New to nanos, not reefing

[MedcinMn]

I've had a 125 AGA reef tank for several years, looking to make some room in my house and am thinking of a nano. I don't know much about nanos, been reading the threads and searching the internet. I'm leaning towards a 12 or 24 nano cube. I've found them on some sponsor sites for around $150, including lights, pumps, filters, etc. Any thoughts on this setup and the stock equipment they come with? Suggestions to lead me towards something better?

Thx,

Aaron

 

[Agu]

I look at those $150 tanks and think they're pretty cool, and it only takes another $150 to mod them, Then I buy a $10 tank and use the extra $290 to make them exactly what I want with money left over for corals.

jmo,

 

[aural]

all depends on your budget, what you want to keep in the tank, etc.

at the very least you will want to upgrade your circulation in either of the nano cube models. the stock pump doesnt do much. The stock lighting in either of the DX models is good for lower-light corals. softies, some LPS do very well.

I've had great success with my nano-cube. One thing i dont like about it is that it has a curved glass front pane. i really like taking pictures of my tanks and that is a huge henderance to me. If i had it to do all over again, i would probably do a custom cube, but all in all owning my nano cube has been a joy.

if you arent in a hurry, you might want to wait for the Oceanic version of the nanocube to come out. they are coming in 8g, 14g, and 29g sizes (i believe) and Oceanic products are usually top of the line.

 

[MedcinMn]

$10 tank? Tell me what you would do as this is brand new to me.

 

[banditfl]

Here are some examples of what you can do with $10 Aqaurium.
http://montipora.com/agu/default.htm
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=796781
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=776171
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=708599
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=735135
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=727527
Then there is always the discussion of which light is better.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=723924

I am with Agu. Get the $10 aquarium and spend some money on good lighting, powerheads and maybe a protien skimmer.

Good Luck

 

[rich415]

my first reef was a plain 10 gallon that you get at Petco and the like. It was a great tank and I never had any of the problems that many have had with the "all in one" nanos. I recommend a ten gallon, HOB skimmer and a DIY fuge.

...if you have the room any other standard small tank.