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10 hours ago, DailynJ said:

I was reading the reviews for it on amazon and people were saying that after they set it up and their tank was running for a while it would just randomly burst. Also the people in my LFS told me that curved tanks crack more often. I would definitely have to have it shipped, and I think the people on amazon might have gotten cracks during shipping that they couldn't see and then once the pressure of the water was on them they burst. I'm scared about that the most since I don't want to flood the apartments below me and be in a lot of trouble. 

Is there a reason for taking all that extra risk in shipping a tank?  It's a bad risk to take.  Worse if you have another choice.

 

Amazon only ships and are not a pet store, so the terrible reviews are MAKE SENSE...avoid buying there altogether, and remember those reviews if you consider going back.  BAD PLACE TO BUY A GLASS TANK.  😉

 

Find ANY local pet store for a good option.  Even a non-fish pet store could special order something from Central Pet or whoever their supplier is.

 

Even Petco or Petsmart if you have one nearby.  Do the best you can, try not to settle for online only.

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I think that if you want to buy online, buying from one of Nano-reefs sponsors would be a great idea. I personally purchased my tank from Marine Depot. I have had nothing but amazing service. 

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12 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

Good.

 

You and William made it sound like I was recommending warped stands the way your replies went.  😆

 

Almost like my post didn't really get read since the very first line addressed what you guys wrote back:

🙄

 

If you wanna bash MDF stands, go ahead.  I have no dog in the race and don't care.

 

Folks just like to bash things, I get it.

 

But MDF stands are stronger than you know.

 

That was the point.

 

I read it but anything that warps with water exposure is just not ideal for an aquarium. There is definitely difference in quality with a Red Sea Stand than Petco though. 

 

 

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I'm sorry but MDF is MDF. 

 

And any wood can warp with exposure to water, "Wood has many outstanding properties, but it is a natural, porous material with individual characteristics, and it can warp."

 

Either MDF is adequate for a tank stand when properly used (ask Petsmart, redsea, waterbox, et al), or MDF is not adequate, which means that compromised 125 Gallon that I mentioned should be collapsed on the floor.  Long ago.

 

I was under the same misconceptions myself based on all the BS rumors about MDF stands. 

 

But I was wrong.  Obviously 100% wrong.

 

Whether you want to buy one is not relevant.  To each their own.  🙂 

 

We are not (or at least I'm not) trying to convince anyone to do anything. 

 

We're sharing information (or at least I am) so someone else can use their own judgement.

 

We're talking abstractly here....or trying to.  😉

 

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I'm still really considering the Biocube by Coralife. One of you mentioned subpar equipment. Would the equipment made to go in the biocube be sub-par? Or just good enough for only that tank? I've also been looking at the UV light for the tank by coralife. But I heard that smaller uv lights aren't even worth it?

 

So I like the biocube for these reasons:

  • It's relatively cheap, when comparing it to Red Sea aquariums, but still pretty good quality (I hope)
  • It fits the footprint that I want it to in my apartment
  • It's not too small for my fish, but not too large for me to be worried about flooding
  • I love the looks of the set ups I've seen. I don't care either way if the glass is curved or not. I can get in there with a sponge and clean it. I just don't want it to crack. The front of the aquarium will be directly beside me on the couch
  • It comes with a stand, and I don't know what you guys have experienced, or if I should have future worries, but I've never had a problem with aquarium stands swelling. I have had problems with my glass tables getting water under their tops and ruining the wood. The stand is around $180, which is nice considering the asthetics of it, the storage of it, and the place out of sight for equipment like the ATO reservoir. And it's the perfect size. I don't have to hunt for something or repair used furniture.
  • It has items made for it. I don't know if that means they're low quality or whatever, but I've heard people say that you don't need a protein skimmer, ATO, or uv sterilizer. So the fact that it has some that are the perfect fit would be better than nothing, right? And this is my start up tank. I'm not crazy advanced, just learning the ropes. So I'm okay with upgrading when I know more.
  • It also has space in the back to add a refugium which I thought was really cool.

