Deciding what the next tank will be.. help.

[ItouchedThebutt]

Hello all, I find my self contemplating what my next tank should be. Currently my only salt water tank is a 40 gal Red Sea 170. It’s doing great been up for a little over a year now and has balanced out quite well. Only thing is it’s missing one major thing in it that I just find my self craving. That would be a clown fish and anemone pair. I told my self I’d do it, I tried at first and it didn’t work then before I knew it I’m packed with coral and no practical space for a BTA. So here is where I’m torn and where I would like some insight from anyone who may have the potential tank I’m looking for.

So the first thought is to replace my 10 year old ten gallon innovative marine with a 15-20 gallon AIO. Just kinda upgrade the guy. Had it for a long time it’s served its life but it might be time to retire. Currently it’s just a freshwater planted for a single puffer. Sits beside my computer and desk perfectly. But I feel like a 15-20 gallon would be perfect for a clown fish pair with a nem and maybe a shrimp goby pair. That’s really all I’m looking for and I’m not new to nanos. That 10 gallon was actually my first ever salt water aquarium.

Second option I’m torn by is getting the 40L shallow lagoon innovative marine aquarium and getting a little bit more water volume. That’s about as large as I can go for what space and care I have left for. But I like the idea of having more square footage than my normal cubes go. I also know some point down the road I’m always going to be sitting there wishing I had a little more space cause the second coral I’d love to have would be one giant wavy elegance. But I’ve never had a shallow reef like that one that’s only 13” tall so this where I’m coming to y’all from is it worth it, are their disadvantages to it that I’m not aware of? I’m perfectly with with a small clown and nem tank but once I open the possibility for a new tank I’m sure yall can understand we start browsing and wondering what if.

 

[Tahoe61]

I say go for the shallow. You have to re-think lighting though on the 40. I am looking at that tank as well, or the IM 25 gallon Lagoon. I have a tank that's 7 inches deep, it's a Pico but more like a tide pool. There's a lot of advantages to shallow.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

So I’m looking at the 25 gallon to I just hate how there are no stands that’ll fit it. The best I found is a uns stand for 600$ before shipping. At that point I’m not far from the 40. The only thing that has me leaning to the 40 is I already have two 40 gallons so maintenance will all be the same but I like the idea of if I use two AI Primes or kessils I can create a low light area and a high light area because the second thing I’d love to do that I failed with my current tank is keep a clam successfully

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

If you had to list pros and cons from a 12” deep tank to the standard cube would you have any note worthy ones?

 

[Tahoe61]

1. Unless the cube is around 50 gallons the cube is harder to scape. You often see the same horse shoe structure.
2. Flow, deeper tanks you are inclined to create flow in the bottom, middle and surface zones. On a shallow tank 1 appropriate pump will cover more area.
3. Lighting, the shallower water the greater the par.
4. Viewing the tank.
5. Working in the tank. A shallow is so much easier to clean and maintain.

I thought I read the IM 50 gallon stand works with the 25 gallon lagoon?

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

Well I just found a used 25 gallon and stand online but it’s also got me going down a rabbit hole of larger tanks to now. Ugh I hate new tank fever man. I get what you’re saying about lagoon that makes sense. I’ve also seen these tideline 65 gallon tanks and everyone on here seems to love them. I’m just curious in a tank like that if I could get away with a single tang like a tomini

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

What is everyone’s opinion on timeline AIO or ice cap AIO. They both have a 60 gallon variant but ice cap puts the returns in the center vs tidelines over flows are in the center and I’m not a big fan of the tideline lay out. But also I’m curious are these going to be a 5+year tank as in quality

 

[mabdelk]

What is everyone’s opinion on timeline AIO or ice cap AIO. They both have a 60 gallon variant but ice cap puts the returns in the center vs tidelines over flows are in the center and I’m not a big fan of the tideline lay out. But also I’m curious are these going to be a 5+year tank as in quality

I got an icecap aio in march. The aio chambers are a little weird. They are high where the water flows in so the filter sock is always below the water line. I feel like it is not doing a great job removing particulates from the water that way. Seems the only way to change is to drill the baffles which i am not going to do.

 

[braaap]

50 lagoon. I love mine. Only thing I would do different is get the ext and not the int.

 

[liddojunior]

I have a shallow tank. It’s really hard to get flow right.



Check this video out. The UC showroom as 2 different lagoon set ups and I think they look great.

 

[liddojunior]

I think you can go for the UNS90LA. It’s an AIO peninsula tank that’s only 20 gallons but 3 feet long so lots of creative space.

 

[ItouchedThebutt]

So, I love everyone’s response and opinions here. But a new tank has been ordered… drum roll please…

Went with a Crystalline G2 60”x24”