jm82792 Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 I think I kept a reef tank for about 7 years back in Oregon and Hawai'i. Then life came, i got busy and out it went. I don't like bigger tanks, ghetto DIY is ghetto and the selection of coral in Hawai'i was very bland. I've been in Texas a few months and NEED a hobby. I've kept 1 gallon pico tanks using natural sunlight and inter-tidal critters and bigger 50 gallon setups with some really basic SPS. I've been out of the game two years and want to get back into it cheaper than not.I live in Northern Austin now and not Hawai'i--so I'm going to need to mix my own saltwater and buy my animals. What are the generic smaller nano setups now a days? Is it basically the same stuff from a few years back with better LED lighting?(I've done the whole Cree routine, but I'm guessing there's cheap fixtures now and want to keep it simple.)Any recommendations if I'm going for a budget build, am experienced, want low maintenance, and like a clean look?Finally I probably know the answer--but if I get LR from a LFS and get it quickly into a new tank won't cycling be maybe 4-6 weeks tops until i can add some softies?Thanks for the info!Josh Link to comment
burtbollinger Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 welcome back! if I was going "budget" I'd probably do an Innovative Marine 25 lagoon or 40...with a Nanobox or an AI Prime HD on top. This will look pretty clean. If really clean was the main focus vs. budget...thats the Red Sea Reefer. For me, to have a sump and the Red Sea aesthetics, it was worth the extra money up front. You cant go wrong either way I'm sure. Link to comment
RIP Sebastian Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Welcome back! For an easy, budget-friendly tank, you have many options. If you ae looking for a high-quality pack age with everything included, go Red Sea Max Nano. I you want a sump, go Red Sea Reefer or E Series. If you don't want a sump and want to buy everything yourself, go with an Innovative Marine tank. The best LEDs nowadays are Nanobox Reef lights. They're a little pricey, but well worth it. Nick Link to comment
burtbollinger Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Welcome back! For an easy, budget-friendly tank, you have many options. If you ae looking for a high-quality pack age with everything included, go Red Sea Max Nano. I you want a sump, go Red Sea Reefer or E Series. If you don't want a sump and want to buy everything yourself, go with an Innovative Marine tank. The best LEDs nowadays are Nanobox Reef lights. They're a little pricey, but well worth it. Nick At the end of the day, I was in your boat, really wanted a sump...just didnt wanna settle on equipment than could fit in an AIO, and the build had to be clean....ended up with a Red Sea Reefer 170, which is about as clean as its gonna get. as to your 4-6 weeks with LR...I cycled in 16 days using dry rock with an ammonia and live bacteria supplement. Link to comment
jm82792 Posted January 11, 2017 Author Share Posted January 11, 2017 welcome back! if I was going "budget" I'd probably do an Innovative Marine 25 lagoon or 40...with a Nanobox or an AI Prime HD on top. This will look pretty clean. If really clean was the main focus vs. budget...thats the Red Sea Reefer. For me, to have a sump and the Red Sea aesthetics, it was worth the extra money up front. You cant go wrong either way I'm sure. I was mulling over more of a pico I guess--like 10 gallons tops? I know they do require more work and can be volatile. I've been forgetting the nomenclature there--25 gallons is something I'll consider but it's pushing the size envelope I'll check out your options for sure though and see--as larger tanks are more stable. Welcome back! For an easy, budget-friendly tank, you have many options. If you ae looking for a high-quality pack age with everything included, go Red Sea Max Nano. I you want a sump, go Red Sea Reefer or E Series. If you don't want a sump and want to buy everything yourself, go with an Innovative Marine tank. The best LEDs nowadays are Nanobox Reef lights. They're a little pricey, but well worth it. Nick My father and his wood floors makes it harder for me to push anything with a sump really. I guess maybe something with a false wall is best in my case. I'll definitely look into it though--as maybe he'll budge in time. Link to comment
burtbollinger Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 I was mulling over more of a pico I guess--like 10 gallons tops? I know they do require more work and can be volatile. I've been forgetting the nomenclature there--25 gallons is something I'll consider but it's pushing the size envelope I'll check out your options for sure though and see--as larger tanks are more stable. My father and his wood floors makes it harder for me to push anything with a sump really. I guess maybe something with a false wall is best in my case. I'll definitely look into it though--as maybe he'll budge in time. The Innovative Marine Nuvo 10 with a Nanobox on it or an AI Prime would be very clean looking. There's also the Nuvo 20. There's the Red Sea Max Nano... Link to comment
jm82792 Posted January 11, 2017 Author Share Posted January 11, 2017 The Innovative Marine Nuvo 10 with a Nanobox on it or an AI Prime would be very clean looking. There's also the Nuvo 20. There's the Red Sea Max Nano... That one really caught my eye for the price and the AIO goodness. I will dig into it more but think that's the ticket right there--along with a UPS to keep things going if a power outage hits since it's such a small system. Link to comment
burtbollinger Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 which one, the IM 10? yeah, and strap an AI prime or one of these on it, you can grow whatever, and it couldnt look cleaner http://nanoboxreef.com/mini.html Link to comment
Clown79 Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 There are a few options. If you want budget friendly all in one there is the fluval evo 5g or 13.5g. It comes with lighting which will work for softies and lps, there is the back chamber for your filteration(i'd use my own media rather than whats made for it), comes with a pump. Its rectangular which i personally prefer and find easier to keep clean and aquascape with smaller tanks. If you get liverock from the lfs the cycle can be anywhere from a week to 6 weeks, it all depends. There is also the 10g innovative marine which is another all in one. Its a nice tank. You will need to purchase lighting and there are a few options depending on what you want to spend. Ai Prime Nanobox Aquamaxx nemolight Coral compulsion par 38 full spectrum Mars aqua Link to comment
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