Which system is REALLY The best...

[SaltwaterGeek]

There are so many versions of the nano tank these days. All of which work well, but my question is which version / company is truly the best overall?

If money isn't really an issue, which nano has the best filtration, lighting and overall quality... and why?

Thanks in advance for all your imput.

Chris

 

[lcstorc]

I vote for build your own. They all have strenghts and weaknesses. If you build your own you can do it to your specs and get the best of all worlds.

 

[BigAl07]

I've done it both ways and honestly I feel if you have the time and knowledge you get more for less by doing it yourself. With that said, I believe if I were doing it over again and wanted an All-In-One I'd probably go for the Red Sea Max 34g system. It's initially rather pricey but once you see all the features it has it's really a good price. By the time you get another All-In-One and upgrade it to include all the things RSM has you'd have more money invested. Another think I am interested in seeing first hand is the JBJ 24g Nano with HQI. That looks like a SWEET set-up but I haven't seen one first hand.

how's that for answering without really answering your question

 

[Royalscott]

I am very happy so far with our 29 gl Biocube.

 

[michael_cb_125]

I have had a 12 gallon Aquapod, and a 24 gallon aquapod. I was not very pleased with them. IMO you have o do some many upgrades to them, that they are not really READY TO RUN tanks.
I would build your own. You can customized filtration, lighting, and flow to how ever you want it. In the long run I believe that you will be much happier if you build your own.
~Michael

 

[Witfull]

im partial to the AGA 210....its a nano compared to the Pacific~

 

[framerguy]

Ah Witful... you're so witty!:bouncer:

 

[SaltwaterGeek]

I must agree that building your own would be the way to go, but I'm wondering more about the ready to go ones. I guess to narrow my question... Which of the ready to go nanos have the best out of the box filtration system? Does anyone have any feedback on the RED SEA MAX?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[JT101]

If I had to do it all over again, I would not get the AquaPod 24 and get the Red Sea Max instead.

AquaPods are not really "reef ready". They have sucky lighting (my enclosed hood only has 64W PC). The RSM seems to have a lot more from the get-go.

 

[DaveK]

... All of which work well, but my question is which version / company is truly the best overall?...

As you can see from the previous posts, there are a lot of "correct" answers. Witfull has a point about a large tank being a nano compared to the ocean.

There is no truly "best choice". It's what the best choice for you is.

Now if money is truly no object, then I'd go for a much larger tank. There is just so much more you can do with it. A typical nano, anything under about 40 gal, is going to have limitations as to what you can keep. Not that a nano can't be a real gem, it's just not cost effective to place a lot of high end equipment on one.

Generally I think the best overall chance for success is a tank in the 70 to 125 gal range. As pointed out DIY projects can get you exactly what you want at a big cost saving. Just be sure you know what you are doing, or be prepared to rebuild it several time in the learning process.

 

[Rcpilot]

30g high AGA tank and stand -- $50 on Craigs List
144w 24" T5 light w/ remote control -- $260 at Catlina
CPR HOB refugium with built in skimmer -- $200 at Ginas Aquarium Supply
CPR 24w PC refugium light and leg kit -- $70 at Ginas Aquarium Supply
2 MJ1200 powerheads -- $30 FosterSmith
Visi-Therm 100w heater -- $15 at FosterSmith
Couple cheap powerheads -- $20 at FosterSmith

About $650 +/-

Does it work? OH YEAH!!

What do the BioCube and Aquapod units cost for a 30g size?

 

[SaltwaterGeek]

Since the origination of this thread, I have been doing a lot of soul searching of where I would personally want to take this hobby. I already have a nice Nano set up, and I think purchasing another one would be like putting a band-aid on a sucking chest wound.

Below is the direction I want to go:
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...-some-advice-filtration-other-components.html

 

[althea2you]

never mind.. ignore me..:away:

 

[zy112]

I'm setting up a 29 and I'm going with a regular AGA from the LFS. I can just do more with it and not have a bunch of stuff I'll end up throwing out. I'm putting my own fuge on it, my own lighting and skimmer as well. Just seemed to work better for me.