AIO Reef Tanks: Which one gets your vote?

[jazzfisher]

1. If you were buying an AIO reef tank today which brand would you choose and why?
my first was a Cobalt 26g AIO, it cracked all the way down the side after 4 months-lost everything. Had to do a quick replacement that day so bought another one-because I had the stand & equipment. But didn't really trust in it after that. So I looked at all different tank styles. Didn't want just another rectangle, considered the IM lagoons because of the lower height but finally chose the IM 30L. And I love it. Easy to take care of, I can actually reach everything with having to stand on something. All IM gadgets (Skimmer, UV etc) fit. For me it works great.
2. What do you like and dislike most about "all in one" reef tanks?
Wouldn't say don't like-wish I had a bit more display width. Although when I show pics to LFS they can't believe it's only a 30g tank.

 

[CindyKz]

I have a Biocube 32. I like it now that I've made some modifications, like taking the hood off and upgrading the lights.

Its a nice, easy upstairs tank for me to keep softies in. Most of my time and energy goes into my larger missed reef.

 

[Patric1]

1st tank i went cheap with only freshwater knowledge simple 36 gal Bowfront tank with a hob filter/cheap black box light/ cheap powerhead.. long story short it was a disaster. Didn’t give up tho and Moved onto a biocube and it’s been 100% success. Simplicity and more of a beginner tank as everyone says.. next tank i plan to get in the future i want a sump more because a AIO tank doesn’t really have the Open space for an actual skimmer/fuge. Overall AIO are wonderful but in their own category i would say.

 

[One Reefing Boi]

Running a Fluval Flex 15g and absolutely love it. Was initially a RCS tank but I converted it to reef and its great. String filtration, built great, and is a great size and shape

 

[MartinWaite]

When I get a one I would buy what I'd class as probably the best there is and it's from a UK firm called Aquariums4life their tanks are like a piece of art even before you put water in the tank. They have stock sizes but will make any tank to suit what ever you want. If only all tank makers were to their standard.

 

[Alarmguy66]

I went in the opposite direction, large tank (180) w sump (55) to an IM NUVO 40 AIO. It doesnt dominate the room, its very stable, and there isnt as much fussing with the tank.

 

[Tuffloud1]

My daughter is currently running an Innovative Marine Nuvo Fusion 20.

It is a clean setup and easy to maintain.

Only dislike about AIO tanks is how crammed the back sections are but that is the sacrifice of not having a sump.

 

[REPOWER]

In my 4 years of reefing, I‘ve had an IM20, IM25, RSR 350 and RSR 250. I’m currently on a Cobalt 40 AIO for about a year and continue to enjoy the hobby.

When I get the itch to go bigger, I’ll go for the IM SR-80 and custom build a cabinet. Awesome tank but the aluminum cabinet needs more space.

Pros: for me...

1. Easy maintenance
2. Gives me lots of time back to sit and enjoy the tank

Cons:

1. I always want more water volume....until reality sinks in that it would mean more work.
2. Water params must be on point so frequent testing is required. Think 3x before making any changes to the tank, including putting your hand in.

Happy reefing!

 

[ssster2020]

Perfect topic for me a beginner, I have an Evo 13.5 that I’m in the middle of getting going. But my eyes have opened to the beauty of this hobby. I’m already planning me next tank. I live in a smallish condo and can’t afford a major flood event. I’m thinking about going to an IM of some sort. Are AIO’s offering me protection from floods? Because I can get a good deal now on a Red Sea 250.
I’ll be interested in hearing from members as to what they think.

 

[TheWB]

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

I am currently running an Innovative Marine Lagoon 50. There are many great choices but IM is one I’d go with again, it’s a very well built tank.

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

I like the simplicity and the overall footprint of my tank at 30x24 inches. I only need to do a 5 gallon water change which is great because it’s on the second floor. Sump was not an option as we were worried about leaky plumbing as a potential point of failure with hardwood floors upstairs. Didn’t seem like a good combination. The APS stand is super lightweight which was also a key factor for a second floor tank.

