WaterBox cube 15 or IM Nuvo 14

[AnotherBotDown]

I am deciding to upgrade my Fluval Spec V which I have had since October last year. I don't wish to jump any higher than a 15 gallon to keep the maintenance low and cost down. I have found that the only options I have going with an AIO tank are WaterBox cube 15 and IM Nuvo 14. I would list down what I like about those to make it easier for you guys to suggest.

 

WaterBox cube 15

Likes

• I have this readily available at my LFS for less than $150(which also makes it the only tank I have seen in person)
• It's cheaper than the IM Nuvo 14 by $50
• I feel the tank dimensions can utilize my cheap Hipargero led lights I have right now until I upgrade.
• My GF think the cube shape is cute 

Dislikes

• Can't seem to find a good stand for this size of aquarium.

 

IM Nuvo 14

Likes

• Seems to be the popular one amongst the two out here and elsewhere.
• More readily available stands for this. 

Dislikes

• Might need to get another light due to it's dimension
• Costlier
• Coming from the spec v(which has similar peninsula design), I do not like the lack of lateral playing area.  

 

I would appreciate any other suggestions apart from these two.

[Clown79]

I have never used or seen a Waterbox, they don't seem to be sold here.

 

I have 2 IM tanks which I love. I prefer my lagoon over the 10g, I actually prefer longer tanks than cube.

 

For me, I find more aquascaping options with none cube tanks. Which means more areas for coral placements.

That's just personal preference though.

 

There is the Fluval evo 13.5g which is popular, some have even used the Fluval Flex 15g for Sw(just remove the lid/light)

 

 

[billygoat]

Personally I think I would go with the Waterbox. They are well-made and beautiful aquariums, and the cube shape is very appealing. Finding a stand seems to be a struggle with a lot of different tanks though, so I can understand why that would make you hesitate, but in the end I believe they are the superior choice.

 

I actually considered a 15g Waterbox myself but ended up opting for Cobalt's C-Vue 18. It's a nice aquarium but probably a bit too expensive for what you get. I don't regret my purchase but I think I could have done more with the money if I had known more about my options at the time.

[norbert]

Have you considered building a diy stand? It's really easy, I recently built a combination aquarium stand/tub rack for my ball python and I'm happy with how it turned out. I don't have any woodworking experience or anything and I was able to do it in a couple hours for like $15.

 

With a diy stand you can choose your own dimensions and build it for your needs. My stand has storage space for 2 5 gallon buckets and some other supplies and fits perfectly in the room it's in.

[AnotherBotDown]

52 minutes ago, norbert said:

Have you considered building a diy stand? It's really easy, I recently built a combination aquarium stand/tub rack for my ball python and I'm happy with how it turned out. I don't have any woodworking experience or anything and I was able to do it in a couple hours for like $15.

 

With a diy stand you can choose your own dimensions and build it for your needs. My stand has storage space for 2 5 gallon buckets and some other supplies and fits perfectly in the room it's in.

I would love to DIY everything but living in an apartment restricts me on space and from having the right tools. This is also the reason I am not thinking about a larger tank for now. I would really like to find something premade.

 

I have started looking for stands built for larger cubes(20-30G).

[AnotherBotDown]

2 hours ago, Clown79 said:

I have never used or seen a Waterbox, they don't seem to be sold here.

 

I have 2 IM tanks which I love. I prefer my lagoon over the 10g, I actually prefer longer tanks than cube.

 

For me, I find more aquascaping options with none cube tanks. Which means more areas for coral placements.

That's just personal preference though.

 

There is the Fluval evo 13.5g which is popular, some have even used the Fluval Flex 15g for Sw(just remove the lid/light)

 

 

That is true with the longer tanks but I am personally not so creative when it comes to placing rocks in such tanks. I feel I am more biased towards cubes since most of my LFS around has those on display. The fluval evo looks like a great option and is probably my number 3.

 

 

[Matteo]

2 hours ago, AnotherBotDown said:

That is true with the longer tanks but I am personally not so creative when it comes to placing rocks in such tanks. I feel I am more biased towards cubes since most of my LFS around has those on display. The fluval evo looks like a great option and is probably my number 3.

 

 

Please don't. There's like 883 results if you type in Fluval evo13.5.

 

It's like if I had a dollar for all the evo 13.5 builds I'd have enough for a new build 😂 

 

Nah go with what you want. Personally I would go with the water box or IM. I have owned all three brands and at the end of the day the IM or waterbox are way superior IMO 😎👉

[AnotherBotDown]

So I got a table which I feel would do good as a stabd but not quite sure about it. What do you guys think about this? Though the legs seem slim they are are very sturdy and so is the wooden top. 

[ninjamyst]

sit on it for a couple of hours and see how steady it is....hahah

[Matteo]

1 hour ago, AnotherBotDown said:

So I got a table which I feel would do good as a stabd but not quite sure about it. What do you guys think about this? Though the legs seem slim they are are very sturdy and so is the wooden top. 

for a small tank you are totally fine. That is gonna look really nice and clean mate! 

 

Your tank is gonna weigh less than 200lbs full. more like 140ish honestly. Water is like 8.45lb per gallon. live rock only displaces so much water so maybe you are at 13 gallons. But yeah that stand is totally fine. I am using a sturdy entertainment center for my 40 Nuvo. Much heavier but I did what above said. I sat on it, jumped on it, you name it hahah. 

 

Go for it homie! 

1 hour ago, ninjamyst said:

sit on it for a couple of hours and see how steady it is....hahah

I did this with my Nuvo 40 stand but I literally jumped on it a few times haha

[AnotherBotDown]

9 hours ago, ninjamyst said:

sit on it for a couple of hours and see how steady it is....hahah

I did exactly this at the store(got it at Home goods). 

 

7 hours ago, Matteo said:

for a small tank you are totally fine. That is gonna look really nice and clean mate! 

 

Your tank is gonna weigh less than 200lbs full. more like 140ish honestly. Water is like 8.45lb per gallon. live rock only displaces so much water so maybe you are at 13 gallons. But yeah that stand is totally fine. I am using a sturdy entertainment center for my 40 Nuvo. Much heavier but I did what above said. I sat on it, jumped on it, you name it hahah. 

 

Go for it homie! 

I did this with my Nuvo 40 stand but I literally jumped on it a few times haha

Thanks for the assurance and I went with my non-scientific test of durability. Unfortunately the stand in picture above had very uneven surface, with almost all corners in the air. I went back in the store to get a similar looking stand with a flat top. 

 

Also, picked up the tank today. I finalized on the Waterbox Cube 15. My LFS was kind enough to give a $20 gift card and an additional filter sock (not sure if I would use it after adding a media basket though). Here is how it looks now sitting empty on the stand.

 

[AnotherBotDown]

I will start another thread when I am done with setting this tank up. Thanks for all the suggestions here.