what do you think of IM's new Pro tanks?

[Friendly]

I can't say I'm too keen as it forces you into their eco-system entirely. the prices are higher, which makes adapting the tank to your preferences a lot more expensive than before.

 

on the flip side, it does give you spare HW if you do buy other bits, so it's not all bad.

 

I'd much rather IM innovate new tanks.

[mitten_reef]

1 hour ago, Friendly said:

 

I'd much rather IM innovate new tanks.

Not sure where you’ve been. But their entire lineup just grown about 400% with the peninsula, the EXT, the INT. There is only so much one can do with a box of water, especially on the smaller end.  You want funky stuff, they still have their plastic “concept” series somewhere. 

[Tamberav]

3 hours ago, Friendly said:

I can't say I'm too keen as it forces you into their eco-system entirely. the prices are higher, which makes adapting the tank to your preferences a lot more expensive than before.

 

on the flip side, it does give you spare HW if you do buy other bits, so it's not all bad.

 

I'd much rather IM innovate new tanks.

 

Are they getting rid of the tank only options?

 

Bundles can be good for beginners with enough $$ but otherwise meh@ them. I would not buy one because most of the bundled stuff is not my ideal choice of equipment. I would just go the DIY route. 

 

Looks like waterbox prices increased since I remember, their Waterbox is 130 but swore it used to be the same price as IM10 at 99. 

 

Isn't this bad for little companies like InTank? 

[pricewayne]

I wish all of the tank brands would get over themselves and start selling by part and/or display tank only. Agree with @Tamberav in that the bundled offers are great to break into the hobby, but for anyone wanting to customize their system it either restricts hobbyists from their plans or it wastes more of our money by spending double on equipment. I cannot understand why the brand names don't allow for more customization in their product offerings -- they could increase their profits if they do it right (lower transaction average but at an exponential increase in # of sales is where profit thrives). It would also encourage a demand for better quality and further innovation as the big brands would compete more directly with the smaller innovator companies (like inTank) -- or encourage partnerships with those smaller companies.

 

Also agree with @Tamberav -- I'd rather go DIY or save my money and go custom if the big brand names are trying to force hobbyists (their customers) to shop ther brand exclusively by forced bundles offerings... I don't buy into it. This was a huge point of frustration when shopping for my latest tank -- went with Innovative Marine specifically because I was able to purchase the display tank only.

 

I'd love to see a brand step into this market and offer a truly customizable system, setup and/or wide product range. Select your display tank + select your filtration (AIO vs external vs internal) + select your sump setup (or opt out of sump) + select your stand (or opt out of stand).... to lighting, powerheads, return pump, media baskets and filtration media and so on and so on. Let me make my own damn bundle!

 

&& end of rant 

[Lula_Mae]

I hadn't heard of them. The biggest advantage that the IM10 had was its price point and how easy it was to mod and customize it. I expect the forced bundle offerings will drop their sales because I certainly wouldn't pay those prices for a bundle of stuff I mostly won't use. The pump does look different than what came with my IM14, but both the pump and the filter sock were quickly discarded in favor of a silent Tunze pump and a basket from InTank. I sometimes use the pump for mixing salt water but it gets noisy (which is why I replaced it to begin with).  Actually I'm trying to figure out what to do with my IM14 because I chipped a tiny sliver out of the bottom corner edge when cleaning it and am not sure it's safe to hold water anymore.   By pricing their bundles starting at $199 they are essentially moving into a higher bracket price-wise (let's face it, the only way I could afford the IM14 was because I got a killer deal on it) and a lot of people won't want to drop $200 bucks on the tank setup before they've even bought a light. At least the original $99 one was basically plug and play. I would expect the 13.5 gallon Fluval Evo kit might become more popular now as it's still cheaper and comes with a starter light.  Or maybe we'll see people cycle back around to the old AGA/Aqueon standard tanks again, since those will be more affordable.  It will be interesting to see how this shapes up.

