Returning to the hobby - could use tank suggestions

[pblogic]

Hello all,

10 years ago my family had to relocate, and we've been moving all over the country since. I am finally in a stable location and I want to start a reef again. In the past, I had a 75 gallon plumbed tank with a sump and refugium. I used metal halide lights, an ecotech pump etc. I also had an Elos Mini.

I am thinking about starting a small/nano tank around the size of the Elos I used to have. I see however, that they no longer make them. I am wondering, what are the current options for a similar setup?

I don't need help with the actual stocking and running of the reef, I was a competent reef keeper already and I'll do the reading I need to do to brush up, I'm mainly hoping for guidance from an equipment stand point. I don't want to break the bank, but I'm not looking to go super cheap either. I really, really liked the clean lines of my Elos mini, but it looks like they are only doing larger systems, and the pricing is honestly outrageous. Elos was always expensive, but compared to ten years ago... it's just too much. Also, I don't have the room for a very large tank right now. I don't have concerns over running a small system, I know I can handle that fine.

Ideally I'm looking for something similar to the Elos Mini, rimless with a stand. I don't want to use T5, I want the sunny brilliance. I never cared for my T5 setup, it just doesn't give the right "vibes" as the kids say. I need that glitter from LED or Metal Halide. It makes me happy, so that's a non negotiable for me. I will consider both a system with a sump and overflow, or a rear filtration area possibly as well. I'm very unfamiliar with current tank options and my search so far on google hasn't been very helpful.

Thanks for any guidance and opinions!

 

[Reefing102]

Welcome back to the hobby. For that tank size (Elos mini being about 20 gallons) still a variety of options, though most are going to be all in one with rear filtration), it just depends on what you want to spend.

For tanks, I would look at possibly Waterbox (they’re more of an all in one system and have a 10, 20 and 25 gallon cube), Innovative Marine (Nuvo Fusion Pro 2 - they have a 15 gallon cube that is only $99 but is bare bones (just tank and return pump), JBJ (pricier but still a decent brand, have a 15 and 25 gallon rimless AIO), as well as many others.

Some of these do not have stand options though (if that’s the deal breaker, I’m honestly not sure which ones do or do not have stand options off the top of my head). I’d look at Saltwater Aquariums page as they have, in my opinion, one of the largest selections to compare online

Saltwater Aquariums, Tanks, Kits, Nanos, Reeftanks

Check out our Full selection of Fish Tanks from the Industry's Best Companies. Red Sea, Waterbox, Pro Clear, Innovative Marine, Planet Aquariums, Fluval, JBJ

www.saltwateraquarium.com

Hope this helps!

 

[JohnL]

As usual, Shane is offering good advice. Welcome back. Let us know what you decide on.

 

[griss]

Welcome back. I love new builds so please keep us updated on your decisions/progress.

If you have room, one of my favorite mid-size tank profiles in the 40 Breeder.

 

[Misled]

Welcome back.

 

[pblogic]

Welcome back to the hobby. For that tank size (Elos mini being about 20 gallons) still a variety of options, though most are going to be all in one with rear filtration), it just depends on what you want to spend.

For tanks, I would look at possibly Waterbox (they’re more of an all in one system and have a 10, 20 and 25 gallon cube), Innovative Marine (Nuvo Fusion Pro 2 - they have a 15 gallon cube that is only $99 but is bare bones (just tank and return pump), JBJ (pricier but still a decent brand, have a 15 and 25 gallon rimless AIO), as well as many others.

Some of these do not have stand options though (if that’s the deal breaker, I’m honestly not sure which ones do or do not have stand options off the top of my head). I’d look at Saltwater Aquariums page as they have, in my opinion, one of the largest selections to compare online

Saltwater Aquariums, Tanks, Kits, Nanos, Reeftanks

Check out our Full selection of Fish Tanks from the Industry's Best Companies. Red Sea, Waterbox, Pro Clear, Innovative Marine, Planet Aquariums, Fluval, JBJ

www.saltwateraquarium.com

Hope this helps!

Thank you, this is very helpful. I wasn't sure which sites were reputable these days. The internet can be a bit like the Wild West. I'm checking out all of the sites you recommended now. Some of the Red Sea kits look very similar to my Elos setup of the past, and they aren't too outrageously priced for their mid range setups. The waterbox systems look similar as well. These both look like good options, and close to what I was looking for.