I'm just a college kid trying to get a little slice of the ocean. 

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50 minutes ago, DailynJ said:

I'm still really considering the Biocube by Coralife. One of you mentioned subpar equipment. Would the equipment made to go in the biocube be sub-par? Or just good enough for only that tank? I've also been looking at the UV light for the tank by coralife. But I heard that smaller uv lights aren't even worth it?

 

So I like the biocube for these reasons:

  • It's relatively cheap, when comparing it to Red Sea aquariums, but still pretty good quality (I hope)
  • It fits the footprint that I want it to in my apartment
  • It's not too small for my fish, but not too large for me to be worried about flooding
  • I love the looks of the set ups I've seen. I don't care either way if the glass is curved or not. I can get in there with a sponge and clean it. I just don't want it to crack. The front of the aquarium will be directly beside me on the couch
  • It comes with a stand, and I don't know what you guys have experienced, or if I should have future worries, but I've never had a problem with aquarium stands swelling. I have had problems with my glass tables getting water under their tops and ruining the wood. The stand is around $180, which is nice considering the asthetics of it, the storage of it, and the place out of sight for equipment like the ATO reservoir. And it's the perfect size. I don't have to hunt for something or repair used furniture.
  • It has items made for it. I don't know if that means they're low quality or whatever, but I've heard people say that you don't need a protein skimmer, ATO, or uv sterilizer. So the fact that it has some that are the perfect fit would be better than nothing, right? And this is my start up tank. I'm not crazy advanced, just learning the ropes. So I'm okay with upgrading when I know more.
  • It also has space in the back to add a refugium which I thought was really cool.

I'm just a college kid trying to get a little slice of the ocean. 

If you like the idea of a cube style tank and dont mind the curved glass corners get the biocube. Great tank for the price and plenty of mods you can use to upgrade as you see fit.. 

 

lol and the tanks not any more likely to burst than any other so dont worry about that happy reefing..🤙🍻😎

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1 hour ago, DailynJ said:

I'm still really considering the Biocube by Coralife. One of you mentioned subpar equipment. Would the equipment made to go in the biocube be sub-par? Or just good enough for only that tank? I've also been looking at the UV light for the tank by coralife. But I heard that smaller uv lights aren't even worth it?

 

So I like the biocube for these reasons:

  • It's relatively cheap, when comparing it to Red Sea aquariums, but still pretty good quality (I hope)
  • It fits the footprint that I want it to in my apartment
  • It's not too small for my fish, but not too large for me to be worried about flooding
  • I love the looks of the set ups I've seen. I don't care either way if the glass is curved or not. I can get in there with a sponge and clean it. I just don't want it to crack. The front of the aquarium will be directly beside me on the couch
  • It comes with a stand, and I don't know what you guys have experienced, or if I should have future worries, but I've never had a problem with aquarium stands swelling. I have had problems with my glass tables getting water under their tops and ruining the wood. The stand is around $180, which is nice considering the asthetics of it, the storage of it, and the place out of sight for equipment like the ATO reservoir. And it's the perfect size. I don't have to hunt for something or repair used furniture.
  • It has items made for it. I don't know if that means they're low quality or whatever, but I've heard people say that you don't need a protein skimmer, ATO, or uv sterilizer. So the fact that it has some that are the perfect fit would be better than nothing, right? And this is my start up tank. I'm not crazy advanced, just learning the ropes. So I'm okay with upgrading when I know more.
  • It also has space in the back to add a refugium which I thought was really cool.

I'm just a college kid trying to get a little slice of the ocean. 

You certainly do not need a UV sterilizer. I would personally run a skimmer on that size tank, but many people do not and they are just fine. I would check out intank.com or marinedepot.com as they have a pretty good listing of what type of skimmer will fit in your back compartments. Some skimmers that I would recommend would be the Tunze 9001 or 9004 (I’m not sure which would fit) or one of the ones made by aquamax  (NF-1) that fits the section. 
 

you do not need* an auto-top-off, but I find that they can be incredibly helpful and nice to have.  Keeping salinity constant is very important. I personally have the XP Aqua Duetto model on all three of my tanks and find it a great option. 
 

one thing that has not been mentioned here that I think you should buy before you be any of the other equipment listed above, is an RODI unit.  The Aquatic Life RO Buddie Reverse Osmosis Systems is $59 on Amazon, and well worth the expense. There are more expensive options that you can buy,  but for a nano tank, this unit would certainly meet your needs. 

