chamber at first bc I couldn't figure out how to fit the Aquamaxx hob1. I later managed to rig up some pipes to get it to work.

Let me stop rambling..stay away from all in one tanks if it's possible! If you can, get something that is reef ready, and get yourself a nice sump. You will be much happier in the long run!

[premilove]

check out the JBJ owners club. AIO tanks can be a real PITA when trying to fit equipment, however it can be done!

[DragKnee]

I just purchased an Innovative Marine Nuvo 16 after looking at the BioCubes. The AIO package it had looks very nice, with enough room in the back to upgrade to larger pumps in the future, hide your heater, and I believe fit a nano skimmer with nothing truly "showing".

It basically comes with everything you need except a heater. I'm not going to run a skimmer yet; my LFS has one setup and running well with all the stock components and no skimmer.

Also, the LEDs it comes with are reef ready but will only support low to medium light corals. I think I'll upgrade the lighting system in the future, but for now it'll do for what I want.

I too am limited on space, and is specifically why I went with the Nuvo 16.