Returning Aquarist (I think...)

[NoriMuncher]

Hi all, 

Not a beginner, I kept a 55 salt for over a decade - soft corals, anemone, rotating cast of clowns tangs angels shrimp & hitchhikers. Occasionally something more obscure but that often proved a mistake for my skill & price range (though I still remember my sea apple fondly, despite his tendency to position himself for months with his butt towards the audience).
 

Dumped it all after a catastrophic crash 7 years ago, noted the monstrous savings on my utility bill, and figured maybe I'd restart a larger system someday.

 

Just I just bought a place, considering coming back & going SMALLER instead. Nano style, 20-30G. I'll be plenty happy with a pair of percs, maybe a shrimp or another small fish, and some colorful corals. I don't see a reason to go big, and small will keep the wife happy while fascinating the kids.

 

Joined the forum to lurk for the next month or so before pulling the trigger on something, things have changed a lot since I last ran a tank. LEDs were barely on the horizon then...

 

I may go AIO for simplicity, choice for me will be safety (hard wood floors), low noise, and looks (location will be a big entertaining/dining room). Might need to custom make a stand if that's what it takes. I've got time to figure this out, will be interested in input. 

 

Happy Reefing All,

 

NoriMuncher

[WV Reefer]

1 hour ago, NoriMuncher said:

Hi all, 

Not a beginner, I kept a 55 salt for over a decade - soft corals, anemone, rotating cast of clowns tangs angels shrimp & hitchhikers. Occasionally something more obscure but that often proved a mistake for my skill & price range (though I still remember my sea apple fondly, despite his tendency to position himself for months with his butt towards the audience).
 

Dumped it all after a catastrophic crash 7 years ago, noted the monstrous savings on my utility bill, and figured maybe I'd restart a larger system someday.

 

Just I just bought a place, considering coming back & going SMALLER instead. Nano style, 20-30G. I'll be plenty happy with a pair of percs, maybe a shrimp or another small fish, and some colorful corals. I don't see a reason to go big, and small will keep the wife happy while fascinating the kids.

 

Joined the forum to lurk for the next month or so before pulling the trigger on something, things have changed a lot since I last ran a tank. LEDs were barely on the horizon then...

 

I may go AIO for simplicity, choice for me will be safety (hard wood floors), low noise, and looks (location will be a big entertaining/dining room). Might need to custom make a stand if that's what it takes. I've got time to figure this out, will be interested in input. 

 

Happy Reefing All,

 

NoriMuncher

 

Welcome to NR! 😊

[colinadam]

Welcome back, I was in a similar position. Kept tanks when CF and MH were the rage, lighting is a lot different but most everything else is the same. 

 

Check out the IM 30L, I am starting one up and it has the feel of a larger tank in a nano AIO. 

[Christopher Marks]

Welcome to the community @NoriMuncher! I think an AIO tank is a great choice for your situation, you will love the simplicity. You will really be impressed with LED lighting too. 

 

I hope you’ll start a journal to share your build for us to follow along. 🙂 

[billygoat]

Many welcomes! 😁 It's exciting to see people coming back to the hobby after many years away. You will certainly find that a whole lot has changed, that's for sure!

 

Do you have any ideas as to what shape of tank you're looking for? (i.e. cube, peninsula, etc.?)

[Clown79]

Welcome!

 

I started out with a 55g yrs ago too, then left the hobby.

 

I decided to get back in with a smaller tank. They are alot of fun and Aio's are great.

[Tamberav]

6 hours ago, NoriMuncher said:

Hi all, 

Not a beginner, I kept a 55 salt for over a decade - soft corals, anemone, rotating cast of clowns tangs angels shrimp & hitchhikers. Occasionally something more obscure but that often proved a mistake for my skill & price range (though I still remember my sea apple fondly, despite his tendency to position himself for months with his butt towards the audience).
 

Dumped it all after a catastrophic crash 7 years ago, noted the monstrous savings on my utility bill, and figured maybe I'd restart a larger system someday.

 

Just I just bought a place, considering coming back & going SMALLER instead. Nano style, 20-30G. I'll be plenty happy with a pair of percs, maybe a shrimp or another small fish, and some colorful corals. I don't see a reason to go big, and small will keep the wife happy while fascinating the kids.

 

Joined the forum to lurk for the next month or so before pulling the trigger on something, things have changed a lot since I last ran a tank. LEDs were barely on the horizon then...

 

I may go AIO for simplicity, choice for me will be safety (hard wood floors), low noise, and looks (location will be a big entertaining/dining room). Might need to custom make a stand if that's what it takes. I've got time to figure this out, will be interested in input. 

 

Happy Reefing All,

 

NoriMuncher

I think an AIO would be perfect for you. I have one in my bedroom and it is silent. Not really much of flood risk since there's nothing drilled.

 

My recommendation is the IM25 lagoon....easy dimensions to light and a nice depth for aquascaping.

 

20-30 gallons is the nano sweet spot imo. Enough room for a wide range of corals....while still small enough to run on small water changes for ease and big enough to not swing quickly or overheat quickly..etc. Many lights and powerheads that fit this size easily too.