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12 hours ago, William said:

one thing that has not been mentioned here that I think you should buy before you be any of the other equipment listed above, is an RODI unit.  The Aquatic Life RO Buddie Reverse Osmosis Systems is $59 on Amazon, and well worth the expense. There are more expensive options that you can buy,  but for a nano tank, this unit would certainly meet your needs. 

I planned on buying an RODI unit for the biocube. I have a LFS that sells salt water $1/gal so if I were to go with a more expensive tank setup I would probably go that route. I was looking at the RODI units on bulk reef supply. Would the small one that you mentioned work as good as their four stage system? I live in a state where they used chloramines to treat the water, so I don't know if a five or six stage set up would be best for me.

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BioCube Newb

$1 a gallon for salt water isn't bad, walmart distilled water is 94 cents where I'm at.  If I had a 10 gallon or smaller tank I'd just buy it at that price.  But of course that larger the tank the more a RODI system makes sense.  Also can choose your own salt, I would recommend Tropic Marine Pro for their Pharma Grade ingredients .

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Hi! I don’t have time to read your whole thread right now, but just wanted to chime in to say I love my Biocube 16 LED, my lights are still stock lights... it was my first fish tank ever, and was the March featured tank of the month. I enjoy it more than my innovative marine Nuvo 10. @Krish87 also has a Biocube 16, totally different setup as he removed the lid/stock lights and his tank was the featured tank for September. Here are links to our tank write ups:

 

 

 

 

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I would look at the store's water the other way:  Use it now since you have such a small tank.

 

Carrying water from the LFS gets old VERY FAST if you're carring more than 1 or 2 jugs at a time.

 

But with a bio-cube one jug of RODI to mix seatwater and another for RODI reserve/ATO is more than plenty.  Not enough to break the bank at $1/gallon.

 

If you had a tank 50 gallons or larger I'd say it's not worth the effort and expense....try to get your own system.

 

That said, making water at home can take up a lot of space...which is fine if you have it. 

 

It's also expensive....$59 (the example earlier) is almost 60 gallons of water from the LFS.  It's also got very expensive replacment filter modules compared to a standard unit....so the cheapness evaporates in the long run and they end up being expensive.

 

Buying a used unit would be OK.

 

But you should be able to find very good standard units for a decent price most of the time....like these:

CYCLONE 4 STAGE RODI REEFKEEPER

CYCLONE 4 STAGE RODI REEFKEEPER

CYCLONE 4 STAGE RODI REEFKEEPER

$144.95
 

 

TYPHOON 5 STAGE RODI REEFKEEPER

$159.95
 
 
dlp-mpdi-90-a-04668-300x300.png

Rebuilt MaxPure MPDI 90 GPD RODI System – MPDI-90-A

$149.99

 

 

dlp-mpdi-90-b-04662-300x300.png

Rebuilt MaxPure MPDI 90 GPD RODI System – MPDI-90-B

$134.99

 

Marine Depot KleanWater 4-Stage Economy RO/DI System - 100 GPD

Marine Depot KleanWater 4-Stage Economy RO/DI System - 100 GPD

 

$149.99

 

IMO at $160 the Typhoon 5 stage is your best deal as it has the most filter chambers and a GREAT price.

 

If you're concerned with chloramines and go with one of the smaller 4-stage units, just be sure to use two carbon filters in your first two chambers instead of one being a plain prefilter.  They will be compressed powdered carbon in most cases (make sure) which should have no trouble handling chloramines at the low flow of an RODI system.

