Getting back into hobby, maybe I never left. Need advice.

[Sheldog]

8 years ago I decided I would like a fresh water tank ( like my childhood) and went on craigs list because had nothing. Found a DSA 57 rimless with maxspec razor led, skimmer, sump, stand, fish, sand, aptasia x 800, the whole package. $300 I knew nothing of salt water and had to learn fast and fell in love. Moved 4 years ago and thought I was upgrading when I got a 90 cube ( bigger tank). But it just didnt pop like the rimless DSA did and hated it.

Had a heater malfunction and devastate most of the tank (killed me) around the same time I found out I was going to have a son and made the decision to take down the tank. Sold 6 months later.

But I also found a Innovative marine fusion nuvo 20 in box for $165 before they discontinued them(bought in 2018) Now that my son is 2 I feel like its time to scratch the itch and set up a tank with my son.

Will this IM do the trick? Ive never run a tank without a sump and never run salt with such low gal. Im not trying to do anything crazy. Clown, pistol/golby, frogspawn, designer zoas.

Advice from people who have been in this situation or similar to.

Also does anyone know the actual difference in the discontinued im fusion nuvo 20 and the current one?

 

[AydenLincoln]

I have a Waterbox Cube 20 and I love it! That being said I just got a little IceCap skimmer hopefully to get my nutrients down because I’m definitely overstocked lol it’s definitely a lot harder to manage a nano/AIO because you don’t have the wiggle room like in a big tank especially in the first year but I love my nano. I say go for it and a pair of clowns are perfect and the key is not to add too much and do regular maintenance.

 

[Gatorpa]

8 years ago I decided I would like a fresh water tank ( like my childhood) and went on craigs list because had nothing. Found a DSA 57 rimless with maxspec razor led, skimmer, sump, stand, fish, sand, aptasia x 800, the whole package. $300 I knew nothing of salt water and had to learn fast and fell in love. Moved 4 years ago and thought I was upgrading when I got a 90 cube ( bigger tank). But it just didnt pop like the rimless DSA did and hated it.

Had a heater malfunction and devastate most of the tank (killed me) around the same time I found out I was going to have a son and made the decision to take down the tank. Sold 6 months later.

But I also found a Innovative marine fusion nuvo 20 in box for $165 before they discontinued them(bought in 2018) Now that my son is 2 I feel like its time to scratch the itch and set up a tank with my son.

Will this IM do the trick? Ive never run a tank without a sump and never run salt with such low gal. Im not trying to do anything crazy. Clown, pistol/golby, frogspawn, designer zoas.

Advice from people who have been in this situation or similar to.

Also does anyone know the actual difference in the discontinued im fusion nuvo 20 and the current one?

It will fuel the itch…

At one point I had a 120 reef, a 125 predator reef and a 75 frag tang.

Got married started having kids and eventually was down to a 75 reef.

Plan was to get a big tank, had a house fire and rebuilt from ground up with tank placement as an after thought. upgraded to a pro star 150 (standard 120 gallon display).
Wish I went with the 150 gallon display size now only 6 month later.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I got a good deal on a 10g Fiji Cube AIO. I had a couple of temperate tanks and thought I would do a tropical for the "masses". A couple of nemos, RBTA, a mushroom and a leather. Things were going good. At the same time I was going to make a 40g cube into a deep water temperate and tie in all my temperates into one system. Until, my wife said I really need to turn the 40 into a tropical because I am already outgrowing the 10g. Well a couple months later, just finished the majority of the plumbing on the 40g. In the meantime with the help of some frag racks and the coral farmers market and my local crack (frag) dealer. I was stocking up for the 40g, I have RBTA's, softies, LPS,SPS, everything was going ok because these were just little frags in a little tank. But then it happened...Everything grew like wildfire! Seems like every other day I am rearranging to make sure everybody is happy and not stinging someone else.
So this story has two points:
1) AIO's can rock! But, a ATO is your friend, and because of the small size, Dosing is by hand and usually daily. By which I mean 0.2ml of trace elements 1ml CA 3ml alk etc. very small amounts, too small to be reliable with an doser pump.
2) You may outgrow this tank very quickly if you do no have self control... And what reefer has that?
Too many fish (corals) in the sea... as they say.

 

[Sheldog]

I have a Waterbox Cube 20 and I love it! That being said I just got a little IceCap skimmer hopefully to get my nutrients down because I’m definitely overstocked lol it’s definitely a lot harder to manage a nano/AIO because you don’t have the wiggle room like in a big tank especially in the first year but I love my nano. I say go for it and a pair of clowns are perfect and the key is not to add too much and do regular maintenance.

Whats your bioload?

Maybe its time I break out the live rock and tape off tank dimensions on the floor and see what I end up with.
If I didn't have the tank already this may have been and easier decision. Thanks for the feedback everyone

 

[njtiger aquariums]

Welcome back. Feed that itch. I just posted (yesterday) about getting back into the hobby. Life happen and I went a couple of years without a tank running and I bugged me every day. Now I’m slowly getting my tank up and running again. Here my thread
Thread 'Getting back into this'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/getting-back-into-this.925740/

 

[AydenLincoln]

Whats your bioload?

Maybe its time I break out the live rock and tape off tank dimensions on the floor and see what I end up with.
If I didn't have the tank already this may have been and easier decision. Thanks for the feedback everyone

Oh I do have live aquacultured rock! And I will absolutely never get ocean live rock too many hitchhikers lol. And I am admittedly a little overstocked. 4 fish, 1 starfish, and some hermit crabs!

 

[Freddy0144]

Following along, the wife wants a 20 gallon cube for the kitchen counter. I just stood up a 225 planet tank. I told her she has to wait a bit we are still building this one, even though I had most of the gear from my last tank.

 

[Sheldog]

Just left the LFS bs-ing with them. I think with not an over stocked bioload keeping parameters in check shouldn't be too bad. I think Im selling my self on the idea that I wont have to make full brutes for water changes anymore. I will be less of an event. I found another dsa57 rimless for sale with stand... but you know .. I think Im gonna rock this 20.

Im not ready to start building just yet gonna shift 2 rooms around to change out the carpet upstairs but after that it will be time. I had the itch and was starting to mobilize. Needed some advice to make a somewhat ... more educated decision.

Lately I've been absorbing the how to aquascape part of the forum. For someone who hates to read I can read forums and absorb knowledge all day and night long.

 

[Freddy0144]

Just left the LFS bs-ing with them. I think with not an over stocked bioload keeping parameters in check shouldn't be too bad. I think Im selling my self on the idea that I wont have to make full brutes for water changes anymore. I will be less of an event. I found another dsa57 rimless for sale with stand... but you know .. I think Im gonna rock this 20.

Im not ready to start building just yet gonna shift 2 rooms around to change out the carpet upstairs but after that it will be time. I had the itch and was starting to mobilize. Needed some advice to make a somewhat ... more educated decision.

Lately I've been absorbing the how to aquascape part of the forum. For someone who hates to read I can read forums and absorb knowledge all day and night long.

BRS has some great videos on making a nice aquascape with negative space. Ryan walks through step by step and in a longer video he builds out a scape.

I followed this advice and the wife and I built some pretty cool pieces. If you are going to cycle the rock before putting the tank together then you will need to build what you want before you start the cycle because it will need to be out of the water for gluing, and cementing.

 

[ABQ_CHRIS]

I have always liked nano and pico tanks. The only reason I would start a larger tank would be at the request of my wife or kids.