DEAR HOBBY VETS: Would you suggest an AIO or Custom Pieced Together tank for someone BRAND NEW?

[rtparty]

Any manufacturer in particular?

I would default to Innovative Marine but don't know nearly enough about all of them these days.

I ran the JBJ 24g Nanocube for close to 8 years and it was great

 

[Cell]

I would say degree of reefing experience should have little to do with this decision.

 

[Slocke]

I'll be the odd one who thinks you don't need fancy overcomplicated filtration for you first tank. I'd suggest a beginner get a used 50-90 gallon and a Tidal 110 HOB. A sump is another complexity and potential point of failure. While an AIO is often ridiculously overpriced. You can easily get mine for under 200$ and it works great!

Here's my no maintenance macro grow out tank. Not great but incredibly cheap and would do just fine for beginner corals.

 

[HomebroodExotics]

Every beginner should start with a simple aio or simple cheap setup and learn the ropes. If the person is successful they can easily upgrade and now have a quarantine/hospital/nursery tank for their main tank moving forward. Only right way to do it imo.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Any manufacturer in particular?

AIO in general ... that gives them a starting point.

IF/when they get more advanced with HOB ... then they'll naturally transition into something else.

Then, I feel Red Sea tanks (not AIO) giving turn key is also letting the 'more advanced' but not really advanced hobbyists jump forward faster.

Advanced aquarist can use and should do ANYTHING... and that's when the AIO and even Red Sea tanks start to get limiting... these people know how to make anything work, they want their special options, and they are customizing.

... and Red Sea just began offering stripped down nano AIOs:

Desktop Series offer stripped-down AIO nano tanks from Red Sea | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

Red Sea has released a new line of nano aquariums called the Desktop Series. They are in effect the Max Nano Cube and Peninsula All-In-One tanks we know and love, only they’ve been stripped of all…

reefbuilders.com

but I'm happy with my 2 Eshopps Deskmate pico tanks being started for my aiptasia cultures (I don't count them as 'tanks' when my family does my tank count LOL) - FYI I found the Deskmates info originially thru R2R ad ... its the only ad IN MY LIFE, I sat and refreshed, wanting to get Deskmate ad to come back LOL

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

25-50g AIO all day unless they have a very good friend/mentor that lives close to help them get everything setup properly.

The plumbing, electrical, sump order, all the different equipment, reactors, etc can become very daunting for someone new.

This. Broke back into the hobby in 2015 with a aio (Waterbox Marine 30). You can't fail with them. Once I fiddled with the ATO and return pump speed, it was a perfect little tank!

 

[StatelineReefer]

I don't believe a beginner should even consider buying AOI setups, there are too many challenges new reefers face in their first two years, space constraints on equipment should not be one of them.

The ideal setup for a beginner should be comfortably sized for their budget, expandable, reliable, and not dependant on a certain brand or manufacturer should something go horribly wrong.

 

[slowwrx137]

I've been out of the hobby for 8-10 years but just getting back into it and have decided on the Red Sea Max Nano Peninsula 26g (AIO). It seems like it comes with everything to get started minus heater, sand, and rock so it should be pretty easy to get setup and running.

 

[death-by-reef]

fluval M60

 

[Crustaceon]

AIO all day long. If you come into this hobby just wanting just a few fish that won't outgrow the tank, you'll have an easier time than if you go with a pieced together system with a sump etc. High expectations make this hobby harder. Low expectations make it easier.

 

[d2mini]

I’m not just saying this because I won the CADE aquarium (I became a fan when I saw their display models at MACNA 2022) but I’d suggest CADE to someone brand new to the hobby. The things they thought of regarding the sump and plumbing should be standard. They definitely raised the bar.

My cade 600 s2 is really nice!

 

[d2mini]

So many great choices in ready to go full setups these days. In all shapes and sizes.

All plumbing, sump, stand and everything is already figured out.
Back in my day... ... we had to do EVERYTHING ourselves.
Find a tank (or have one custom made), buy their ugly stand or make your own, design and put together all the plumbing, have the tank drilled, possibly buy a custom overflow, design/build or buy a sump, put all that stuff together... it was fun but all that is daunting for a newbie.

 

[clownfishlord18]

Any manufacturer in particular?

