Jace Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 this tank that i have been looking at is a 12gallon eclipse tank(acrilic(sp?)). is the filter that comes with it good enough for a nano? will it be eaisily scratched from the material that its made of? and do i need a skimmer? thanks. Jace Link to comment
twflys Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 I too have the 12 gallon Eclipse tank.... Yes, the acrilic can/will become scratched if you aren't careful when placing rocks in it. The filter is good enough, however some people don't use it at all. I'm using mine right now with a simple cartrige to catch floating debris. As long as you have a good quality live rock, and don't overstock your tank I don't think the protein skimmer is necassary. However, keep in mind that you'll need to upgrade the lighting to support corals, and add a power head. Also, I'm still a newbie.... so others on this board will probably be able to offer you more advice than I can provide. None-the-less, have fun and search this board for lots of tips, and hints! Link to comment
Brianc_4 Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 Just my two cents, I would stay away from the eclipse for a reef set-up. The filter is good enough, but your live rock does most of the filtration. The lights that come with it are not adequate for corals, and new ones would need to be retrofitted into the canopy, which is not always that easy with the limited space in an eclipses hood. So, really you are paying for a light that you can not use, a hood that you may or may not use, and a mediocre filter that will probably be in the way when you go to retrofit new lighting. Which leaves you with a very overpriced acrylic box, and still you will need to spend the money on new lighting. Now, I am not saying that it can't be done...it has been done. But, if you are starting from scratch you will probably be better off buying a glass tank, (which will not scratch as easily as the eclpise.) and either buying a finished light system/hood. Or building/buying a canopy with room to properly retrofit lights. This would also leave you the option of buying the filter of your choice, preferably one with more room to fit the media of your choice. Please don't misunderstand me, I think the eclipse systems are great little systems for freshwater. In fact I have a freswater planted eclipse three. I just don't believe they were deseigned with reefs in mind and are not the best option for that purpose. Alright , I guess that was more like a nickle than two cents. Good luck!! Link to comment
twflys Posted March 11, 2003 Share Posted March 11, 2003 I've got retrofitted lighting on my eclipse, in addition to the stock light, in the original hood. One pc quad 6500k & pc actinic ; 40 watts total (which should be sufficient for 12 gallons). The stock pump circulates water well (with the addition of the power head). And, the tank looks great! Whole setup cost me less than $100 bucks. IMO, the Eclipse (when properly setup) makes a GREAT nano-reef tank. But, everyone is intitled to their own opinions. Link to comment
Brianc_4 Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 I knew I would end up ruffling the feathers of some eclipse owners, if you have the system and want to make it appropriate for a reef, thats fine. But if you are starting from scratch you will get more bang for your buck taking other routes. The eclipse 12 sells retail for between 79.95(not including shipping) up to 99.99 in some local lfs. 32watts of retrofit lighting and everything you need to do this will cost between 70-100 dollars. So said and done for the eclipse 12 with a new light will cost somewhere between $150 to 200$. A 15 gal glass tank costs AGA costs $26.00, a glass cover costs $10.00, Coralife 2x36 watt lights complete hood costs 99.95, a millenium 1000 filter costs$23.00. A grand total of $159.95. Almost the exact same price, if not cheaper. So it is up to you which you would rather have. A slightly larger glass tank, with better filtration and almost twice the lighting. Or a plastic tank with 1/2 the lighting that you have to muck with to get in that snazzy plastic canopy. twflys, if you got your eclipse 12 and the lights for under a hundred dollars, then you got a helluva good deal and I would have done the same. Anyway, good luck to all on this;) Link to comment
Buzzfish Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 I have an Eclipse 6, and I would agree with Brianc_4 on this. The eclipse setup will work, but I've had to upgrade the lights, install a new fan on the hood, and fit a top-off system into that tiny hood. I only did this because i had one already, and didn't want to buy a new tank. But, if i built another, I'd go with a different tank setup, the eclipse is far from reef-ready out of the box. just some input from someone who has an eclipse and would advise against it. Link to comment
twflys Posted March 12, 2003 Share Posted March 12, 2003 Now, now...... Brianc_4 you didn't ruffle my feathers, sorry if it came out that way. I was just trying to stick up for the little Eclipse. They get a bad (undeserving) rap sometimes. Truth is, as with all tanks...... you've got to use a little creativity and they will all work out fine. But, then again....... maybe I just got lucky. The thing I like most about my Eclipse is that it hides everything well and is very quiet. And, looks good too! Yup, got it setup for about...$110 without any livestock. Link to comment
LiQuiD Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 I have 2-12 gallon eclipse nano's (one reef glass, one fish only with live rock acrylic bow), as well as an Eclipse 3 (daughters). The filter is fine and should more then likely be used mainly for water flow typically with no media in it. One thing that I noticed on both the acrylic bow and the glass square hoods is that the flow coming from the filter breaks the water surface very well, this is a good thing trust me. Yes the lighting will need to be upgraded, but Custom Sea Life makes a retrofit made specifically for the hood complete with on/off button re-hookup. Another good thing about the hood is ease of getting to the filter section as well as opening to feed fish. One of the best things about the hood is the fact that it almost completely seals the top, making top-off of fresh water less frequent. Some people love them, some people hate them, I like them. The only downer I see about them is the salt creep on the flat black hood is a pain to clean up. Other then that, I see nothing wrong with the. As far as the acrylic goes, yes, it will scratch if you are not careful, just be careful. Link to comment
phrases37 Posted March 13, 2003 Share Posted March 13, 2003 i've had my eclipse 12 for about 4 months now...everything's great in it...i do have to agree with the lighting drawback...i had to purchase the csl retro kit which still isn't powerful enough for any sps, but what can you do? in retrospect, if i was to start over, i'd probably do it piece by piece so i can have the lighting i want... Link to comment
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