My biggest dislike is the physical size of the rear chamber on the 50 Lagoon. If I had it to do over I would have gone up to the SR60 for the additional room in the rear chamber. I would have needed a second light but I’m finding I need that anyway for the 50, one XR15 isn’t quite enough for a 30” wide tank. It also has room for the redundancy of two return pumps which would make doing pump maintenance much easier. I’ve got a lot of stuff crammed into the back of my 50 and I’d love to have more room for getting my hands in there when I need to and for more choices of equipment.

 

[bigjgmac]

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

While, I’ve never had one, from what I see and read it looks like Red Sea would be the way to go.

I just don’t think an AiO is something for me. I’d much rather choose the components that I want rather than have them dictated to me. They have their place, just not in my home.

 

[Traplord]

My water box cube 40 aio

 

[KyOsIBa515]

IMO at the time you couldn’t do much better than a JBJ 28g cube. I ran one as my 1st little reef years ago. 1. It gets your feet wet into reefing. 2. That particular tank was so easy and able to modify. It also got your feet wet trying new things and equipment. There were numerous different HBO skimmers you could retrofit etc. You could take the hood off and try different led or lighting options. Really a sweet tank at the time.

 

[MartyG]

I just downsized to a Lifegard 10g. With AI Prime 16HD - love this one.

 

[jRatanak]

I currently have an IM 40 Fusion, been running a little over a year. As far as it goes I like it, however, it really doesn't feel like there's much flexibility as far as filtration modifications/expandability. Everything has to be kept super barebones. So it works, but I'd much rather have a sump after working with other tanks that are fully kitted systems.

It was super cheap to get going and has been really good as a first system, and a way to explore the hobby without fully committing to an extravagant setup!

 

[Jsgreef]

1. If you were buying an AIO reef tank today which brand would you choose and why?
my first was a Cobalt 26g AIO, it cracked all the way down the side after 4 months-lost everything. Had to do a quick replacement that day so bought another one-because I had the stand & equipment. But didn't really trust in it after that. So I looked at all different tank styles. Didn't want just another rectangle, considered the IM lagoons because of the lower height but finally chose the IM 30L. And I love it. Easy to take care of, I can actually reach everything with having to stand on something. All IM gadgets (Skimmer, UV etc) fit. For me it works great.
2. What do you like and dislike most about "all in one" reef tanks?
Wouldn't say don't like-wish I had a bit more display width. Although when I show pics to LFS they can't believe it's only a 30g tank.

I currently have a BioCube 32 and I love it. I have added upgrades to customize it the way I wanted it and with little extra efforts. I have been looking at the Innovative Marine NUVO SR Series because I want a bigger tank in the future and they are AIO as well. I have owned other set ups in the past and I have to say I love how easy it is to have everything AIO and how keeping it simple and consistent is definitely the best route to take.

 

[JR Bodyman]

I have a second tank in my room. It's a Biocube. Works for me but the Innovative Marine tanks are really nice!

 

[Claire Austin]

I ran a JBJ 45 gallon AIO for about 2 years for my seahorses. While I loved the simple, uncluttered look, having 2 return pumps, a protein skimmer, and UV sterilizer put way too much heat in the water. Seahorses are best kept from 70-74F to lessen the chances of infections, but this tank ran at 82-84F without a chiller. So, I put a JBJ 1/10hp chiller on, but it sounded like a jet engine, and had a hard time keeping up. Finally got fed up and sold it. Now I have a 65 gallon with a sump.

 

[Seanbugeja]

I had the sera biotop 130. Greatest success in reef keeping I ever had

 

[Orlandoguy50]

I just purchased a 25 gallon waterbox peninsula just a few days ago. Finally moving on from my Petco 20 gallon long to this new tank and so far I am loving it. I used to have a 125 back in the late 80s with a trickle filter/sump but as I age those water changes are just too much work for me. Now I just do 5 gallon every three weeks and all is well.