[Tigahboy]

FWIW, I just got the IM Nuvo Pro 20 Peninsula.  The stock pump so far is solid.  Silent, adjustable (constant or pulse) and puts out more than sufficient gph.  I don't see a need to upgrade that.  Haven't really used the media basket yet but it looks pretty good to me.  Not entirely sure what the other differences are between the older and the newer models.  Did the older ones come with a lid and magnet cleaner? 🤷‍♂️

[Tamberav]

44 minutes ago, Lula_Mae said:

I hadn't heard of them. The biggest advantage that the IM10 had was its price point and how easy it was to mod and customize it. I expect the forced bundle offerings will drop their sales because I certainly wouldn't pay those prices for a bundle of stuff I mostly won't use. The pump does look different than what came with my IM14, but both the pump and the filter sock were quickly discarded in favor of a silent Tunze pump and a basket from InTank. I sometimes use the pump for mixing salt water but it gets noisy (which is why I replaced it to begin with).  Actually I'm trying to figure out what to do with my IM14 because I chipped a tiny sliver out of the bottom corner edge when cleaning it and am not sure it's safe to hold water anymore.   By pricing their bundles starting at $199 they are essentially moving into a higher bracket price-wise (let's face it, the only way I could afford the IM14 was because I got a killer deal on it) and a lot of people won't want to drop $200 bucks on the tank setup before they've even bought a light. At least the original $99 one was basically plug and play. I would expect the 13.5 gallon Fluval Evo kit might become more popular now as it's still cheaper and comes with a starter light.  Or maybe we'll see people cycle back around to the old AGA/Aqueon standard tanks again, since those will be more affordable.  It will be interesting to see how this shapes up.

I chipped the bottom corner of my IM10. I put some silicone on it so it wouldn't be sharp and it has been running for months just fine as my QT tank. If it is just a small sliver, especially a scalup type shape, it won't be a structural issue. You could post pics and ask tho 🙂

[Tamberav]

50 minutes ago, Tigahboy said:

FWIW, I just got the IM Nuvo Pro 20 Peninsula.  The stock pump so far is solid.  Silent, adjustable (constant or pulse) and puts out more than sufficient gph.  I don't see a need to upgrade that.  Haven't really used the media basket yet but it looks pretty good to me.  Not entirely sure what the other differences are between the older and the newer models.  Did the older ones come with a lid and magnet cleaner? 🤷‍♂️

Some came with lids, some did not, they came with a crappy pump and two socks and no basket.

 

The InTank basket is superior to the CustomCaddy. It is a very perfect fit to direct all the water through the media, also a lot more sturdy in general. 

 

The pump is good though but I bought used pumps for mine so I saved a lot. I know some models if you want to run a certain skimmer, you have to run two pumps instead of one as you can't use the Y piping to fit the skimmer in the middle chamber. Stuff like this, is why customization is nice. 

 

I think this would have been better as another option but NOT a replacement. I do think it has its place. 

 

 

If I had to be honest though, a Aquamaxx or similar with a custom AIO or sump looks way better than the IM Brand. For me, the IM tanks were cheap without requiring DIY which made them attractive. Take away the cheap and they not looking so hot. 

 

[Tigahboy]

1 minute ago, Tamberav said:

Some came with lids, some did not, they came with a crappy pump and two socks and no basket.

 

The InTank basket is superior to the CustomCaddy. It is a very perfect fit to direct all the water through the media, also a lot more sturdy in general. 

 

The pump is good though but I bought used pumps for mine so I saved a lot. I know some models if you want to run a certain skimmer, you have to run two pumps instead of one as you can't use the Y piping to fit the skimmer. Stuff like this, is why customization is nice. 

 

I think this would have been better as another option but NOT a replacement. 

 

The CustomCaddy definitely has some space between the caddy and the walls of the filtration chamber, so water definitely wouldn't only go through the racks.  Haven't seen an InTank basket in person yet.  That does sounds like a better basket if it is flush with the internal walls.

[Friendly]

@mitten_reef the peninsula tanks were released like 2 years ago and the EXT is just a slight modification to existing tanks. granted, they did introduce some higher end products...however they're out of the range for the majority.

 

@Tamberav yeah, you can't buy the bare tank anymore. I suspect some of their accessories weren't selling so they did this to get rid of stale stock.

 

I had decided I'd like to get a couple IM10's...but now that their all Pro and kits, I've lost interest. 

[pricewayne]

19 minutes ago, Friendly said:

@mitten_reef the peninsula tanks were released like 2 years ago and the EXT is just a slight modification to existing tanks. granted, they did introduce some higher end products...however they're out of the range for the majority.

 

@Tamberav yeah, you can't buy the bare tank anymore. I suspect some of their accessories weren't selling so they did this to get rid of stale stock.

 

I had decided I'd like to get a couple IM10's...but now that their all Pro and kits, I've lost interest. 

May be able to find at a LFS? Actually think they still have the tank only available on marine depot.

[pokerdobe]

It's the right move to attract the wider audience - not the experienced reefer.

 

People are lazy and generally don't like doing the research, nor the piecing together of parts (those who do are the minority). As a beginner without a single clue, a single, all in one package that gives me everything is an attractive option. It's not too different than Red Sea's approach. 