 

Here's what the good folks making the Typhoon (Air, Water and Ice...a sponsor here too) have to say about their larger 5-stage unit:

 

Quote

 

TYPHOON RODI REEFKEEPER 75 GPD 

 

The original Typhoon and each of the 7,500 of them made since then are all equipped with an ASOV for automatic top off. We introduced the ASOV to reefkeeping in 2001. The Typhoon unit comes pre-assembled with the filters and membrane installed. Your unit is pressure tested with 65 psi water. The filters and membrane are installed the day we ship. You only need to make three plumbing connections and you are done. Just connect to your source water, waste water and then enjoy zero TDS water, Zip, Zero, Zilch, Nada. NO TDS.

 

*Upgrading to a Catalytic Carbon stage removes on average 5 times more Chloramines than any carbon block on the market (including the ones specifically designed to "bust" chloramines). The option above adds Catalytic Carbon cartridge in place of 5 micron carbon block.

 

 

Good article for myth busting on the topic:  https://www.purewaterproducts.com/water-problems/chloramines

 

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Oh....forgot to mention:

 

RODI water is cheap compared to store-bought.....something like a nickle a gallon or something in the long run.  WAY CHEAPER than store bought.....but requires the investment of cash for the system and space for the water storage.

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4 hours ago, banasophia said:

Hi! I don’t have time to read your whole thread right now, but just wanted to chime in to say I love my Biocube 16 LED, my lights are still stock lights... it was my first fish tank ever, and was the March featured tank of the month. I enjoy it more than my innovative marine Nuvo 10. @Krish87 also has a Biocube 16, totally different setup as he removed the lid/stock lights and his tank was the featured tank for September. Here are links to our tank write ups:

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much! I read through your feature and I thought it was great. I'm interested in euphyllias, an anemone, and some softies. Do you think the stock lighting would be good enough since you've had experience with it on your corals? Also how do you like the protein skimmer that coralife has made? How does it compare to the one you have for your other aquarium (if you have one on it)? Any tips or tricks for it? 

 

Why do you enjoy your biocube more than your nuvo?

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I was one of the first LED 16 Biocubes owners here and went through your same questions. Summoning @Jackal227 here as well since he has stock lights. I had stock lights and they will work for LPS and softies, and a top-placed montipora. I wanted a little more control of color so I invested in Steve's LED, but would not say it was essential. If you are a simple gal looking for starter corals in a stable temp locale, a BioCube 16 is pretty darn good. No need for ATO, Protien skimmer, upgraded pump, etc. You can plug, play, and if you use the right rockscape/sandbed coraline algae will grow all over and things will be golden.

 

That being said - look at most of our rockscapes. You are severely limited in your options and basically stack up a pile against the back wall. Notice again that the sump vents are on the right side, pump on the left. So you have basic counter-clockwise flow with lots of opportunity for dead spots, as well as reduced ability to keep particles suspended in the water column to be removed by your filtration system. 

 

And finally - my main grump about the BioCube - The top half of my tank is virtually un-used. Folks like Jackal have come up with creative ways to construct winding ledges or spires to the top and make use of some of the space, but I will say I have been disappointed in my own ability to maximally utilize the space while maintaining the flow that I think I need. I did the math at some point and with space in the front, sides, and top of my rock scape I'm really only taking up a square foot, while the BioCube tank "display space" is almost 3 sq ft. For sure others are doing it better than me, but I believe a cube is not always the most appropriate space, unless you are REALLY good with putting together your live-rock aquascape. 

 

In my entire time here, I've admired @WV Reefer and the 12 gallon she put together (September 2018) Tank of the Month. You can see that there is plenty of room to spread out corals in an eye-pleasing manner, begin smaller colonies on frags, and have a few "show pieces" front and center. 

 

TL;DR version: A BioCube 16 or 29/32 is a great choice for an out-of-the-box starter, just be realistic about what you're going to do about how you set up your live rock and accomplish flow. And don't drill holes in the back, as the glass is 3/16" and not as able to handle bulkhead connections/anything with a moment arm. 