Waterbox Love my 20 Cube

 

[Mikey-D]

Since I am brand new to reefing. I will say from my very limited experience this far.

1. Research a good 3 months and find out what you want in your tank, what is your goal at the end of one year and do you have the means and time to upkeep the tank.

2. Is this a hobby you want to dive into or just a show piece for your home to keep up with Jones's.

3. Your never as ready as you think you are until you actually start piecing it together and building it.

 

[vlangel]

Most of us old reefers started with AIO that we put together ourselves, or with the help of a reputable lfs. My 1st marine tank was an AGA 20gallon long with a HOB filter and plug and play lights and heater.
Next I upgraded to an Aqueon 90 with an Aquaclear 70, Coralife T5s, and bigger heater. I eventually traded the AC 70 for a HOB Eshopps overflow box and added a sump in the cabinet, a 15 gallon that used a Rio pump and soft plumbing. Life happened and I upgraded and downgraded until now I have an Aqueon 56 gallon column. I am still using the same Eshopps HOB overflow from 2004 and I still soft plumb. Now my sump is in the basement with a water station for quick easy water changes. Even though I am a 62 yr old woman, I totally understand my aquarium system and I have not had a major mishap since the late 90s. It was cheaper to start AIO buying each component and I learned a lot each step of the way and some equipment could be recycled for the next up or down grade.

 

[glency]

I don't believe a beginner should even consider buying AOI setups, there are too many challenges new reefers face in their first two years, space constraints on equipment should not be one of them.

The ideal setup for a beginner should be comfortably sized for their budget, expandable, reliable, and not dependant on a certain brand or manufacturer should something go horribly wrong.

I'm with you here. Some people claiming AIO is simple.. depends on your point of view. With a sump, I can add anything (within reason). With an AIO your filtration is still endless but requires "fiddling" as someone else mentioned. A new person doesnt need to fiddle. So a redsea or WB system with a sump may seem like too much for a beginner but in my opinion, i'm with the "buy as big as you can afford" crowd. Also, I'd buy used, especially if it was a friend or family member that was local so i could help them look at stuff.

 

[GARRIGA]

Never owned an AIO yet my future custom build will be based on that. Just a cleaner look without a sump and the noise plus failure potential associated with it. Not going to run a skimmer but that can be deployed. Will use canisters and whole house sediment filters to add biological and handle detritus plus option to use a step down process to 5 micron filtration to remove pathogens more effectively than UV without the flow limitations. Now researching how to use ozone. Something I haven't considered since the 90s and might run that though an external reactor and ORP prove.

Sumps are great and have been since wet dry entered the hobby but they add evaporation (sometimes beneficial), add noise and complexity to reduce the risk of overflows. Make maintenance easier but there's way to reduce that as well.

BTW, not just for newbies. I consider them perfect for any level. Especially if properly design with a larger chamber that can incorporate a refugium, if needed along with top off built in. KISS my preference as I've aged.

 

[TheDuude]

Biocube or similar and nothing but regular water changes with good source water

 

[vetteguy53081]

All in one
It is best introduction to chemisrty, filtration, maintenance and essential. Many are unsure when entering hobby and it is easiest method to ewater changes, filter changes and upkeep with minimal effort and expensive versus buying various components

 

[vlangel]

Never owned an AIO yet my future custom build will be based on that. Just a cleaner look without a sump and the noise plus failure potential associated with it. Not going to run a skimmer but that can be deployed. Will use canisters and whole house sediment filters to add biological and handle detritus plus option to use a step down process to 5 micron filtration to remove pathogens more effectively than UV without the flow limitations. Now researching how to use ozone. Something I haven't considered since the 90s and might run that though an external reactor and ORP prove.

Sumps are great and have been since wet dry entered the hobby but they add evaporation (sometimes beneficial), add noise and complexity to reduce the risk of overflows. Make maintenance easier but there's way to reduce that as well.

BTW, not just for newbies. I consider them perfect for any level. Especially if properly design with a larger chamber that can incorporate a refugium, if needed along with top off built in. KISS my preference as I've aged.

I agree with you about KISS. As an aquarium tech, you learn that everything breaks or malfunctions eventually. It's best to keep it as simple as possible with redundancy for aeration.
And I would probably have an AIO for a clean uncluttered look except I love the ease of water changes with the basement sump.