Nano 6-10 gallon Reef Tank Suggestions

[kit-kat]

Hi everyone!

 

So I'm not really a beginner (had a few tanks in the past), but I am beginning again, so I figured I'd post here.  Im looking to get a nano tank between 6-10 gallons. Why?

 

1) Small enough that I can do weekly water changes as the majority of maintenance without having to have massive buckets of water. I'm a pretty spindly female so keep water changes to 1-2 gallons is my goal so it's easy to move it all around. There will be no skimmer so I want these to be fairly significant changes. 

 

2) must have hood. I'm in Utah where it's crazy dry (20-30% humidity often, it's miserable) so evap is a major issue.  I also hate the light polution of a light hanging over the tank. It makes everything in the room blue ( or maybe my last tank lights were too beefy...).  Needs to be able to support softies and some lps.  

 

3) inhabitants not an issue. Just want a little colony of sexy shrimp and maybe a yellow clown goby if bioload permits. 

 

The Coralife 16 biocube is PERFECT except it's too big. To tall to fit where I want. I've been looking at the jbj 6 gal and that Cubeys. Sounds like the Cubeys are flimsey and break... Any other suggestions? Seems there are tons of new and changed tanks since I bought my 34 g six or so years ago...

 

Thank you!

[Daniel91]

I would recommend the IM Fusion 10, anyday - should fit your needs beside the light “issue”. You can get lights that hang on the rim and almost serve as a partial hood. 

 

Just so we have one thing clear, smaller tank does not necessarily mean a cheaper setup.

 

Considering your location, an ATO, chiller and temperature controller may be investments to look into.

[kit-kat]

Hmm that's a good point about the light as a mini hood. I could always get a piece of plexiglass to act as a lid too...  I've always wanted one of those little IM nuvos...

 

No heat issues here, we keep our house in the 70s, the last tank I had sat happily at 78 with no heater or chiller. (To be clear I had a heater, but left it unplugged most of the time). Might need to run one in this house in the winter,depends how warm the pump/lights/etc keep it. 

 

Cost isn't an issue. Just being small enough to easily handle and simple as I can make it. The 34 gal was such a project to water change that I didn't as often as I should have (had to lug jugs up and down stairs to get to the rodi). Should I consider even smaller you think? 

[Daniel91]

I can only speak from personal experience but considering that I evaluated ALL options in sizes, I am beyond pleased with my investment of the IM 10gal. I know a lot of people will agree with this.

 

Endless list of accessories, ton of co-reefers with it to provide guidance, size makes water changes smooth (size can come with some cleaning restrictions depending on your aquascape) etc. Oh, and it comes with a mesh lid already.

[kit-kat]

5 minutes ago, Daniel91 said:

I can only speak from personal experience but considering that I evaluated ALL options in sizes, I am beyond pleased with my investment of the IM 10gal. I know a lot of people will agree with this.

 

Endless list of accessories, ton of co-reefers with it to provide guidance, size makes water changes smooth (size can come with some cleaning restrictions depending on your aquascape) etc. Oh, and it comes with a mesh lid already.

What volume of water changes do you do with it and how often?

[banasophia]

I have a Biocube 16 and an IM Nuvo 10. I do 2 gallon water changes on each of them once/week. I like it because I have two 2 gallon Rubbermaid buckets and a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket, so if I just do one tank I just use the two Rubbermaids (one for the dirty water, one for the fresh water), but if I do both tanks then I mix in the 5 gallon and have enough for both (and then I use a plastic pitcher to transfer the water to the 2 gallon bucket if I want to add to the tank using my siphon hose, or I just pour it slowly into the tank through a tube).

[kit-kat]

2 minutes ago, banasophia said:

I have a Biocube 16 and an IM Nuvo 10. I do 2 gallon water changes on each of them once/week. I like it because I have two 2 gallon Rubbermaid buckets and a 5 gallon Home Depot bucket, so if I just do one tank I just use the two Rubbermaids (one for the dirty water, one for the fresh water), but if I do both tanks then I mix in the 5 gallon and have enough for both (and then I use a plastic pitcher to transfer the water to the 2 gallon bucket if I want to add to the tank using my siphon hose, or I just pour it slowly into the tank through a tube).

What's your opinion of pros and cons of those two tanks?

[banasophia]

6 minutes ago, kit-kat said:

What's your opinion of pros and cons of those two tanks?

I knew you would ask that haha. I’ll have to reply tonight because that may take me a minute. I like both; I probably like the Biocube a bit more personally, but space can be a deciding factor... I’ll put together pros and cons this evening from my experience, and some others on here have both a Biocube and IM Fusion as well so maybe they will chime in. 