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34 minutes ago, Cpl_Wiggles said:

I was one of the first LED 16 Biocubes owners here and went through your same questions. Summoning @Jackal227 here as well since he has stock lights. I had stock lights and they will work for LPS and softies, and a top-placed montipora. I wanted a little more control of color so I invested in Steve's LED, but would not say it was essential. If you are a simple gal looking for starter corals in a stable temp locale, a BioCube 16 is pretty darn good. No need for ATO, Protien skimmer, upgraded pump, etc. You can plug, play, and if you use the right rockscape/sandbed coraline algae will grow all over and things will be golden.

 

That being said - look at most of our rockscapes. You are severely limited in your options and basically stack up a pile against the back wall. Notice again that the sump vents are on the right side, pump on the left. So you have basic counter-clockwise flow with lots of opportunity for dead spots, as well as reduced ability to keep particles suspended in the water column to be removed by your filtration system. 

 

And finally - my main grump about the BioCube - The top half of my tank is virtually un-used. Folks like Jackal have come up with creative ways to construct winding ledges or spires to the top and make use of some of the space, but I will say I have been disappointed in my own ability to maximally utilize the space while maintaining the flow that I think I need. I did the math at some point and with space in the front, sides, and top of my rock scape I'm really only taking up a square foot, while the BioCube tank "display space" is almost 3 sq ft. For sure others are doing it better than me, but I believe a cube is not always the most appropriate space, unless you are REALLY good with putting together your live-rock aquascape. 

 

In my entire time here, I've admired @WV Reefer and the 12 gallon she put together (September 2018) Tank of the Month. You can see that there is plenty of room to spread out corals in an eye-pleasing manner, begin smaller colonies on frags, and have a few "show pieces" front and center. 

 

TL;DR version: A BioCube 16 or 29/32 is a great choice for an out-of-the-box starter, just be realistic about what you're going to do about how you set up your live rock and accomplish flow. And don't drill holes in the back, as the glass is 3/16" and not as able to handle bulkhead connections/anything with a moment arm. 

Thank you for the tag.  

 

I've had my biocube for 2 years now and have been very happy with it.  The led lights are quite sufficient for corals if planned correctly.  I keep softies near the sand, LPS in the mid tank area and SPS in the top third of the tank.

 

The curved glass front was a pain to clean in the beginning.  However after I picked up a flipper nano it made it easy to clean the glass.  Just have to remember to scrape the curved glass left to right instead of top to bottom and it comes right off.

 

I would say if you are comparing similar water volumes and want a top with built in light then nothing compares to the new biocubes. 

 

If that's not necessary then I would suggest getting the largest tank that you can afford because soon enough you'll want something bigger.  Also I've found that I've spent way more on livestock than I did on the tank.  It adds up over time.

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5 minutes ago, Jackal227 said:

The curved glass front was a pain to clean in the beginning. 

Yep that was the only thing I did not like.. flipper nano is awesome..  every now and then I would get lazy and the corners would get bad so i tried one of those mr clean magic erasers (the original kind) man talk about game changer... it would wipe the stuff right off in 2 seconds flat.. you would think a metal scraper would be better. Nope not even close ..

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On 9/29/2019 at 11:29 AM, DailynJ said:

Hi all! I'm new to saltwater aquariums but not new to freshwater. I've been keeping freshwater all of my life, from 150gals to having 10 tanks at once. Now I live on the third floor of an apartment complex with a 20gal long planted tank filled with shrimp and a betta. Basically I'm trying to say I have a good amount of knowledge on basic stuff.

I've been trying to decide on what aquarium I should get for saltwater reefing. I've been looking at the Coralife Biocube 32, as I found a kit that comes with an ATO, protein skimmer, and wavemaker, all for around $700. So this would still allow me to buy all the other essentials like heater and ro/di system on my budget, and possibly upgrade the light if need be. But I have been told it's not the best tank because of the curved glass, which often cracks. I've been recommended innovative marine tanks and red sea tanks. The innovative marine tank that is 30 gallons is a lot longer than what I was wanting, and it with a stand costs as much as the biocube kit. So I would still need to get the protein skimmer and all of that. Now the Red Sea  Max E-170 is absolutely gorgeous. It comes with a built in protein skimmer, and comes with amazing lights. It has two filter outputs, so I don't think I would need a wavemaker. But the tank and stand is $1,365, which is WAY more than I was planning on spending for the tank alone. 

