NanoSean Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 Looking at getting back into the hobby after a long absence. Before, I had a 75gal reef with MH lights. This was just prior to LED becoming common and affordable. I am now looking at a nano reef. I am considering a 32 gal Biocube and have about a $1k budget for everything before fish and coral...thinking about a zoa-garden with a clown and goby as main fish. I like the look of the rimless tanks but wonder if that’s feasible in my budget. Open to suggestions. Nothing is set in stone. Thanks! Quote Link to comment
NanoSean Posted May 31, 2020 Author Share Posted May 31, 2020 Equipment and other items I am considering are: Tunze Osmolator Nano 3152 Auto Top Off Eshopps protein nano skimmer Eheim Jagar 50watt submersible heater Tunze Turbelle Nanostream 6015 Live "reef rock" from Premium Aquatics Caribsea Ocean Direct Live Sand - special grade Instant Ocean Reef Crystals sea salt Redractometer Purigen filter media API master test kit Intank media basket for biocube Quote Link to comment
mipster Posted May 31, 2020 Share Posted May 31, 2020 I think you could find something rimless in your price range, it just might mean looking for a used tank. That's what I did. I got my little Evo from a local reefer for cheap and then had the funds left over to upgrade the lighting to an AI prime which is a fairly affordable LED light. I highly recommend you check to see if your area has a local reefing facebook group. Mine seems to be posting used tanks for sale every day but I put a post out looking for my specific tank and have 4 offers to choose between! Good luck with the search! Quote Link to comment
tomkun Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 21 hours ago, NanoSean said: Looking at getting back into the hobby after a long absence. Before, I had a 75gal reef with MH lights. This was just prior to LED becoming common and affordable. I am now looking at a nano reef. I am considering a 32 gal Biocube and have about a $1k budget for everything before fish and coral...thinking about a zoa-garden with a clown and goby as main fish. I like the look of the rimless tanks but wonder if that’s feasible in my budget. Open to suggestions. Nothing is set in stone. Thanks! you can buy the Innovative marine 25 gallon lagoon for right under 300 shipped it also comes with the return pump, AI Prime hd16 for another 200. You'd have 500 for the heater, RODI system, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment
Gaze Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 Waterbox also has a dope 20 gal cube if you like cube tanks, runs around $200 shipped. Ai prime would fit on that perfectly as well. All in One with a spacious back chamber. 1 Quote Link to comment
Clown79 Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 The IM aio's are rimless and definitely doable under $1000 You can skip the skimmer and get one later if you need it Quote Link to comment
Matteo Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 Someone build this dude a cart! 1 Quote Link to comment
NanoSean Posted June 1, 2020 Author Share Posted June 1, 2020 18 hours ago, reefsenpai said: Waterbox also has a dope 20 gal cube if you like cube tanks, runs around $200 shipped. Ai prime would fit on that perfectly as well. All in One with a spacious back chamber. Really liking the Waterbox Cube 20 with AI Prime 16HD. We may have a winner. Any opinions on the quality of their stands? 1 Quote Link to comment
Matteo Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 Hey check out these carts I built real quick! First one is Amazon at a total of $355.95 Second one is Bulkreefsupply.com Cart Total: $680.99 So a total of $1,036.94. Pretty much at your max BUT this is EVERYTHING and high quality stuff that you will not regret and you will have a very high end nano in the end. Everything has great reviews some complain about the Nuvo Skimmer but I love my midsize one and I think most complain about the price. All you would need at this point is your water, fish, and coral. Of course other smaller things like carbon and purigen too. You don't neeeeed a test kit. You can always have your LFS test for you. My reef tank is going on a year and I have never tested expect once for cal and Alk. Once you have a stable tank and can sorta read your livestock it's pretty easy to go a long while without having to test. Specially since you are going for easier corals you will not really need to worry much anyway. Zoas like a smidge of dirtier water too. Cheers! Quote Link to comment
NanoSean Posted June 1, 2020 Author Share Posted June 1, 2020 Thanks Matteo...very helpful! 1 Quote Link to comment
