New Tank in the works..

[Sdoutreefer]

Hey all! It's been a while since I've been in the saltwater game, but I am getting the itch to come back and play. I've been in the hobby for quite some time now (over 10 years) and like to think I am somewhat experienced...I say somewhat because my last tank was over ran with GHA and I could not get it under control no matter what I tried to do. Before committing to tearing it down, I kept it up for close to a year, not doing water changes or any kind of maintenance, letting my rock "mature" because I planned to keep it. But the rock has been out of water for almost a month now, and I just need to find the time to either cook it or give it a bleach soak. Does anyone have a preference on how to kill live rock? I want it to be DeadLR when I start up my new tank, AKA completely free of any bacterias and algae spores.

Anyways, enough with the boring stuff.

I am wanting my new tank to be a cube, rimless, and around 30 gallons. I plan to use my old display tank, a 40b, for the sump. I have also thought of getting a JBJ 30rimless, but my only debate is going AIO or having a sump. My last tank I hated having a sump. Mainly because it was hard to clean, making me neglect that part of maintenance. This is most likely why my tank was overran with GHA. I really enjoy an AIO tank, but having a small water volume is the only turn off.

I plan for my tank to be either SPS dominant, or an LPS/Chalice tank. If i go AIO, it will most likely be LPS. If I go with a sump, I am for sure going SPS. I have all the equipment for SPS (large skimmer, vortechs, Radion fixture, high grade salt mix, etc.).

Do any of you have any input on what tank I should look at? Like i said, either an AIO around 30 gallons, or a rimless cube. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg for a rimless tank either. Is there any decently priced manufacturers/custom builders out there? I requested a quote from ReefSavy but what they wanted was a little over my budget.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

If i do go the route of having a sump, are HOB overflows worth a **** or is drilling the tank/making an overflow the best way to go?

 

[edekgb]

I just got a JBJ 30 gallon rimless and I really like it. After not doing it right for so long I really like the AIO so that I don't have to worry about overflowing water on to my hardwood floors. I already have had two water damage claims into my insurance company and can't get another one (they are from various things around the house and not from aquariums). Water damage is a pain and I didn't like to be away from the home worried. I also like the clean look and easy set up....

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Very clean looking tank! I might have to go with the JBJ.. I always enjoyed the simplicity of AIO tanks, EXCEPT that if you want a skimmer, it has to be HOB. But ****, those are really sweet tanks. What lighting do you have over that?

 

[edekgb]

A compartment in the back is specifically for a skimmer, although it would be a small one - Cadlights, hydor slim skim nano, tunze 9004. These are small skimmers but at least they are contained within the compartment instead of hob and possible spilling over but they say the small body can't skim that well. I see it as - it's a small enough tank that a little skimming can help or water changes once a week can be like 3-5 gallons so salt cost and labor is minimum. But you do lose the display space.

 

[edekgb]

I moved down from a 120 gallon and I do miss the option of all the beautiful big fish options. Decisions, decisions - that's the discussion. Oh and the rock - I wouldn't know what to do to kill it - boiling it sounds like a good option but have never done it.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Yaa I might say screw the skimmer.. I had a jbj 12g with a clam and multiple sps growing well. and just did a wc every week with a high grade salt.. I've never really been a huge fish guy. If I do have fish I usually only have 1 or 2.. I guess I need someone to really sell me on the new jbjRL. $300 it's a pretty decent price too

 

[edekgb]

The JBJ 20 rimless shallow frag tank is really cool looking to if you are a reef guy - I almost bought it instead of the 30 gal. Check that one out.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

The JBJ 20 rimless shallow frag tank is really cool looking to if you are a reef guy - I almost bought it instead of the 30 gal. Check that one out.

Ya I really like the shallow tanks. The JBJ20RL is ******... well now even more of a debate. It looks like (at least from the pictures on marinedepot.com) that the rear chamber of the 20 gallon has enough room for a small refugium. Does the 30RL have this too??

 

[edekgb]

I believe the back of the jbj20rl is the same as the 30rl - the 30rl has a back that I have the two supplied media baskets with chemipure and phosban and algon in but the middle chamber has the pumps in it (two pumps) so you wouldn't want to put any macro algae in there. I really don't think any of the compartments could be refugiums unless you put chaeto inside the media baskets? I have been wondering the same thing really. You maybe able to remove the media baskets from both of the two side compartments or just from one side and make into a small refugium but I would be worried macro would end up in the middle chamber where the pumps are and mess up the pumps or end up inside the display.?? Can anyone way in on how to do a refugium in the back of a 20, 30, 45 JBJ rimless AIO?