[FlytheWMark]

I set up an IM 10 last December for many of the reasons you stated, especially that I didn't want to devote 1-2 hours on a Sat for a major water changes.  Now that my tank is settled in i do a 2 gallon water change every two weeks and I manually top off with a large cup of RODI every 2-3 days. I keep 2 5 gallon containers of saltwater and 1 gallon of RODI on hand at all times.  I can get 4-5 weeks on this between visits to my LFS.  I use the Kessil A80 light so yeah that does throw some blue lights all over the kitchen at night but I actually love the look.  I'm sure there are other lower profile lights out there that more experienced people than me could recommend.  If you can find one of those and get a couple of small pieces or plexiglass or glass cut you could cut down on your evaporation.  I absolutely love this tank because of the small footprint and it really is a good tank.  Hope that helps.

[kit-kat]

39 minutes ago, Mark L. said:

I set up an IM 10 last December for many of the reasons you stated, especially that I didn't want to devote 1-2 hours on a Sat for a major water changes.  Now that my tank is settled in i do a 2 gallon water change every two weeks and I manually top off with a large cup of RODI every 2-3 days. I keep 2 5 gallon containers of saltwater and 1 gallon of RODI on hand at all times.  I can get 4-5 weeks on this between visits to my LFS.  I use the Kessil A80 light so yeah that does throw some blue lights all over the kitchen at night but I actually love the look.  I'm sure there are other lower profile lights out there that more experienced people than me could recommend.  If you can find one of those and get a couple of small pieces or plexiglass or glass cut you could cut down on your evaporation.  I absolutely love this tank because of the small footprint and it really is a good tank.  Hope that helps.

It does help! Thank you! That's exactly what I want. Low simple maintenance, small footprint. Last time I feel I went overboard on gadgets, this one I want to be down to the basics. Water changes, light, maybe a little chemipure, done.

[kit-kat]

Do any of you have an opinion on the Waterbox? It's not exactly what I'm looking for either but seems to be a competitor for the IM and comes in a 7gal size... $230 for tank and kessil a80 light... tough to argue with. 

https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/7-gallon-starphire-cube-w-kessil-a80-mount-waterbox/

[kit-kat]

1 hour ago, banasophia said:

I knew you would ask that haha. I’ll have to reply tonight because that may take me a minute. I like both; I probably like the Biocube a bit more personally, but space can be a deciding factor... I’ll put together pros and cons this evening from my experience, and some others on here have both a Biocube and IM Fusion as well so maybe they will chime in. 

Yesssss, I'm excited to read it!

[JBM]

2 hours ago, kit-kat said:

I want to be down to the basics. Water changes, light, maybe a little chemipure, done.

 

You really can't get more basic then that. 

 

I'd vote for you to go with a biocube.  Easily modded (think led). Plenty of room later on for a skimmer. Need more flow,  you can change out the mj400 for a 600. 

[Clown79]

I have an IM 10g, IM 25g lagoon, and the Fluval spec.

 

I love the IM's. Fantastic tank, easy to use, clean look. I do 1-2g water changes every 1.5-2 weeks. Change floss 2 -3 times a week.

 

I top up manually daily.

 

Very simple system of light, heater, upgraded pump.

 

I have 1 clown, shrimp, corals and a tailspot blenny in qt. 

 

I like the fluval tanks but I would suggest the Fluval Evo which is designed for reef keeping. It also comes with a lid.

[banasophia]

So, keeping in mind I am new to the hobby - my Biocube 16 has been running since March 3rd and my IM Nuvo 10 has been running since June 16th - here are my thoughts so far on the pros and cons of the Biocube 16 LED and the IM Nuvo Fusion 10:

 

Biocube 16:

Cost:

Amazon Prime price $265, includes adequate stock pump, LED lights, media rack

Chill Solutions chiller price $250 - $300, may not need this depending on climate where you live, may be able to use fans or other temp control measures in summer

Other costs seem similar between the two tanks

Pros:

Solid lid limits pet fur and contamination from cleaning products

Solid lid limits evaporation and the need to top off tank, limits changes in parameters due to evaporation 

Larger volume means room for more fish and corals, more dilution of nutrients 

Lights straightforward to set and include timer for setting blues and whites, includes sunrise and sunset 

Great filtration with the stock pump, there are three intake areas that enable the tank to rapidly filter out excess food (important to me because I feed heavily)

More space in the back chambers for things like media, a refugium, skimmer, media reactor

Cons:

Solid lid limits evaporative cooling, which can become an issue in the summer

May be viewed as more of a beginner tank 

Lights may not be able to support higher light SPS growth

Light spectrum not adjustable, may not be able to enhance coral appearance as much

 

IM Nuvo 10:

Cost:

Marine Depot price $100, includes tank, filter sock, pump (which may need to be upgraded), do not buy the Skkye light

AI Prime HD light, price $200 

Auto top-off, price $100 - $200

Media basket (IM or In Tank), price $50

Other costs similar between the two tanks

Pros:

Mesh lid allows for evaporative cooling

Smaller footprint if you have space limitations

Likely to see better coral growth of all coral types (particularly SPS) with the AI Prime, if you go with that light

Appearance of corals may be enhanced since light spectrum can be adjusted

Cons:

Mesh lid leads to significant evaporation requiring top offs at least once/day with RODI/distilled water, may need an ATO to keep parameters stable

Smaller volume means less fish and corals

Noise - this tank seems much more prone to dripping noises to me (and my hubby, who gets annoyed by it), from water entering first chamber to media basket/water dripping through hole from tank into third chamber/water running low due to evaporation 

AI Prime more complicated to set up than Biocube lighting, though more adjustable if you can figure it out

Issues with filtration in my system, it only has one intake area which could easily be blocked if you have an anemone that decides to move there, and it does not have the draw to quickly clear out the excess food after feeding, even with upgrade to the sicce 1.0 pump, seems to get stuff floating on surface at times

 

Those are my initial thoughts. I loved the Biocube from the start, but I went with the IM Nuvo 10 for our second tank due to the size of the cabinet we needed to place it on. (It fit on our IKEA Hemnes shoe rack.) My husband has a strong preference for the Biocube. I like both because I see the potential benefits of the lighting with the IM 10, though I worry about the filtration with only one intake area. Will have to see how they both do long term. 

 

Here are pics of my tanks. I think a big consideration is your preference regarding the appearance of the two different styles and the space you have available. Good luck and have fun making your decision... you could always do what I did and get a second tank so you can try both. 🙂

[MrObscura]

As mentioned the nuvo 10 is hard to beat. I just set one up. Sure it doesn't have a hood, but while I was super annoyed by the light bleed at first, I stopped even noticing it after a couple days and it's right next to me on my desk. Plus you can choose your own light this way without having to rig a hood to change lighting. 

 

Evaporation on the other hand... I solved that by going with an Ato. At first I was adament that I'd top off by hand, but that lasted about a day. My tank evaporates like crazy. But the 1 gallon ato resevior only needs filling once or twice a week.

 

Or you could buy an acrylic cover instead. But that might trap a lot of heat. My tank can push near 80 with the heater at 78 and my lights on. 

[Reeferon]

There’s a new line of AIO aquariums worth checking out made by Water Box. They’re made with Starfire glass and comparable in price to the IM tanks. 

 

[kit-kat]

9 hours ago, Reeferon said:

There’s a new line of AIO aquariums worth checking out made by Water Box. They’re made with Starfire glass and comparable in price to the IM tanks. 

 

Yes I've seen those. Do you have one? I tried searching the forums, but I guess since they're so new no one has really had a significant amount of time to give their impression of them (except for some issues with the return pump not fitting, which I guess was promptly fixed by customer service). I'm kind of leaning towards the Waterbox 7gal, mostly for the small size. 1 gal water change would be pretty significant. I plan to just run filter floss, maybe chemipure, and do water changes with the equivalent of a orange juice jug and that's it. Not sure if it's smarter to do that with 7 or 10 gal.  While I think the biocube is ideal, 1gal water changes are too miniscule to significantly export waste and keep levels up without dosing. Especially for a dense amount of lps.  I do not want to dose.  

[kit-kat]

11 hours ago, MrObscura said:

As mentioned the nuvo 10 is hard to beat. I just set one up. Sure it doesn't have a hood, but while I was super annoyed by the light bleed at first, I stopped even noticing it after a couple days and it's right next to me on my desk. Plus you can choose your own light this way without having to rig a hood to change lighting. 

 

Evaporation on the other hand... I solved that by going with an Ato. At first I was adament that I'd top off by hand, but that lasted about a day. My tank evaporates like crazy. But the 1 gallon ato resevior only needs filling once or twice a week.

 

Or you could buy an acrylic cover instead. But that might trap a lot of heat. My tank can push near 80 with the heater at 78 and my lights on. 