Some of the little all in one cubes look very cool as well. I've never run a saltwater or reef tank without a sump. Are the little cubes harder to manage without the benefits a sump setup provides? I might start with a small AIO that I can set on my desk while I consider getting something bigger like one of the Red Sea options.

Is there a general consensus on these zero waste ultra filtration plus DI setups? I used to run a very serious RO system, but I don't have a great spot for it in the house I currently live in, and figuring out a waste line might be problematic.

 

[pblogic]

Welcome back. I love new builds so please keep us updated on your decisions/progress.

If you have room, one of my favorite mid-size tank profiles in the 40 Breeder.

I will indeed! I may move slowly, but I will post updates. I forgot how thrilling a new build can be. I'm very excited.

 

[jason2459]

Welcome back. I look forward to the build progress. It is exciting to get started. I just bought a new 120 from planet aquarium with stand and canopy. I bought through a local LFS so the try and see what they offer too and compare.

 

[Reefing102]

Thank you, this is very helpful. I wasn't sure which sites were reputable these days. The internet can be a bit like the Wild West. I'm checking out all of the sites you recommended now. Some of the Red Sea kits look very similar to my Elos setup of the past, and they aren't too outrageously priced for their mid range setups. The waterbox systems look similar as well. These both look like good options, and close to what I was looking for.

Some of the little all in one cubes look very cool as well. I've never run a saltwater or reef tank without a sump. Are the little cubes harder to manage without the benefits a sump setup provides? I might start with a small AIO that I can set on my desk while I consider getting something bigger like one of the Red Sea options.

Is there a general consensus on these zero waste ultra filtration plus DI setups? I used to run a very serious RO system, but I don't have a great spot for it in the house I currently live in, and figuring out a waste line might be problematic.

I’m personally not a fan of Red Sea based on reports of system leaks, however not sure how that affects their nanos. I would encourage you to research the Red Sea system you want to see if any leak issues apply. I believe most issues have been resolved but not certain.

That said, the only downfall in my experience to AIO is limited space for extra equipment and the microskimmers they make for them generally aren’t the greatest (that’s if you decide to run a skimmer).

@griss can help better with RO as I run a very basic RO system

 

[griss]

Regarding RO/DI. My local water company uses chloramines so I have to deal with that. I also have a pretty robust system set up as:
Micron filter
Carbon block
Chloramine carbon block
RO
Cation resin
Anion resin
Mixed bed resin

I have about 6-8 TDS after the RO membrane and Zero after the DI cartridges.

That said, what kind of RO/DI system you use could depend greatly on your local water source. It would be worth it, IMO, to contact your water company to get a report of the water and what's in it.

Another thought, since you're going with a smaller system, is to see if a LFS sells RO/DI water. Some grocery stores also sell RO water. Might be something to look into.

If you decide to go with your own RO/DI system, feel free to post questions here.

 

[pblogic]

I’m personally not a fan of Red Sea based on reports of system leaks, however not sure how that affects their nanos. I would encourage you to research the Red Sea system you want to see if any leak issues apply. I believe most issues have been resolved but not certain.

That said, the only downfall in my experience to AIO is limited space for extra equipment and the microskimmers they make for them generally aren’t the greatest (that’s if you decide to run a skimmer).

@griss can help better with RO as I run a very basic RO system

Thanks for the heads up on Redsea. I did some poking around and I see some of the Nano's have leaking problems. It also looks like they really don't care about standing behind their product. It's unfortunate because the design is great and the pricing on the Nano is good, but I'm not going to risk leaks. I'm leaning towards Waterbox or Marin innovations right now. I'm surprised to not see more Acrylic. Acrylic was a whole big thing ten years ago when I built my 75. I don't any of it out there these days. I hated the easy scratching of acrylic, but it doesn't pose the same leak concerns as glass, which is nice.

 

[Reefing102]

Thanks for the heads up on Redsea. I did some poking around and I see some of the Nano's have leaking problems. It also looks like they really don't care about standing behind their product. It's unfortunate because the design is great and the pricing on the Nano is good, but I'm not going to risk leaks. I'm leaning towards Waterbox or Marin innovations right now. I'm surprised to not see more Acrylic. Acrylic was a whole big thing ten years ago when I built my 75. I don't any of it out there these days. I hated the easy scratching of acrylic, but it doesn't pose the same leak concerns as glass, which is nice.

Acrylic definitely doesn’t seem as common. It seems acrylic is more custom sized tanks nowadays.