Cloudburst2000
Active member
I currently have a very old 12g nanocube sitting on my kitchen counter. The fans are on the fritz as well as the return pump. I also want to change all my aquariums to LED. Instead of spending the money to fix/replace the broken part and switch the lights out to LEDs, I am planning on upgrading and turning the old nanocube into a quarantine tank. The nanocube will be moved to the laundry room so I need a new all-in-one tank. I want to upgrade the size a bit and was wondering how much weight that you all think kitchen counters could handle. My kitchen counters are only about five years old. The 12g tank has set on the counter for several years with no problems. I'm not wanting to go huge.
The only smaller AIO tanks I've seen that are larger than the 14g biocube are the Finnex 20g M Tank. These acrylic tanks are 21Lx14.5Wx16"H. Their filtration consists of a four layer rain tray built-in wet/dry filter that gets pumped into a built-in refugium chamber with a light. The tank either comes with a 36W x 2 power compact light or an 150W HQI light. I would have to go with the PC light and upgrade to an LED because I am getting away from HQIs. So the drawbacks with this tank are acryilic not glass but that does make it weight less so it could be a positive too, and the other drawback is no LED option. Positives are the built-in fuge with the provided light and the 20g capacity. This tank costs about $300. Would a 20g acrylic be too heavy for a kitchen counter?
Next tank I've seen is the Cadlights 18g Mini aquarium. This tank is made of starfire glass and utilizes a removable three chamber filtration system that can do anything from the traditional bio, chemical, mechanical filtration to an advanced natural approach by simply converting one of the chambers into a refugium. A Nano protein skimmer could be put into the filter as well for an even stronger system. The lights on this tank are a choice between either the Modern Slim Profile LED lighting system 12W, dual band with built-in moonlight - Light output 6500LUX/Fc or a PAR-38 Professional LED bulb, 20000 Lumens. This tanks dimensions are 16"Lx16"Wx17"H. Luckily, I would not need to buy the ugly stand that is optional with this system since it would go onto the counter. The tank looks nice but the stand is fugly. The tank without a stand runs $340.
Lastly is the smallest but coolest looking tank of the bunch, IMHO. It's the brand new Innovative Marine 16g Nuvo Aquriium aquarium. The dimensions of the 16g tank are 24"x12"x19". The tank is glass but the tank pedastal and filter area are acrylic. This tank utilizes a filter wall w/dual overflows, two media baskets, mechanical sponges, activated carbon sponges, phosphate sponges, a designated heater column, and a designated refugium column. I like the looks of this aquarium especially that it comes in white as well as black. The lights for this tank are two 8W SkkyeLight LED Illumination that come in either 10k or 14k. The only drawback is the less gallons. Also, it is so new that there aren't any reviews of it yet. But the ppl who made the nanocube started their own company and this is the tank is the product. They seemed to have addressed some nanocube issues...like space for a fuge. I already have one of those magnetic JBJ fuge lights on my current nanocube so the fuge lighting issue is already taken care of for this tank and the Cadlights tank. The Finnex comes with it's own fuge light.
So I like the larger gallons of the Finnex and the Cadlights. I like the looks best of the Nuvo aqaurium. The Finnex is my least favorite in terms of appaearance and I would have to buy a new lighting system. The lights are fugly and not LEDs. But I do like the fuge set-up in the back. It seems to have the biggest fuge chamber of the three. I don't know how well the LEDs on the other systems perform but if they perform decently well for not alot of power output than I can definitely live with the a while before I upgrade to a better LED system (possibly the AI Sol Nano...if they ever release it that is
)
Any info on how much weight someone thinks a newer kitchen counter can handle would be great? And any reviews on these three AIO aquariums would be great. I am trying to make an informed decision. Thanks!
The only smaller AIO tanks I've seen that are larger than the 14g biocube are the Finnex 20g M Tank. These acrylic tanks are 21Lx14.5Wx16"H. Their filtration consists of a four layer rain tray built-in wet/dry filter that gets pumped into a built-in refugium chamber with a light. The tank either comes with a 36W x 2 power compact light or an 150W HQI light. I would have to go with the PC light and upgrade to an LED because I am getting away from HQIs. So the drawbacks with this tank are acryilic not glass but that does make it weight less so it could be a positive too, and the other drawback is no LED option. Positives are the built-in fuge with the provided light and the 20g capacity. This tank costs about $300. Would a 20g acrylic be too heavy for a kitchen counter?
Next tank I've seen is the Cadlights 18g Mini aquarium. This tank is made of starfire glass and utilizes a removable three chamber filtration system that can do anything from the traditional bio, chemical, mechanical filtration to an advanced natural approach by simply converting one of the chambers into a refugium. A Nano protein skimmer could be put into the filter as well for an even stronger system. The lights on this tank are a choice between either the Modern Slim Profile LED lighting system 12W, dual band with built-in moonlight - Light output 6500LUX/Fc or a PAR-38 Professional LED bulb, 20000 Lumens. This tanks dimensions are 16"Lx16"Wx17"H. Luckily, I would not need to buy the ugly stand that is optional with this system since it would go onto the counter. The tank looks nice but the stand is fugly. The tank without a stand runs $340.
Lastly is the smallest but coolest looking tank of the bunch, IMHO. It's the brand new Innovative Marine 16g Nuvo Aquriium aquarium. The dimensions of the 16g tank are 24"x12"x19". The tank is glass but the tank pedastal and filter area are acrylic. This tank utilizes a filter wall w/dual overflows, two media baskets, mechanical sponges, activated carbon sponges, phosphate sponges, a designated heater column, and a designated refugium column. I like the looks of this aquarium especially that it comes in white as well as black. The lights for this tank are two 8W SkkyeLight LED Illumination that come in either 10k or 14k. The only drawback is the less gallons. Also, it is so new that there aren't any reviews of it yet. But the ppl who made the nanocube started their own company and this is the tank is the product. They seemed to have addressed some nanocube issues...like space for a fuge. I already have one of those magnetic JBJ fuge lights on my current nanocube so the fuge lighting issue is already taken care of for this tank and the Cadlights tank. The Finnex comes with it's own fuge light.
So I like the larger gallons of the Finnex and the Cadlights. I like the looks best of the Nuvo aqaurium. The Finnex is my least favorite in terms of appaearance and I would have to buy a new lighting system. The lights are fugly and not LEDs. But I do like the fuge set-up in the back. It seems to have the biggest fuge chamber of the three. I don't know how well the LEDs on the other systems perform but if they perform decently well for not alot of power output than I can definitely live with the a while before I upgrade to a better LED system (possibly the AI Sol Nano...if they ever release it that is
)Any info on how much weight someone thinks a newer kitchen counter can handle would be great? And any reviews on these three AIO aquariums would be great. I am trying to make an informed decision. Thanks!
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