Garf Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 Take what Matteo posted, ditch the skimmer, and buy a good heater with a controller. The BRS system is pretty nice. Edit: Oh and buy the tank direct from IM, save 50$ https://www.innovative-marine.com/shop/Fusion-Aquariums-c47403717 2 Quote Link to comment
olive Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 I was able to build my lagoon for around $600. Definitely doable. This includes test kits, food, and all the equipment. Really nice tank too. Quote Link to comment
Chadicus Meridius Posted June 1, 2020 Share Posted June 1, 2020 The bioskim skimmer from Innovative marine is around 50-60$ and it worked the first night in my IM Peninsula 20. It is kind of loud if you are keeping it in your bedroom, but I had no break in period It took me 2 days to tune it and it works like a charm imo 1 Quote Link to comment
Gaze Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 6 hours ago, NanoSean said: Really liking the Waterbox Cube 20 with AI Prime 16HD. We may have a winner. Any opinions on the quality of their stands? Hehe What did I win?! XD Idk much about their stands but for the cube, I feel it looks best on a long side table or anywhere you just have a little 2'x2' space. I went ahead and got the Skelton from IKEA for my 30in long peninsula but anything with doors so you can hide all the wiring will work beautifully!@Matteo is spot-on on his buying list but to start, I think the most important pieces in order: Tank (WB 20c), light and mount (ai prime 16), stand (your choice), Return pump if not included (I got a Mighty Jet Nano from my bundle and its quiet and solid), Starting Nitrifying Bacteria (biospira, turbostart, dr tims), some Ammonium Chloride (for fishless cycle), Master testing kit for cycling (api for afforable, red sea for quality), Rocks (reel reef for purple rock but pricier, dry rock from marco or anywhere- I used dry rock and super glued a structure together), sand (live or dry- I always go live sand from carribsea fiji pink best imo for nanos), some sort of media basket for carbon and filter floss at least!, heater (I use Cobalt Neotherm for the slim profile.), Auto Top Off (A MUST to keep parameters as stable as possible super important in nanos- I use a SmartATO with a DIY reservoir), wave maker/flow (I found a gyre 1k on ebay for cheap but I always liked the wide style of gyre pumps- could even hold off on this for a good deal, the stock return pump should be enough for the cycle at least), skimmer (not needed if you keep up with WEEKLY water changes but great if you have the space in the back chambers)! My opinion 😄 1 1 Quote Link to comment
Matteo Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 You can totally ditch the skimmer. I forgot this was a zoa tank. Skimmer no need! Put that money else where 🙂 Also like others have mentioned since you are not in a rush you can order from a few different websites to save you the bucks! Also, if you want to spend a smidge more on lighting, keep an eye out for a NanoBox Duo and you will never need another Nano light again. The prime is fine but I personally don't care for AI's LEDs as they make the tank look sorta fake to me at least. Also take a look a Fijicube tanks 2 Quote Link to comment
NanoSean Posted June 2, 2020 Author Share Posted June 2, 2020 29 minutes ago, Matteo said: You can totally ditch the skimmer. I forgot this was a zoa tank. Skimmer no need! Put that money else where 🙂 Also like others have mentioned since you are not in a rush you can order from a few different websites to save you the bucks! Also, if you want to spend a smidge more on lighting, keep an eye out for a NanoBox Duo and you will never need another Nano light again. The prime is fine but I personally don't care for AI's LEDs as they make the tank look sorta fake to me at least. Also take a look a Fijicube tanks A smidge more? Looks like it's double the price. Lol. Seems like that might be overkill for a 20 cube? 1 Quote Link to comment
Matteo Posted June 2, 2020 Share Posted June 2, 2020 25 minutes ago, NanoSean said: A smidge more? Looks like it's double the price. Lol. Seems like that might be overkill for a 20 cube? A used one won't be double. You can totally get away with a nanobox tide or AI prime over the 20. All personal pref! 1 Quote Link to comment
Cencalfishguy56 Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 7 hours ago, NanoSean said: A smidge more? Looks like it's double the price. Lol. Seems like that might be overkill for a 20 cube? I had a kessil A160WE and loved it as it gives you the natural shimmer and color of the ocean depending on your settings. I currently am using the ai prime and as @Matteo noted it looks kinda fake lol 2 Quote Link to comment
