[varial]

Hi everybody, I'm new here with a question.

I've kept freshwater tanks for years, but recently decided to move in to Saltwater. After doing some research I am left with one question- I am not sure which way to go for the tank. Should I buy a 24 gallon nanocube, or set up an empty 29 gallon I have sitting here? Are there any advantages/disadvantages to either? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[trevor67890]

buying a nano cube can be cheaper because you don't have to buy all the filter and stuff. Everything comes with it. The only disadvantage is that the lighting you get is only strong enough to support soft corals. There is a simple solution to that though, which is to buy a DIY kit on nanotuners.com

[glampka]

Check out the Cadlight cubes http://www.cadlights.com/?gclid=CKGw...FRk3gQodRDt4Bg They come with T-5 lighting which would allow you keep a wider selection of corals.

[jawfish84]

by the time you get a 29 nano cube and upgrade your lighting to grow the hard corals you would like you spend just as much as you would for a tank so my filling is a tank I wish I would have went with a tank. the nano seams to be getting really hot its hard to keep constint water temp with all the upgrades i have done to grow what I wanted

[blind1993]

the cubes are much easier since some have overflows built in

[CyberJester]

Originally Posted by blind1993

the cubes are much easier since some have overflows built in

Yeah, but if you get the right tank it has overflows as well and the water is more stable due to size. Also more room to put critters into it. I would go with a REEF-READY tank.

[jawfish84]

I also aree wity cyberjester it may be a little more up front but in the long run you will be way happy with a reef ready tank I have had to do so much stuff to my nano to get it were i want take it first hand man a reef tank is and way to go in your case. you will ont regret it and if you do it right it is not much more a cuple hundred is all

[reefnoob1991]

I love my cube...only 210$ for a 29 gal!!! and all i did was pay 70$ to upgrade to 3x36 compact fluorescent lighting and my BTA loves it!

[varial]

Thanks for the input everybody. I'm still researching, but it's good to see the differing opinions. I'll definitely post pics when I decide and buy...

[reefnoob1991]

Lot of room to play around with in a cube its very nice
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...7/100_2047.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...7/100_2044.jpg

[glampka]

Varial,
Cubes are the latest rage. If you have the big $$$ check out the Red Sea Max - has everything you could possibly ask for. Depending on what you want to keep, stock cubes can work for you. Many people feel they need to mess with the lights, pumps, etc.... You can now get cubes with MH lighting as well so do the research & let us know what you decide. Personally I have 2 - an Aquapod 12 gal & a JBJ 12 gal in my wife's office.

[Fishhead Junkie]

i disagree that a nano cube doesnt have sufficient lighting for soft corals. my 29gal bio-cube is awesome. i love it. so do all my different corals, along with my fish. i say buy the cube. its all there, just plug in and go plus i like not being able to see all the cords and tubes running down the back fo the tank. i would get the stand for it too. LONG LIVE THE BIO-CUBE!!!!

steve

[blind1993]

i love the biocube but i have to wait at least 2 years till i get another aquarium

[Fishhead Junkie]

why 2 years? are you on a 12 step program like AA, i bet all our wives and husbands that just dont understand how we can just sit and look at the tank would like us in some kind of program.

steve

[blind1993]

because my dad is pissed that i spent 25 bucks on a coral beauty angel. and also he thinks that since i have spent just 200bucks on the 55g (that includes the tank and everything) that is too much for a fish tank. also my aquarium came for the georgia aquarium.

[Fishhead Junkie]

$25 is nothing for a fish, he just doesnt understand. $200 is pretty good too, how did you score a tank from the georgia aquarium? if my wife wouldnt of slit my throat in bed while i was sleeping..i would of went bigger than a 29gallon cube. hell, when she saw it for the 1st time..she thought it was too big. i cant imagine what she would of said if she walked into our small living and saw a 55gallon. fishheadjunkie would be in the ground 6ft under.

steve

[blind1993]

well this is how it went. i started beggin my parents for a sw and they said for me to use my 5g and make it a reef. then i saw on criagslist.com a sale for a 55g aquarium with all things exept water, live rock, goodlights, and fish. it was only 50bucks. so i go and get it and he said that he was a volunteer at ga aquarium and got all of his things from there at whole sale and he also got to choose his fish from the ga aquarium.

and if u want a 55g just tell ur wife if u let me get it there will be another sleepless funnnnn nigth. that should work

[Fishhead Junkie]

u know whats funny, i started out with a 20gallon freshwater when i was in highschool back in the day. then my dad saw how much i was into it..he bought me an acrylic 60 gallon hex tank...thing took up my whole wall in my bedroom. i ran it as a freshwater tank for a while with oscars and red devils, then i switched it over to saltwater. i really didnt know what i was doing back then. didnt take care of the fish like i should. wasnt into the corals really. i can hardly remember the tank now...i do remember having a huge porcupine puffer fish. that thing was so cool, would eat anything. i moved out, my dad always hated that fish...came to find out a while later he had fished old puffer out and executed him SCARFACE style.

now, over a decade later here i am, back to saltwater but loving it much more and having better success. do you have any pics of your tank yet?

steve

[jtrevimt]

If you have the empty 29, you'd spend on filter and skimmer a couple of bucks. With that same amount probably get a Nano. I'd tell you as a matter of taste. I strongly recommend Nanos(or Aqua Pod) for easy set up and maintenance. But your 29 gal set up is a little bigger. If you have the 29 stand and hood, that's an advantage. BUT ADDING AN ADEQUATE LIGHT TO THE 29 ISN'T CHEAP EITHER!

I end up thinking Nano will make it easier. And then save your 29 for a near future. You'll be hooked!!!

LUCK,
jtrevimt

[jtrevimt]

Remember that Nanos are made now glass and have DOUBLE COOLING FANS. However I still love the Aqua PODS. The advantage is also the compact space and INCLUDES compact litghts. You can upgrade metal halides. Though I don't need them
.

jtrevimt

[reefnoob1991]

Good call, actually i guess if you wanna get technical one fan brings in cool air and one blows it out(??) And upgrading lights is easy go to nanotuners they have cheap 70$ setups for plenty of light (108 watts total). You could always save that 29 gal for a QT tank

[jtrevimt]

Reefnoob is right!

You can even grow the more difficult and demanding corals in a nano, for just 70.00 bucks !!!
I have xenias, zoantids, mushroom and golden polyps in my 24 AquaPod with 48 W and they do great, grow fast. I think that for hobbies like this, begin simpler. Large DOES NOT mean better and prettier. There will come the moment when you probably will go for a 50 plus gallon one after learning with your Nano. Again I prefer Aquapod. Practice makes perfect. Save your bucks for your future tank in a piggy bank.
jtrevimt

[Six-line Wrasse]

I prefer tanks to cubes. I have only had trouble and DIY modifications with my cube while with a tank it's mostly plug and play.