New to SW - AIO or Piece a Tank Together?

C

clintster442

I have a 75g tropical freshwater tank and want to get into SW. Mainly interested in a coral tank and inverts. My FW tank is african cichlids which is pretty high maintenance so i'm looking for a simple nano tank (10 - 20 gallons) to start off with to learn with lower maintenance/self sustaining. Raining looking for smaller tank to simplify water changes - 3-5 gallon WCs are a lot simpler than 30 gallons.

I have been looking at some AIO tanks and starter kits sold by online stores. BRS has a nice starter it for the Nuvo Fusion 20 http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/nuvo-fusion-20-gallon-starter-tank-kit.html but i'm not so keen on buying a complete kit as I think it would be better to customize my setup. I'm in no rush on the tank.

Looking for opinions on starting out, tanks, kits, etc. Thanks all.
 
To be honest, in saltwater, larger tanks are easier to maintain because water values move slower. In saltwater reef, you have alot of micro fauna working in your favor. If you want to go all in one, look at JBJ, Red Sea or Aqua Cube because they have lids that reduces the amount of evaporation. That will be your major struggle in nano tanks.
 
@digital_gods wrote:
If you want to go all in one said:
When I started my first tank (an AIO Biocube with the lighting built into the lid) my biggest problem was actually heat. Once I removed the top and added an auto top off setup things were much easier. If I were going to do it again I'd probably go with one of the IM Nuvo Fusion tanks that comes with the LED light fixture and a screen for the top to prevent fish from jumping. But you'll really need to have an ATO to replenish the water that evaporates. Trying to keep up with it manually can be a hassle, plus it affects the stability of the tank.

The AIO tank made things (relatively) simple for me being completely new to saltwater. However, as with most things in this hobby, it didn't take long before I decided I needed to upgrade. [smilie=smile.gif]
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the reply, I'm actually looking at the IM Nuvo Fusion 20 with an EcoTech XR15W Light. It's going into a tighter area so ATO won't be an option initially. I assume i'll enjoy the hobby and end up upgrading, this tank will be more of a "test run" to learn the hobby and really have something small and simple the kids can help with.
 
I've had very little luck with AIO , just not enough room for a good skimmer or other filtering.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top