mcarroll Posted June 3, 2020 Share Posted June 3, 2020 On 5/30/2020 at 11:23 PM, NanoSean said: Looking at getting back into the hobby after a long absence. Before, I had a 75gal reef with MH lights. This was just prior to LED becoming common and affordable. I am now looking at a nano reef. I am considering a 32 gal Biocube and have about a $1k budget for everything before fish and coral...thinking about a zoa-garden with a clown and goby as main fish. I like the look of the rimless tanks but wonder if that’s feasible in my budget. Open to suggestions. Nothing is set in stone. Thanks! What does your local store carry? 1 Quote Link to comment
NanoSean Posted June 3, 2020 Author Share Posted June 3, 2020 9 hours ago, mcarroll said: What does your local store carry? Been doing all my research online, haven't been to the local stores yet. I'm in the Houston area though so will be plenty to choose from. Quote Link to comment
mcarroll Posted June 8, 2020 Share Posted June 8, 2020 On 6/3/2020 at 12:54 PM, NanoSean said: Been doing all my research online, haven't been to the local stores yet. I'm in the Houston area though so will be plenty to choose from. Now you have some ideas. Sounds like it's time to go check out what your local stores have. 👍 FWIW, you can generally put together your own system for a lot cheaper than these pre-built kits...or go bigger for the same money. IMO these pre-built setups don't offer a lot if you've had a tank before....and you have. Just a thought. On 5/30/2020 at 11:23 PM, NanoSean said: I am considering a 32 gal Biocube and have about a $1k budget for everything before fish and coral I'd take that info to your local stores and see what they can do...see if any will price match what you see online if price is a deciding factor for you. If you like the alternatives being suggested, ask about those....the probably carry them or something similar. The BioCube is a solid option though. Quote Link to comment
NanoSean Posted June 13, 2020 Author Share Posted June 13, 2020 On 6/7/2020 at 9:50 PM, mcarroll said: Now you have some ideas. Sounds like it's time to go check out what your local stores have. 👍 Just saw this post. So, I decided on the Waterbox Cube 20. Really like the overall look, rimless, nice stand and starphire glass...just a super clean look. I'm wanting to keep it simple so this fits the bill for me. I know I'll be stretching the budget a bit when all is said and done. Lol. Having said that, I did check out some of my local stores. They either don't carry Waterbox or don't have the 20 in stock. Apparently this is the case everywhere as it's backorder from the manufacturer. So, I did go ahead and order from them...may take around 6 weeks to ship. I got the package with the AI 16HD light. I may add a difuser depending on how noticeable the discoball effect is. I will also get a clear screen lid to keep the fish in but maintain the aesthetics. Will keep y'all posted! Quote Link to comment
RedTheReefer Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 Have you ever thought of buying a used setup? There are very good deals out there. You can get a pretty nice setup for under $1000 used. Check out Reef2Reef for local postings of people leaving the hobby or your local clubs. Quote Link to comment
Gaze Posted June 14, 2020 Share Posted June 14, 2020 On 6/13/2020 at 8:50 AM, NanoSean said: Just saw this post. So, I decided on the Waterbox Cube 20. Really like the overall look, rimless, nice stand and starphire glass...just a super clean look. I'm wanting to keep it simple so this fits the bill for me. I know I'll be stretching the budget a bit when all is said and done. Lol. Having said that, I did check out some of my local stores. They either don't carry Waterbox or don't have the 20 in stock. Apparently this is the case everywhere as it's backorder from the manufacturer. So, I did go ahead and order from them...may take around 6 weeks to ship. I got the package with the AI 16HD light. I may add a difuser depending on how noticeable the discoball effect is. I will also get a clear screen lid to keep the fish in but maintain the aesthetics. Will keep y'all posted! If you have a few weeks before the tank comes in, try out putting together a rock scape and curing the rock! So when the tank does come, you’re a few weeks ahead of schedule in terms of maturing the reef! 2 Quote Link to comment
Clown79 Posted June 14, 2020 Share Posted June 14, 2020 2 hours ago, Gaze said: If you have a few weeks before the tank comes in, try out putting together a rock scape and curing the rock! So when the tank does come, you’re a few weeks ahead of schedule in terms of maturing the reef! That's a really good point to make You can cycle the rocks in a bucket while waiting for the tank. When the tank shows up you can set up the tank and no need to wait another 4-6 weeks for cycling 3 Quote Link to comment
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