Great info. Ugh I don't want an ATO either. I would have to do an acrylic cover. We keep our house pretty cool and stable in temp, so I think it would be fine with the lid.  I could always leave the back chamber uncovered too to compromise.

[kit-kat]

Banasophia,

 

Thank you so much for the info! Your tanks look awesome!  You basically make me want the biocube even more even though it's not practical! Ugh! Everyone's tanks look so great. I think the IM 10 makes the most sense for where I want to put it on the counter in the kitchen. The biocube is just too tall.

 

Now I just have to decide if I want the 10 or the Waterbox 7. If I wanted a lot of fish, I'd lean to the 10, but I really don't. Just the little sexy anemone shrimp. Maybe a yellow clown goby or a tailspot blenny just for something to swim around, but that's it. Mostly just softies and LPS. And I want it thick and dense with them. Without dosing. Haha, can you tell I just want it all and possibly have unrealistic expectations???

[banasophia]

3 minutes ago, kit-kat said:

Banasophia,

 

Thank you so much for the info! Your tanks look awesome!  You basically make me want the biocube even more even though it's not practical! Ugh! Everyone's tanks look so great. I think the IM 10 makes the most sense for where I want to put it on the counter in the kitchen. The biocube is just too tall.

 

Now I just have to decide if I want the 10 or the Waterbox 7. If I wanted a lot of fish, I'd lean to the 10, but I really don't. Just the little sexy anemone shrimp. Maybe a yellow clown goby or a tailspot blenny just for something to swim around, but that's it. Mostly just softies and LPS. And I want it thick and dense with them. Without dosing. Haha, can you tell I just want it all and possibly have unrealistic expectations???

Thanks. 🙂  You can make it happen!

 

And doing an ATO isn’t that big of a deal... you can get a box or basket to hide your reservoir so it isn’t obvious sitting on your counter. 

 

I have an electrician at my house literally right now because my ATO keeps tripping my GFI outlet... trying to get it figured out so I don’t have to keep manually topping off. (He thinks it may just be an issue with this ATO.)

[kit-kat]

2 minutes ago, banasophia said:

Thanks. 🙂  You can make it happen!

 

And doing an ATO isn’t that big of a deal... you can get a box or basket to hide your reservoir so it isn’t obvious sitting on your counter. 

 

I have an electrician at my house literally right now because my ATO keeps tripping my GFI outlet... trying to get it figured out so I don’t have to keep manually topping off. (He thinks it may just be an issue with this ATO.)

I had one with my last tank. Until this new tank idea I would have told you it was absolutely essential equipment. There is a cabinet I can commandeer for it if I have to... But then I'd have a little tube poking up out of it. Not awful, but I forsee our 1 year old giving that a good yank... And my husband would die if I was all, let's drill just a tiny hole right here in this brand new cabinet, hahaha. Oh well, I'll see how it goes! Maybe I could just hide it behind the tank too...hmm....

[kit-kat]

13 hours ago, Clown79 said:

I have an IM 10g, IM 25g lagoon, and the Fluval spec.

 

I love the IM's. Fantastic tank, easy to use, clean look. I do 1-2g water changes every 1.5-2 weeks. Change floss 2 -3 times a week.

 

I top up manually daily.

 

Very simple system of light, heater, upgraded pump.

 

I have 1 clown, shrimp, corals and a tailspot blenny in qt. 

 

I like the fluval tanks but I would suggest the Fluval Evo which is designed for reef keeping. It also comes with a lid.

Do you have the fluval Evo? If so, what do you like about it? Does it compare in quality to IM? I would expect the light to be useless...  I love the elongated look of it. I'm suddenly leaning toward the 5 gal one... More sandbed room... Hmmmm

[FlytheWMark]

That 10g as I'm sure you are aware will fill up quick. 😁.  I can't imagine going under 10...  The quality of IM  just "looks good".  Here a picture of ours in our kitchen.  That small footprint and as my wife says "the look" was the final selling point for her.  And if she's happy... I get to do more reefing 😉

[kit-kat]

27 minutes ago, Mark L. said:

That 10g as I'm sure you are aware will fill up quick. 😁.  I can't imagine going under 10...  The quality of IM  just "looks good".  Here a picture of ours in our kitchen.  That small footprint and as my wife says "the look" was the final selling point for her.  And if she's happy... I get to do more reefing 😉

Yes I haven't seriously broached the subject with the husband yet. I was all maybe I want to start a little tank again.... I'll let that sit a minute and then maybe one will just show up, oh wow look a tiny tank! Isn't it cute?? 

 

Haha, the kitchen is where I plan to put mine too. You make the IM 10 look good. So many good choices to choose from!