So my dilemma is: is the biocube good enough? Should I save up for the innovative marine or red sea tank instead? Do any of you have experience with these tanks: good or bad? I would love to hear any opinions or advice. 

 

Thank you so much,

Dailyn

I think the biocube is a great start off tank and will help you learn. I personally love the way it looks and there are some great biocube owners on this forum that have done wonders with stock everything. 😉

 

 

check out Banasophia’s biocube journal 

https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/394941-banasophia’s-biocube-16-im-nuvo-10/?tab=comments#comment-5696785

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2 hours ago, FISHnChix said:

Yep that was the only thing I did not like.. flipper nano is awesome..  every now and then I would get lazy and the corners would get bad so i tried one of those mr clean magic erasers (the original kind) man talk about game changer... it would wipe the stuff right off in 2 seconds flat.. you would think a metal scraper would be better. Nope not even close ..

How peculiar is this:  The store-brand (still Made in Germany) of those pads carries a specific warning against using them in aquariums!  Weird!

Store brand:

97D7CFEC-421E-4257-819D-A8409BF3E40B.thumb.jpeg.8db303ea998708b97d768994b252bff9.jpeg

 

Name brand:

D39DFD8A-834A-44E1-BDE7-B98C540701CF.thumb.jpeg.b3490bc9a090dfe80c2377c9be70a25f.jpeg

 

Edited by mcarroll
add images
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36 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

How peculiar is this:  The store-brand (still Made in Germany) of those pads carries a specific warning against using them in aquariums!  Weird!

Store brand:

97D7CFEC-421E-4257-819D-A8409BF3E40B.thumb.jpeg.8db303ea998708b97d768994b252bff9.jpeg

 

Name brand:

D39DFD8A-834A-44E1-BDE7-B98C540701CF.thumb.jpeg.b3490bc9a090dfe80c2377c9be70a25f.jpeg

 

Dunno the first one doesn't show the brand name and the second doesn't say the same as the first.🤨. I know a lot of reefers that use them including myself and works great with no side effects 

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On 9/29/2019 at 7:19 PM, mcarroll said:

You might want to consider a plain 40 Breeder for the tank.....as low as $40 at the Petco sale...$50 on their website right now as I type....and only $99 regular price.

Aqueon Standard Glass Aquarium Tank 40 Gallon

That wold give you more room and a considerably lower price for the whole kit.

 

Using the same gear as above, that's only $290 for the whole setup with a 40 Breeder....only $340 if the tank is regular price.

 

...for the whole kit.

 

Just need to add lights.

 

A 36" Orbit Marine goes for $180.

 

That's still only $470, with all new gear.

 

A pair of Kessil A160's instead of the Current USA strip is $478 and only brings that total up to $818.

 

Hope that helps and it's not too much to think about!  😉 

 


You’re making me want to go out and buy one now!  What is the largest aquarium you can get under the Petco dollar per gallon sale?  I have to plan my next big purchase. 🙂

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7 hours ago, DailynJ said:

Thank you so much! I read through your feature and I thought it was great. I'm interested in euphyllias, an anemone, and some softies. Do you think the stock lighting would be good enough since you've had experience with it on your corals? Also how do you like the protein skimmer that coralife has made? How does it compare to the one you have for your other aquarium (if you have one on it)? Any tips or tricks for it? 

 

Why do you enjoy your biocube more than your nuvo?

I think the stock lights work particularly well for soft corals and LPS, and people including Jackal have been able to grow SPS if placed near the top. I really like the three light phases as they accentuate different livestock in different ways. I also like the look of the tank with the lid, though some prefer more of an open top look. Rock flower anemones do well under my stock lights; I’m not sure about keeping bubble tip anemones under them... the BTAs I tried didn’t seem happy so I moved them to the Nuvo 10... this could’ve been due to the lighting or could’ve been related to other issues in my tank... you might want to check out the Biocube group on Facebook to see what people say about this if a bubble tip nem is a priority for you. 

