New Tank...First Reef...Need advice!

[wackd99]

Hello...

This is my first post on this forum and I am in the midst of seeking out a good solution for my first reef aquarium. I live in a small apartment so I have settled on getting a biocube, nanocube, or aquapod. They all seem REALLY similar with variants on lighting and filtration...

I actually went into the local pet store and they offered me a 24g Nano Cube OR a 24g Aquapod with out their hoods and with a glass top instead for only $99. He advised me to get a lofted light that rests on the tank but sits above it by a few inches. He said the cubes/pods typically overheat b/c of the lighting in the hood. Is this true? The total package was $99 for the tank, $100 for the lofted light, and $60 for a protein skimmer. That falls in line with normal priced aquapods and nano cubes and I don't think they come with protein skimmers. Any thoughts as to if this is a better solution than just getting the regular hood for the same tanks?

The biocube is a bit bigger... is it worth getting it for the extra 5g?

I plan on having simple corals that don't need extreme lighting and a few fish, perhaps a blue cheek goby, flame angel, a clown or 2... the typical reef fish. Can anyone let me know what I'd need other than a protein skimmer on top of the filters that accompany these tanks?

Thanks - I can't wait to get started!!

[My2heartboys]

Your live rock and sand will be your primary filter. The petstore that told you that lights can cause heat problems, well, I hate to tell ya........but they were right on that one. Even if they are raised up a bit, it still happens.

Generally, the bigger the water volume the more stable everything is. I don't have any experience with any of the tanks you mentioned, but I am sure that many others here have. If you can't get many replies there, there is a nano forum somewhere on the net.

Anne

[Seige]

I'd go with the bigger one if you can afford it and have the space. Saltwater tanks are more restrictive about the number of fish so every bit helps. The flame angel will love you for the extra few gallons. 24g would probably be too small for it. ;-)

I have a 55g and I wish it was at least a 200g...

Are you adding any live rock?

Don't be in a rush to get fish. You need the tank to cycle first. Cycling usually takes about 4 weeks. Just add some LR or a small piece of shrimp and you'll start the cycling process.

[metalhead]

You'll really have to stay on top of your water params with a tank that small. Make sure you do your research beforehand. Also, you may be able to save a few (hundred, thousand) bucks if you start out by buying used equipment...

20 gal saltwater tank w/everything

Hope this helps - Let us know how it goes.

[Ninong]

Hi wackd99,




I think you should slow down and take some time to consider what it is you want to keep in this 29-gal nano tank. For example, if you have your heart set on keeping a flame angelfish (Centropyge loriculus), then a 40-gal tank is a reasonable minimum size for this species. If you wanted to have a dwarf angelfish in a 29-gal tank, a C. argi would be a much better choice.

Because the equipment requirements for a 29-gal tank are not all that different from the requirements for a 40-gal tank, you may want to think about this a little more before taking the plunge. Obviously we can keep going because the total cost of a 40-gal tank is not all that much less than the total cost of a 75-gal tank. One tank that I would definitely not consider is a standard size 55-gal tank. It's a terrible size for either a marine fish aquarium or a reef aquarium.

A standard 40-gal breeder, which measures 36"L x 18"W x 16"H, is a much better reef aquarium size than any of the nano cubes. For one thing, it can be lighted using any of the 36" long fluorescent tubes, either HO T5 or PC but the T5s would be much better. And the 18" front-to-rear dimension offers a lot more room for aquascaping. Many hobbyists, such as this guy, who started out with 29-gal nano cubes, quickly moved up to something a little larger.

As far as fully-equipped, plug & play tanks are concerned, Red Sea probably offers the best with their 34-gal Red Sea Max 130D nano cube or their Red Sea Max 250, 66-gal aquarium. For any nano cube that you hope to keep corals in, either HO T5 lighting or a single 150w metal halide lamp would be better than PCs.

I suggest you check out YouTube first for videos of other people's 29-gal nano cubes and 40-gal breeders in action before making your decision. The only reason I say that is because a fully equipped 40-gal breeder is about the same total cost as a fully equipped 29-gal nano cube. Here's a YouTube link to some 40-gal breeders in action.

As metalhead has already pointed out, you may be able to pick up a slightly used setup for less than half what the equipment would cost new.

Good luck!