Nano Tanks - A list of questions

[stevorino]

Hi All - Handful of questions regarding Nano Tanks
1. Biocubes seem to be the rage here. Is there a particular reason Biocubes are so popular for nano tanks instead of getting 20-30 gallon cheapy tanks and hand selecting the filters/heaters/pumps/lights?
2. If I were to go get a Coralife Biocube 29g - what else other than live rock, sand, testing equip, and fish/coral do I need to get started?
3. If trying to start on the cheap side and slowly upgrade, what's the cost to get a Biocube up and running? (not counting fish/coral costs)
4. I'm seeing a ton of mods on here for these setups - is it even possible to run a biocube without mods for a long period of time? Are the 'optional upgrades' good or no? (skimmer & LED Bar)
5. 14g even worth a look?

 

[sweatervest13]

Quote:
Originally Posted by stevorino http:///t/394934/nano-tanks-a-list-of-questions#post_3515423
Hi All - Handful of questions regarding Nano Tanks
1. Biocubes seem to be the rage here. Is there a particular reason Biocubes are so popular for nano tanks instead of getting 20-30 gallon cheapy tanks and hand selecting the filters/heaters/pumps/lights?
2. If I were to go get a Coralife Biocube 29g - what else other than live rock, sand, testing equip, and fish/coral do I need to get started?
3. If trying to start on the cheap side and slowly upgrade, what's the cost to get a Biocube up and running? (not counting fish/coral costs)
4. I'm seeing a ton of mods on here for these setups - is it even possible to run a biocube without mods for a long period of time? Are the 'optional upgrades' good or no? (skimmer & LED Bar)
5. 14g even worth a look?
Hi there,
I am not an expert in Nano tanks but I have had a couple so I will give it a go.
Lots of folks have the biocubes or other comparable "plug-in-play" tanks. They are popular because they have the filtration chambers with the tank already vs having to add HOB (Hang on Back) filters, skimmers and such. There are plenty of different brands out there for these all in one setups. So, research some other name brands to see if you like those better.
You can run a successful tank without doing a bunch of crazy mods. You may have to do a little more maintenance on the tank and do more frequent water changes. But it can be done. The mods are done to make things a little easier. A skimmer is always a great idea for any tank, and the LED bars or any other LED lighting is helpful. Bulb replacement on the HQI's and T5 setups can get costly in the long run. Not all LEDs are the same so research on what works for others and the corals and critters they want to keep.
For a first set up you need the things you listed and a few others. You need a water source, like RO/DI. You can purchase a home unit and make your own water. Or you can buy it from the store (LFS or a Walmart). The LFS will also sell you premixed saltwater. This works for a short time, but can be pricey. If you are going to be in the hobby for the long run, buying your own RO/DI unit, storage container, and salt mix is the cheapest way to go.
As far as costs go, you can spend a few hundred dollars up to a couple of grand for a nice Nano setup. I would suggest looking on CL for some deals of people getting out of the hobby. There are lots of deals to be had. Used equipment is always a good way to save a buck or two.

 

[stevorino]

Awesome - thanks for the quick reply!
Now I'm trying to figure out if it's easier/cheaper/better to just get a cheapy 20-30g tank, paint the back and just do the HOB skimmer/heater myself. Too many choices!! Any help would be much appreciated!

 

[sweatervest13]

Quote:
Originally Posted by stevorino http:///t/394934/nano-tanks-a-list-of-questions#post_3515444
Awesome - thanks for the quick reply!
Now I'm trying to figure out if it's easier/cheaper/better to just get a cheapy 20-30g tank, paint the back and just do the HOB skimmer/heater myself. Too many choices!! Any help would be much appreciated!
I set up a 29g tank for my first SW setup. I put more then 1K into it and liked it a lot. I did not paint the back and seeing all he equipment killed me. Completely ruined the look of the tank. You can go a small tank and drill it and do a sump as well. Might even save a few bucks vs buying all HOB stuff.
Good luck!!

 

[saxman]

It really depends on a few things:
What's your goal with the tank? FOWLR, reef, etc.?
What fish, if any are you hoping to keep?
How handy are you at setting up systems?
I personally own six plug-n-play setups, but I pretty much just use them as QT/grow-out tanks. Don't bother with anything smaller than a 24 gal, and IMHO, the NC 28 isn't so hot (the "bow front effect" really distorts the inhabitants), IMHO, however, we do own two of them.
As sweatervest mentioned, I think you'd be better off going with a std 29 gal if you want to stay in the 30 gal range. To cover the back of our non-black-backed tanks, we use a squeegee on film called Water Colors...it's really nice stuff, and I like it better than paint, and it's made for aquariums.
For filtration, I'd run a sump, and drill the tank for the drains and returns. I'd run either an external overflow box (not a HOB) if you get an acrylic tank, or a central trapezoid if you have a glass tank. You can hide all of your equipment in the sump, so all you'll see is your critters and aquascaping. However, you could also do OK running an oversized HOB power filter such as an Aqua Clear (for a 30 gal, run a 50 gal rated filter).
Lighting will depend on what you're keeping, but you will have many more options than if you run a P-n-P nano cube type setup. Your tank will also run cooler, as the out of the box P-n-Ps all run around 80* intrinsically unless you mod them and/or run a chiller.
You could also get what's called an AIO (all in one) such as the uniquariums which have the fitration built into the back. We have a really nice little acrylic 25 gal we had made by our tankmaker, and it was really reasonable.
OTOH, the PnP setups, go up fast, and look nice, and are kinda "no-brainers" to set up. However, you will spend more money on one than you would a comparable "standard" setup.
HTH

 

[mojomusky84]

Hi im new here myself and for what it's worth I put together my own set up with a standard 10 gal.a fluval power filter doing 150 gph, 20 lbs.live sand, a small LED (white) and a larger LED bar (white/blue;moonlight too) and 2 boxes of prebagged pacific saltwater. I have 2 blue leg hermit crabs and an ocellaris clownfish.
http://i.imgur.com/wYkGx1I.jpg