 

That being said, I prefer to piece together what I want and wouldn't personally buy it. I hate feeling restricted. The Red Sea Reefer line is about as packaged as I want it. Even then, I'd prefer if they drop the price and eliminate their crappy plumbing. 

[Friendly]

1 hour ago, pokerdobe said:

It's the right move to attract the wider audience - not the experienced reefer.

 

People are lazy and generally don't like doing the research, nor the piecing together of parts (those who do are the minority). As a beginner without a single clue, a single, all in one package that gives me everything is an attractive option. It's not too different than Red Sea's approach. 

 

That being said, I prefer to piece together what I want and wouldn't personally buy it. I hate feeling restricted. The Red Sea Reefer line is about as packaged as I want it. Even then, I'd prefer if they drop the price and eliminate their crappy plumbing. 

larger issue is their tanks already had a premium price...and now with the gear, may have priced themselves out of the beginners market.

 

edit - I just noticed that they removed the bare Nuvo Black tanks from their site as well. 

[Lula_Mae]

20 hours ago, Tigahboy said:

FWIW, I just got the IM Nuvo Pro 20 Peninsula.  The stock pump so far is solid.  Silent, adjustable (constant or pulse) and puts out more than sufficient gph.  I don't see a need to upgrade that.  Haven't really used the media basket yet but it looks pretty good to me.  Not entirely sure what the other differences are between the older and the newer models.  Did the older ones come with a lid and magnet cleaner? 🤷‍♂️

The pumps they originally came with (at least the IM14) were noisy as heck much of the time. Like a loud, grinding noise--most of the people in the 100 days of nano contest when this tank first released had to replace the stock pump.  Mine still does it sometimes when I use it to mix saltwater.  Since the tank was in a room where I spend much of my time, that was an absolute no go; I couldn't quite afford a Sicce so I went with a Tunze someone recommended and was very happy with it.  I'd be curious whether the media basket is the same as what they were offering separately, I know some people preferred that one and some preferred InTank (heard a few stories of water not getting through on InTank's basket and causing issues for a few people).  Mine did not come with a lid, nor a magnet cleaner (though I've bought a few of the magnet cleaners separately as they're a good size for many picos).

20 hours ago, Tamberav said:

I chipped the bottom corner of my IM10. I put some silicone on it so it wouldn't be sharp and it has been running for months just fine as my QT tank. If it is just a small sliver, especially a scalup type shape, it won't be a structural issue. You could post pics and ask tho 🙂

I was planning to do pics at some point but hadn't gotten around to it lol.  I read a bunch on the web where people were saying chips at the bottom can lead to structural integrity failure later on which was scary because I rent and don't want 14 gallons of water on the floor!  It's a small chip but I don't want to take any chances.  If it turns out it's not safe, I think it could be modified into a killer vivarium!

10 hours ago, pokerdobe said:

It's the right move to attract the wider audience - not the experienced reefer.

 

People are lazy and generally don't like doing the research, nor the piecing together of parts (those who do are the minority). As a beginner without a single clue, a single, all in one package that gives me everything is an attractive option. It's not too different than Red Sea's approach. 

 

That being said, I prefer to piece together what I want and wouldn't personally buy it. I hate feeling restricted. The Red Sea Reefer line is about as packaged as I want it. Even then, I'd prefer if they drop the price and eliminate their crappy plumbing. 

It also seems like it's trying to appeal to a higher price bracket; many people who bought the IM10 plain wouldn't be able to afford the new package along with rock, lights, etc. I still think the price point was the strongest advantage of the IM10--and I seriously considered one for a long time.  It was a very affordable way for people to get a really nice looking, decent sized tank for a great price and get started in the hobby.  And anyone not willing to do the research to pick appropriate equipment definitely doesn't need to be jumping into saltwater, but that's definitely another discussion lol.

9 hours ago, Friendly said:

larger issue is their tanks already had a premium price...and now with the gear, may have priced themselves out of the beginners market.

 

edit - I just noticed that they removed the bare Nuvo Black tanks from their site as well. 

I agree; their tanks are beautiful but a bit more than I want to spend on something to hold water; part of my reason for doing picos for most of the last decade in the hobby was to keep costs down to a reasonable amount (still expensive though lol).  It seems like they're wanting to compete for the customers who can't quite drop the dough on a Red Sea Reefer but still have enough to spend to get a nice setup.  Wish they'd still offer the plain IM10 as a budget option.  Although as someone mentioned, Marine Depot does still have the plain tank (although I don't know if they ship to Canada for folks like you).

