Downsizing from 90gal - ~30gal Nano options w/ LED lighting?

[corrado007]

Hello everyone, I'm hoping some of your experience and knowledge might shed some more light on a topic I've been researching. I've done quite a bit of searching and I just want to double check if what I've found is accurate and I'd like to see if perhaps you guys may have some other options for me to consider.

I currently have a 90 gal tank with a 40 gal sump under it (linked in my signature). This tank has been running for just over 3 years now, was an upgrade from a 60 gal, and is doing really well but I've decided it's now time to downsize. Our first baby girl will be joining us some time in February and we have a fairly small house so I want to make a bit more room and have a tank that takes less time, effort and money to maintain.

I've decided to go with a large nano tank. I'll be taking some LS, my favorite LR pieces, and my favorite corals and fish from my 90 to build and stock the nano and I'll then sell the remaining 90 gal system.

My questions are around what specific nano system to buy and weather or not it's better to part out my 90 or sell the system as a whole from your experiences.

For my new nano tank I'd like an AIO (all in one) with around a 28-40 gallon capacity. I want something quiet, energy efficient, and simple. I want the tank to have rounded corners like the Biocube/Nanocube/RSM has. I have decided I want to go with an LED only light system and I don't want a sump. I'm not too worried about filtration/skimming, from what I can tell they all seem similar and I can always upgrade/modify that later. As for the price, I'd like to keep it around $800 or less for the system with LED lighting.

I've looked at the Current Solana and it's a great size but has traditional siliconed square corners and I only want rounded corners so the Solana is out. The other 3 major choices I've found are the RSM (red sea max) 130d, the BioCube 29, and the JBJ Nano 28 LED. Of these three the JBJ 28 LED is the only one that seems to have an option for the LED lighting I want. Although I really like the aesthetics of the RSM and would LOVE the extra few gallons of capacity it offers, it doesn't seem to have an option for LED lighting (aside from DIY which is a project I don't want to take on right now). The BioCube seems to be a great price and looks nice but it has the same lack of LED lighting options.

So to reiterate, what is the best all in one approximately 30 gallon tank with LED lighting setup (an aftermarket or retrofit LED system is okay as long as the tank/lighting cost stays around $800)? And is it better to part out the old 90 gal system or sell the system and remaining livestock all together?

Any suggestions, thoughts, and experiences are welcome.
Thanks very much in advance.

 

[corrado007]

After some more searching it seems that aftermarket LED lighting is out of my reach due to my $800 budget for the most part. I did find one LED system that looks like it may work in our sponsor forum, Boost LED. They have a 135W MU series system that I think would work for $300 shipped but it's not available for another month or so and I don't know if it will support LPS and SPS well. If it is a decent and adequate light system, it along with a $460 Biocube 29 would also fit in my budget.
Here's a link to the unit I found. Is the JBJ Nano 28 my best option?

 

[corrado007]

Looks like Nanotuners has some LED kits that would work on most cubes. Here's a link to their site. Looks like around $300 for a decent LED setup. The only nano tank I've been able to find that comes with LED lighting is still the JBJ 28 gal nano cube.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

The Nanotuners kits are pretty good. My biggest complaints are that they use the Meanwell drivers, which isn't a problem so to say, but dimming is tricky with them. Also, most kits come with 700mA drivers, but the LEDs in the kits can be safely driven up to 1000mA (1A). You're only getting 2/3 the possible output.

Nobody is really investing in LED tech yet (manufacturers, I mean). If you want an LED system, you either have to DIY or get a retro. For an all-in-one, the Nanotuners kit are probably the best bet (actually DIY is the best, but you ruled that out). If you're just looking for lighting you can hang over the tank, the AI Sol looks like a solid product with outstanding PAR readings. This won't work with an AIO like the Biocube or Nanocube, so if you're set on those, a retro would probably be best.

 

[corrado007]

Thanks so much chipmunkofdoom2 for the input. I didn't know about the drivers being underpowered, that's interesting. As for the DIY, I agree, from what I've seen it's the way to go and I typically LOVE doing DIY projects but I just don't have the time or energy for it right now. The downgrade in tank size I'm doing is partly because of a new baby on the way so that's a bit more important to me right now. Since I have my heart set on an all in one tank it looks like a nanotuners kit or the JBJ 28 Nano LED is going to be the one for me.
Thanks again for your help.