AIO Reef Tanks: Which one gets your vote?

[Mhart032]

I had a waterbox 20g after my 10 year hiatus from reefing. it lasted roughly 5 months before i had to get bigger. I liked it. it was a very easy system to manage, only draw back with it being smaller it was hard to keep stable for sticks.

 

[Barnabie Mejia]

I Have never owned one, but I appreciate them!

I am actually converting a 20L into an AIO for a Frag QT tank. simple but effective: filtration, biomedia, heater, return.

 

[Steph72]

I have a Fluval EVO 13.5 that I use as an isolation tank. It does a great job at keeping the water stable. My only complaint is that the hood has the light sunk down into it and the area around the light gets caked with salt often.

 

[Payne Train]

1. If you were buying an AIO reef tank today which brand would you choose and why?
I had a biocube 32 for a few years and now I have an SR 80 by IM.
I really like my Innovative Marine so I don't know that I would pick a different brand. Pretty solid all around tank system.


2. What do you like and dislike most about "all in one" reef tanks?
One big dislike is the lack of tank dimension options. When you have a false wall to separate the display and the filtration system, it takes up a bit of space. So the 24 inch depth from front to back isn't really an option unfortunately. But other than that, I love the simplicity of everything else.
Everything I need fits in the compartments. If I need anything else, there seems to be plenty of HOB options for accessories.

 

[Simeon]

A Boyu TL550 AIO tank got me into the hobby. I really like the clean look of an AIO. Would definitly consider another one, but Im still enjoying my tank and sump at the moment.

 

[mahindra.dev]

I’ve owned 3 AIO’s between Fresh and Saltwater. All JBJ’s.

Current Build is Waterbox 50.3!! Perfect AIO.
As many say, AIO have place In the hobby with restrictions. That said it’s about balance, so for me 6-7 fish and corals is it. For such a system, you can have a reactor, Skimmer, Drop in scrubber like Santa Monica and media baskets.

Simple to maintain, BUT planning is the KEY.

 

[vabben]

I'm running a Waterbox Cube 20 AIO now. I thought it was great at first, though I'm now finding it to be too restrictive and wish I would have bought a tank with a sump. At least now when I upgrade this tank I know exactly what I will be looking for as the space in my office only allows for a 24"x24" setup.

 

[Cdow1991]

I have a Red Sea max c250 and I like it. Upgraded the skimmer. Pretty limited on what you can fit so I went with a deltech mc501 and a nanobox led retro kit. I like the tank a lot

 

[batfish5]

I am running 4 Innovative Marine tanks.1-80 2-60s 1-20 and I love them all! So simple,no headaches just an occasional water change. Over 4 yrs now.

 

[neoGeorge]

1. If you were buying an AIO reef tank today which brand would you choose and why?
I had a JBJ NanoCube 32g, but now have two JBJ 65 rimless. The tanks have performed well, and since all were purchased within 2 years of getting into the hobby, the competitive pricing helped to get started. I haven't owned an IM, Waterbox or Red Sea, but the JBJs have taken me where I wanted to go.


2. What do you like and dislike most about "all in one" reef tanks?
I don't dislike anything about the AIO tanks; they fit well into our space, are simple to setup and operate and provide a great habitat for a reasonable number of corals, fish and invertebrates. If you're into collecting gear, taking on the additional challenges of a sump or believe you'll want to go large, you may grow out of the AIO format.

 

[Iverson]

I'm running a 32 gal BioCube tank right now. I used to have a 50 gal tank with sump, but moved into a tiny grandfather home. (My son hates it when I tell people I'm living in his garage. It's actually very nice.) I really wish I had a bigger tank. I know so much more than I did back then. The biggest gripe I have about my biocube is that I can't get my hands, or tools into the sump to clean it out. Probably a skill thing. A big tank is SO much more forgiving that a little one. Double edged sword: I had to increase my knowledge base by a factor of 3 or so to run this one.

 

[Cuzuco]

I have a bluemarine AIO, it is a brand from some unknown reseller. It is a 60 liter one (around 15g) and I love it. Everything is there, super easy to maintain.
The only negative points about it is that the light and the skimmer that comes with it are not good, but is very easy to upgrade them to something better. The tank is so cheap that in the end it is not a bad investment even taking into account the purchase of a skimmer and light, which you can use later if you’d want to take something bigger as this happens often when you have a small tank and you begin to get out of space for new corals and fishes(those are my plans now).