[NoriMuncher]

Thanks all! I see the IM30 and IM25 lagoon getting votes, I'll check into them.

[billygoat]

3 minutes ago, NoriMuncher said:

Thanks all! I see the IM30 and IM25 lagoon getting votes, I'll check into them.

When I jumped into the hobby last year I decided to go with Cobalt's C-Vue 18. It is an attractive aquarium and finely made, but if I had a chance to do everything over from the beginning I would definitely go for the IM25 lagoon instead. It's a gorgeous system with perfect dimensions, and its popularity ensures that there is a wealth of information about it out there. So although I haven't had the opportunity to try it myself (yet!), the 25 lagoon is my recommendation too!

[NoriMuncher]

Sounds good. How nice are the pre-built stands for the IM25? I can't really tell from the marketing photos. Need good modern looks to keep the wife happy, this is going in the dining room. Can have a carpenter buddy make one if that's a better option.

 

[Josh H]

On 7/28/2019 at 6:04 PM, NoriMuncher said:

Hi all, 

Not a beginner, I kept a 55 salt for over a decade - soft corals, anemone, rotating cast of clowns tangs angels shrimp & hitchhikers. Occasionally something more obscure but that often proved a mistake for my skill & price range (though I still remember my sea apple fondly, despite his tendency to position himself for months with his butt towards the audience).
 

Dumped it all after a catastrophic crash 7 years ago, noted the monstrous savings on my utility bill, and figured maybe I'd restart a larger system someday.

 

Just I just bought a place, considering coming back & going SMALLER instead. Nano style, 20-30G. I'll be plenty happy with a pair of percs, maybe a shrimp or another small fish, and some colorful corals. I don't see a reason to go big, and small will keep the wife happy while fascinating the kids.

 

Joined the forum to lurk for the next month or so before pulling the trigger on something, things have changed a lot since I last ran a tank. LEDs were barely on the horizon then...

 

I may go AIO for simplicity, choice for me will be safety (hard wood floors), low noise, and looks (location will be a big entertaining/dining room). Might need to custom make a stand if that's what it takes. I've got time to figure this out, will be interested in input. 

 

Happy Reefing All,

 

NoriMuncher

Hey there!!

 

I'm new here too, wonderful suggestions on the IM 25 and 30, I'm a huge fan of the 30L EXT myself. Good sized display with tons of aquascaping potential and the ability to have a sump for good solid long term equipment options. 

 

Unfortunately the IM 25 Lagoons are being discontinued and some major retailers are already sold out. If you want one I'd start hunting around now.

[NoriMuncher]

On 8/6/2019 at 7:31 PM, Josh H said:

 

Unfortunately the IM 25 Lagoons are being discontinued and some major retailers are already sold out. If you want one I'd start hunting around now.

Thanks for the warning, I moved my timetable up. IM25 & black stand are on the way, with salt, heater & temp controller, refractometer, few other basics. I've got plenty of time, probably a couple of weeks away from even starting to cycle, but....

After a lot of reading I'm thinking of going skimmerless. If I'm doing a 4-5 gal water change weekly on a 25 gal (maybe 20 gal after rocks sand gear), should I bother? Saw a long thread on the minimalist approach and I'm very intrigued. Tiny fuge instead? I'm not really price sensitive, just want the tank to be as quiet as possible. Reasonable? Or should I just nab one & run a small fuge on the other side.

I'm also close to pulling the trigger on Aquarium Illumination LED. Looks nice, clips on, should serve my needs.

 

 

 

[Kangster911]

I had a 72 bowftont freshwater tank for a decade and had to get rid of it when I was moving. A few months ago, I bought a used IM 30 cube (discontinued now) and got into saltwater. Cube means I just need one light and large enough volume for stability. Only downside of it is finding parts and accessories since it is a discontinued model, but if I had to do it again, I will probably go again with Innovative Marine cube tank.

[billygoat]

10 hours ago, NoriMuncher said:

After a lot of reading I'm thinking of going skimmerless. If I'm doing a 4-5 gal water change weekly on a 25 gal (maybe 20 gal after rocks sand gear), should I bother?

The primary advantage of a skimmer is that it allows you to stock your tank with a heavier bioload than it would otherwise be able to support. As long as your stocking is gradual and you don't go too crazy adding all sorts of different fish, I think you will be just fine without a skimmer. There are any number of good examples of aquariums on this site that have been thriving for years without skimming.

 

The refugium is a great idea too! It's possible to convert the rear chambers of pretty much any AIO into a small 'fuge without too much trouble. All you need is some sort of basket for your Chaetomorpha to grow in and a light to grow it with. InTank sells nice baskets that are sized for a variety of popular AIOs, but you can also build one yourself if you like.  😊

[Nano sapiens]

Welcome to NR!

 

I went from a 55g down to a very simply set up AIO 12g back in 2008. (no refugium, DIY LED lighting, pump, heater, DIY ATO...not much else)  😊

 

As long as the needs of the corals (and other inhabitants) are met, all the new gadgets and such are just personal preference.