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Check out the pictures of the 20g on marine depot. The middle chamber is huge. But as far as a refugium, my 12g NC had a middle chamber that I put chaeto in. The 30 has two chambers that the media baskets are in then a middle chamber for the return, right?

 

[edekgb]

Yea - that looks like the back of my 30g, only thing you will lose is space from the height difference between the two tanks as far as back chamber size - oh and you will lose some length as the 20g is 20" from left to right. Looks like they both have two small side chambers and a big middle chamber - when I bought it before it was shipped to me I had plans for chaeto in the middle and then when I got it I figured I better not cuz the pumps are in the middle chamber at the bottom. If I found out that I can put chaeto in the middle chamber with the pumps somehow then this would be the perfect tank for me. The only reason I didn't get the 20rl because I love the look is that I pulled out the tape measure right before I ordered and kinda freaked out when I envisioned the actual height and I wasn't gonna use it as a frag tank but rather an actual aquarium. Could be a cool looking aquarium with the shelf out just really shallow. If you do order one of these JBJs order from marine depot because the place I ordered from - a reputable competitor company and although they had great customer service - It showed up shattered and their is nothing worse then when your excited to get it, watching tracking, all ready to set it up, and it ends up getting to your house broken! I believe Marine Depot ships the box within a box as I was reading some of the reviews but this other place was a problem. I just realized the 20g shallow has only one 266 gph pump.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Ya the middle chamber on the 20rl has nothing in it. It looks like the pump is in a seperate chamber. That was the question I was trying to get across. I wish I could see both of the tanks in person.. The LFS I go to only says bio-cube and Innovative. I'll definitely be ordering from marine depot if I decide to order online.

I saw or read something a while back about a chaeto container.. they were using a large plastic cup that had a bunch of holes poked in it (small enough that the chaeto did not escape, but big enough for substantial flow). I will be getting the inTank media baskets if I do go JBJ and was thinking of removing the middle "shelf" on one of the baskets and keeping chaeto in that, then getting a submersible LED for the chaeto. Do you have the inTank baskets??

 

[edekgb]

The middle chamber for the 20g would be good to put chaeto in if that's the case. I do have media baskets - the stock ones that came with the tank and they are cheapies (I have read about people who upgrade them to aftermarket ones). I think the ones that came with it have large holes in the separating shelves and the bottom that I think won't contain all of the chaeto break aways. I wonder if you can use netting, large media bags, or filter sock.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

I don't think netting around chaeto would be good because it needs to float freely so it can grow.. The inTank media baskets are after market. inTank is the company sho makes them. Check them out. They have lots of after market stuff for nano cubes.

 

[Rjramos]

Don't know about the chamber configuration for JBJ, but I have a biocube 29 that has 3 chambers in the back. In chamber 1 I placed a small skimmer I can shut the back lid over. Chamber 2 has a media basket and Refugium basket I made myself. The refugium basket I made with plenty of holes that allow water to flow through. I placed the 4 led magnetic light on the back. The chaeto nearest the light was yellowing and dying( too much light) so I stuck the light on the wall behind the tank and now it grows like crazy contained within. Here are some pics!

Refugium basket on the right

Top view, skimmer, media basket, refugium

Refugium with chaeto growth, I got rid of the egg crate basket within, now it just grows freely till the chamber is densely packed, then I harvest out half.

 

[edekgb]

Cool I will - Do you thin a Kessil A160 is underpowered or doesn't have enough spread for a JBJ 30gal rimless?

 

[edekgb]

Some of the chaeto doesn't come out of the holes? Like break away pieces? If so, is it not significant enough to end up into the display?

 

[Rjramos]

Don't know about the kessil A160. I kept the lid on my biocube and retrofitted with 24 LED's from RapidLED, working out nice with these. As far as the chaeto, it starts to creep out the holes after it gets dense. That's when it's time to harvest half out. The biocube 29 has a third chamber where the return pump is located. Between this chamber and chamber 2 there is a course sponge that does not allow any chaeto into chamber 3. So nothing gets sucked by the pump or end up in the display.

 

[edekgb]

you know I think im going to stick some of my chaeto in the media baskets I have this weekend and watch it and see how it goes. Am I right in assuming the chaeto doesn't need a very powerful light to grow in the back of these chambers within media baskets? I have a small led light from my finnex HOB refugium growing chaeto that im hoping will work on my JBJ 30