 

[Mkus]

I’ve had 2 this is a 24 gallon my second AIO I love it going on 12 years never had a crash!

 

[Kycelium]

I loved the JBJ 30 gallon rimless tank that I had up and running for a couple of years! The only downfall was the lack of space in the AIO chamber for cleaning the water. I was forced to use HOB equipment if I wanted to run a heavy bioload.

I am currently running an Aquatop Recife 40 Gallon Cube AIO. I love the cube shape of this tank, but once again I want to run a heavy heavy bioload so I have to use Hang on Back skimmers, reactors, and sterilizers. However, I was able to use the back chamber of this tank to create a refugium and now my glass and rocks are crawling with pods.

Overall, I have only ever used AIO tanks due to the ease, plug and play capability, and the overall cost.I love to look of the JBJ and the Aquatop too, because they are sleek looking, especially the rimless JBJ. I was never a fan of how the biocubes looked. I am saving up for a larger tank which will be plumbed with a sump, however that is potentially years down the road.

 

[Jash1k]

Currently running 2 AIOs, Waterbox 10 older version. IM micro 30. Both are great. My main is the 30 with Hydras and Apex, Trident with DOS. Tanks are great and I would buy from these brands again. I use a hangon as a refug so thats all I wish I had room for. Water changes are quick and easier. We all have issues with Alk swings and Temp plus power outages, just need to be prepared.

 

[CrunchyBananas]

I’ve ran a few Biocube reefs, currently trying an acropora bonsai style tank in an IM-60 (shameless plug for my build thread). But, going from a 75 gallon with a 20 gallon refugium to an AIO has much tighter tolerances and is a bit more finicky. I feel I have it tuned in now, definitely a fun challenge!

Forgot to post a pic!

 

[JAMreef]

Today let's talk about popular All In One (AIO) Tanks!

What Is An All-In-One Aquarium? – It is an aquarium designed for saltwater that has the filtration installed behind the back glass of the tank. The water flows in through an overflow, gets filtered, heated, then pumped back into the tank. The discrete design of today’s AIO aquariums create beautiful centerpieces in any room. - The Beginners Reef

AIO tanks are popular because they can be set up quickly, compactly and sometimes more inexpensively. The maintenance can also be easier and cheaper as well. But today I don't really want to talk about the pros and cons of an AIO tank as much as I want to talk about which ones are most popular here on Reef2Reef! So with that being said please answer the following questions:

1. If you were buying an AIO reef tank today which brand would you choose and why?

2. What do you like and dislike most about "all in one" reef tanks?

@TinpanVA

My first tank I bought was a biocube 16. I loved that the biocube had everything for me to get started in the hobby: even though I had done a ton of research on salt water reef tanks I still didn’t understand the mechanics of everything. I didn’t understand what a sump was or why I needed specific pumps for certain flows or what types of lighting I needed... this took all the guess work out of that for me.

There are several things I do dislike about it though: runs too warm for my liking (83 degrees!), very limited on spacing in the back. I have small hands and can barley squeeze back there to adjust the pumps or make upgrades.

Now that I have a better understanding on how to maintain a tank I’ve upgraded. All in all I was a great beginner tank for me!

 

[iramack]

Mine is a JBJ 65 gallon AIO. So easy to work on and no limits as to needed accessories etc. Good flow, Great Lighting and some accumulated knowledge is all you need. Well there is one more thing.........................Money!! Here is a pic from about the 13 month mark. Taken today by my room monitor camera.

 

[jcates]

I have a Biocube 32 that is running in my office right now. I think they are get for new hobbyists and those that are needing something that can be moved fairly easily.

If I were to get a new one I think I would go with an IM or waterbox peninsula style

 

[Justin christensen]

I've had experience with a few AIO's and the simplicity and ease of set up is fantastic, but my only gripe after setting up my first reef with a sump is having a sump frees up so many possibilities as far as equipment goes compared to an AIO and I don't have to try to squeeze my hands down in the rear compartments. Other than that AIO'S are great for there simplicity and definitely a good place for someone who is setting up there first reef.