 

Below is a comparison I wrote up comparing my two tanks a year ago. In addition to this info I previously posted, I find the Biocube is much easier to photograph, which is nice for the sake of my own enjoyment and sharing on social media... I think this is due to the lighting, cube shape, and possibly the glass: 

 

From page 2 of this thread, posted on 8/14/18:

https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/394882-nano-6-10-gallon-reef-tank-suggestions/?tab=comments#comment-5696046

 

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. 🙂

F4568283-3441-4FDD-A252-7AC13C5A12B2.jpeg

EBB7577B-AFA9-44F3-9CDB-A0D6DDEE1AEA.jpeg

86B20D0D-2316-4453-9C93-67BD35FBEB11.jpeg

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I have the Coralife skimmer in both my tanks and it seems to work just fine... I’ve never tried any other skimmer, so I can’t say how it would compare. 

 

If you are getting a Biocube, the things you’ll need right away are the tank, stand, metal braces to reinforce the stand if you’re getting the Biocube one, heater, thermometer, algae scraper (flipper is good), sand, rock, saltwater. You will also want a test kit, possibly a nitrifying bacteria product such as Biospira or Dr Tim’s One and Only, possibly Dr Tim’s ammonia, and a powerhead. In addition you may need a GFCI outlet and a power strip, one with on/off switches for each outlet are great. (If you check out my first post in my tank journal I listed links to lots of items that I’ve found useful starting out.)

 

Also, I didn’t make my own water in the beginning, as you probably saw in my TOTM write up... lots of water source options in a smaller tank. 

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2 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

Wonder what that dripping is about. I have no dripping noise in my IM10. I use Intank.

Yeah... it’s an ongoing issue though I just tune it out now... I have the innovative marine media basket. Now that I have an ATO it’s really only coming from water flowing into the first chamber, no further issues with the flow into the third chamber. 

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42 minutes ago, banasophia said:

I think the stock lights work particularly well for soft corals and LPS, and people including Jackal have been able to grow SPS if placed near the top. I really like the three light phases as they accentuate different livestock in different ways. I also like the look of the tank with the lid, though some prefer more of an open top look. Rock flower anemones do well under my stock lights; I’m not sure about keeping bubble tip anemones under them... the BTAs I tried didn’t seem happy so I moved them to the Nuvo 10... this could’ve been due to the lighting or could’ve been related to other issues in my tank... you might want to check out the Biocube group on Facebook to see what people say about this if a bubble tip nem is a priority for you. 

 

Below is a comparison I wrote up comparing my two tanks a year ago. In addition to this info I previously posted, I find the Biocube is much easier to photograph, which is nice for the sake of my own enjoyment and sharing on social media... I think this is due to the lighting, cube shape, and possibly the glass: 

 

From page 2 of this thread, posted on 8/14/18:

https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/394882-nano-6-10-gallon-reef-tank-suggestions/?tab=comments#comment-5696046

 

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. 🙂

F4568283-3441-4FDD-A252-7AC13C5A12B2.jpeg

EBB7577B-AFA9-44F3-9CDB-A0D6DDEE1AEA.jpeg

86B20D0D-2316-4453-9C93-67BD35FBEB11.jpeg

Wow nicely broken down!

 

Ive had a few 🍻 so reading this entire thread isn’t happening tonight😬I’ve had several if not a dozen or so tanks over the years...I’m a huge fan of the biocube if that’s your first endeavor into keeping a reef tank, asides from a skimmer and ATO they are ready to go out of the box. Yeah the lights aren’t the best but you can definitely keep most soft coral in a stock biocube @banasophia has an amazing tank that’s pretty much stock. However if you’re budget allows I’d look at some of the IM tanks and even the Waterbox aquariums. 

 

have I mentioned I’m a huge fan of both you tanks 🤗 you should post more of your Nuvo! Pretty sure the clownfish have Hank envy 😂

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