[Kellie in CA]

The Mightyjet pumps are fantastic, and I am really excited to get a new Pro lid (no clips!) So the bundle is a win for me because I would have purchased those two items anyway. 

[Tamberav]

Ya the lids look a lot nicer. The previous ones were garbage! My lids have to be bomb proof though from 3 bengals so I always have to sink $$ into them for custom lids. ugh. 

 

 

 

[Tigahboy]

11 hours ago, Kellie in CA said:

The Mightyjet pumps are fantastic, and I am really excited to get a new Pro lid (no clips!) So the bundle is a win for me because I would have purchased those two items anyway. 

+1 on the lid. It is solid.  Fits snug and no gaps.  No way any fish is getting thru there.  Not as sexy as those clear acrylic framed lids, but that lid alone would cost more than the price bump.

 

I get people's frustrations with bundles in general.  Most of the time they do come with junk parts, but for anyone who wants a setup that they can just plug and play from day one, the Pro is it (at least with the Peninsula bc that's the only one I know).  Everything it comes with (pump, lid, media basket, magnet cleaner) works great and won't need to be replaced. You could get tank only and buy all those parts separately, but you wouldn't save any money (unless you have used stuff for it).  Also I just added media basket last night and I think it will work well.  The flow from the overflow goes directly into the basket and having a little extra space as a fail safe if the media gets clogged may not be a bad thing.

 

But yes, if you want a system you can customize, I don't think these IMs (or any other AIO for that matter) is the right setup to begin with.  Almost all of my prior tanks were custom plumbed to sumps, but this time around I just wanted something I could easily just plop on a stand and start running right out the gate.  I expected to have to replace parts, but nothing really needs replacing.  So I'm pretty pleased with the Pro Peninsula in that regard.

[Tamberav]

I think what it comes down to is the bundle is good but appeals to a different type of customer. Instead if having both options to appeal to both....they removed an option entirely.

 

But hey it's all about profits. 

[TatorTaco]

I hate to chase my own tail here, but after reading what you all are saying about the new IM Lids.... I suppose I can't just buy that - I have to buy the whole kit now?  Sorry if this topic went straight over my head. 

[Kellie in CA]

49 minutes ago, TatorTaco said:

I hate to chase my own tail here, but after reading what you all are saying about the new IM Lids.... I suppose I can't just buy that - I have to buy the whole kit now?  Sorry if this topic went straight over my head. 

You can buy just the lid, but I believe it’s a kit and you have to build it yourself. 

[Lula_Mae]

9 hours ago, Tigahboy said:

+1 on the lid. It is solid.  Fits snug and no gaps.  No way any fish is getting thru there.  Not as sexy as those clear acrylic framed lids, but that lid alone would cost more than the price bump.

 

I get people's frustrations with bundles in general.  Most of the time they do come with junk parts, but for anyone who wants a setup that they can just plug and play from day one, the Pro is it (at least with the Peninsula bc that's the only one I know).  Everything it comes with (pump, lid, media basket, magnet cleaner) works great and won't need to be replaced. You could get tank only and buy all those parts separately, but you wouldn't save any money (unless you have used stuff for it).  Also I just added media basket last night and I think it will work well.  The flow from the overflow goes directly into the basket and having a little extra space as a fail safe if the media gets clogged may not be a bad thing.

 

But yes, if you want a system you can customize, I don't think these IMs (or any other AIO for that matter) is the right setup to begin with.  Almost all of my prior tanks were custom plumbed to sumps, but this time around I just wanted something I could easily just plop on a stand and start running right out the gate.  I expected to have to replace parts, but nothing really needs replacing.  So I'm pretty pleased with the Pro Peninsula in that regard.

 

8 hours ago, Tamberav said:

I think what it comes down to is the bundle is good but appeals to a different type of customer. Instead if having both options to appeal to both....they removed an option entirely.

 

But hey it's all about profits. 

Yeah, I don't so much have a problem with the bundle itself--a well-constructed bundle can be a great option (like the Red Sea Reefers are).  It's the taking away of the option to buy the tank solo that I find frustrating.  For someone who wants different options (like someone who already has a lot of equipment laying around) the bundle is a bad deal, or at least isn't a great one.

[Friendly]

2 hours ago, Lula_Mae said:

 It's the taking away of the option to buy the tank solo that I find frustrating.  For someone who wants different options (like someone who already has a lot of equipment laying around) the bundle is a bad deal, or at least isn't a great one.

I agree with this...it's basically the core of my gripe that made me post this thread, to get everyone else's take.