Time for an upgrade

[snostorm]

Welp my Biocube 32 is getting long in the tooth and due to the recent revelation that my Steves LED lights have burned holes in the acrylic shield on the lid I have convinced my wife its completely necessary....😁

 

Still like the AIO for simplicity, and am not looking to go a whole lot bigger I am looking at an Innovative Marine fusion 40 and a Red Sea E 170. The Red sea comes with a more complete set up however I like the APS stands that IM has currently.  Cost wise I'm thinking similar after I buy lights and other equipment for the IM tank.

 

Kinda torn but am leaning towards the fusion.

 

Welcome feedback

 

 

 

 

[jservedio]

1 hour ago, snostorm said:

Welp my Biocube 32 is getting long in the tooth and due to the recent revelation that my Steves LED lights have burned holes in the acrylic shield on the lid I have convinced my wife its completely necessary....😁

 

Still like the AIO for simplicity, and am not looking to go a whole lot bigger I am looking at an Innovative Marine fusion 40 and a Red Sea E 170. The Red sea comes with a more complete set up however I like the APS stands that IM has currently.  Cost wise I'm thinking similar after I buy lights and other equipment for the IM tank.

 

Kinda torn but am leaning towards the fusion.

 

Welcome feedback

 

 

 

 

You can't go wrong with either - they are both great tanks so let the stand decide it.

 

If you like DIY stuff, go with the APS stand because the powder coat on it is amazing, but the panels kind of suck. However, they are really easy to replace with wood since its just T-Slot aluminum if you get that itch. The Red Sea stands are solid and look pretty good without any cheap looking stuff exposed.

 

I love my IM tank and was absolutely blown away by the quality for the price. That said, I shopped the Red Sea tanks as well and if IM didn't release a white stand, would have gone with them! They are both extremely nice.

[Poodges]

I’m very happy with my IM tank.  Can’t comment on the stand though because I built my own.  I also upgraded from a Biocube.

[snostorm]

1 hour ago, jservedio said:

You can't go wrong with either - they are both great tanks so let the stand decide it.

 

If you like DIY stuff, go with the APS stand because the powder coat on it is amazing, but the panels kind of suck. However, they are really easy to replace with wood since its just T-Slot aluminum if you get that itch. The Red Sea stands are solid and look pretty good without any cheap looking stuff exposed.

 

I love my IM tank and was absolutely blown away by the quality for the price. That said, I shopped the Red Sea tanks as well and if IM didn't release a white stand, would have gone with them! They are both extremely nice.

Thanks for the input.....Also I like the idea of the mesh lid and leveling mat that IM provides.  I have never seen an IM tank, My local FS has an E-170 setup and it is rather nice. I wil be going with a white stand for sure. 

[Grundler]

I love my IM 40. Great dimensions and clear equipment upgrade paths with lots of options.

[Jaren45]

Another vote for IM, i'm not a fan of redsea's particle board stands

[mcarroll]

I don't see any bad options on the table....but why not replace BioCube with BioCube if you've been happy with it?

[snostorm]

3 hours ago, mcarroll said:

I don't see any bad options on the table....but why not replace BioCube with BioCube if you've been happy with it?

My Biocube has served me well.  However in its stock form it is decidedly lacking. The lights are limiting, and there are really no good skimmer options. I'm seeking a more aesthetically pleasing setup with some more flexibility in equipment options. 

 

 

[jservedio]

4 hours ago, mcarroll said:

I don't see any bad options on the table....but why not replace BioCube with BioCube if you've been happy with it?

The build quality and materials are not even remotely close between the BioCube and any of the comparably sized and comparably priced modern AIO tanks. While the BioCube does come with the built in LEDs, a comparably sized IM with the stand is only roughly 20% more expensive (not accounting for the free shipping you get from IM) and it gets you rimless with low-iron glass that's twice as thick, fully beveled edges, a very nice anodized aluminum stand, and a better designed and more flexible back chambers. Not to mention the lighting limitations and the build quality isn't even in the same ballpark.

 

If you are getting the BioCube 2nd hand really cheap, it's a good enough tank and will still hold up against any of the smaller budget AIO options - even though it's a 20 year old design. But, if you are buying new there is really no comparison between the old AIOs and the modern ones by IM, RedSea, and Waterbox. A new BioCube just isn't a good value at all for what they cost when you compare it to the new AIOs.