Help! Cant decide on tank.

[Steamreefer]

Good day folks!!

This is harder than picking what cereal I want, and that's generally a big decision for me.

So i 1st was considering a 3 foot tank since our living room is quite small, so I discussed with the wife and stated that if I bought a 3 footer I may need to add a cabinet beside the tank for storage, controllers and such, which she prefers not to have. Needless to say she gave the green light for a 4 foot tank to prevent the need for a 2nd cabinet.

This is where my dilemma begins.

Innovative marine has a 20% off sale right now and the 2 4 foot tanks I'm considering are the

I.m 100 ext currently on for $4960cad with a savings of $1260cad from original price.

Red sea reefer 425 is $4499

1-i hate the looks of the sump setup on the innovative marine, it takes up the entire cabinet, no roller mat will be an option unless you use those ones meant to fit in where a 4" sock would fit. I don't know why they feel the need to leave zero storage under their tanks whwn they know we need room for a bazillion cords and power bricks. I could probably mount to the wall behind the stand since it's open, but still very minimal room. And a sump THAT size and no r/o reservoir? They brag about how great this sump is supposed to be but I can only see draw backs of it.

Does anyone have this setup? What was your solution that's not adding a cabinet beside the tank?

Red sea 425
5 year warranty would be nice
Sump looks much better to me (but I'm a noob and will be my 1st sump)
Fleece roller ready
R/o reservoir and ato/temp probe/and leak detector included
And I nice, giant cooler section begging to be made to be functional and look cool.

Really having a hard time choosing here and looking for feed back. I don't want this to turn into a discussion about seams though.

 

[Bruttall]

Red sea reefer 425 is $4499

1-i hate the looks of the sump setup on the innovative marine, it takes up the entire cabinet, no roller mat will be an option unless you use those ones meant to fit in where a 4" sock would fit. I don't know why they feel the need to leave zero storage under their tanks whwn they know we need room for a bazillion cords and power bricks. I could probably mount to the wall behind the stand since it's open, but still very minimal room. And a sump THAT size and no r/o reservoir? They brag about how great this sump is supposed to be but I can only see draw backs of it.

Does anyone have this setup? What was your solution that's not adding a cabinet beside the tank?

Red sea 425
5 year warranty would be nice
Sump looks much better to me (but I'm a noob and will be my 1st sump)
Fleece roller ready
R/o reservoir and ato/temp probe/and leak detector included
And I nice, giant cooler section begging to be made to be functional and look cool.

Really having a hard time choosing here and looking for feed back. I don't want this to turn into a discussion about seams though.

Do this, then go buy the Innovate and enjoy.



Or Click Here --> https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/red-sea-fail-very-harsh-but-truthful-imo.991608/

 

[DiscoStuart]

If the Red Sea leaks scare you off (they did for me) and you don't like the IM sumps, you could look at the Nyos 440. 2/3 of the cabinet is sump / ATO, 1/3 is dry side for electronics. Tanks are a beauty. Just got one in the UK and in the process of setting it up (note IM and Waterbox were not options for me over here, so it was Nyos, Cade ($$) or D-D Aqua-Pro Reef that I was deciding between).

 

[BryanM]

Good day folks!!

This is harder than picking what cereal I want, and that's generally a big decision for me.

So i 1st was considering a 3 foot tank since our living room is quite small, so I discussed with the wife and stated that if I bought a 3 footer I may need to add a cabinet beside the tank for storage, controllers and such, which she prefers not to have. Needless to say she gave the green light for a 4 foot tank to prevent the need for a 2nd cabinet.

This is where my dilemma begins.

Innovative marine has a 20% off sale right now and the 2 4 foot tanks I'm considering are the

I.m 100 ext currently on for $4960cad with a savings of $1260cad from original price.

Red sea reefer 425 is $4499

1-i hate the looks of the sump setup on the innovative marine, it takes up the entire cabinet, no roller mat will be an option unless you use those ones meant to fit in where a 4" sock would fit. I don't know why they feel the need to leave zero storage under their tanks whwn they know we need room for a bazillion cords and power bricks. I could probably mount to the wall behind the stand since it's open, but still very minimal room. And a sump THAT size and no r/o reservoir? They brag about how great this sump is supposed to be but I can only see draw backs of it.

Does anyone have this setup? What was your solution that's not adding a cabinet beside the tank?

Red sea 425
5 year warranty would be nice
Sump looks much better to me (but I'm a noob and will be my 1st sump)
Fleece roller ready
R/o reservoir and ato/temp probe/and leak detector included
And I nice, giant cooler section begging to be made to be functional and look cool.

Really having a hard time choosing here and looking for feed back. I don't want this to turn into a discussion about seams though.

There's no decision here, after reading about seam failures, hearing people that have torn their redsea down and took it all apart, stating it came apart remarkably EASILY, run far away.

IM is just fine. So are Cade and Waterbox, for a couple more alternatives. But the IM brand gets great reviews.

 

[tzabor10]

Sounds like you are off to a good start. Be sure to plan your tank so that it can be accessed from all sides. Floor support is a big consideration. ATO reservoirs can be flexible, so many possibilities there. IMHO, side cabinets can separate electricity from water. It’s a big deal in my setup. Also consider electric draw and needs. I have an electrician setup 3 GFCI breakers for each tank. Can’t wait to see what happens

 

[Stevorino]

I'd personally go get a Planet Aquarium 186, with one of their tall stand/canopy options and do your own sump.

https://www.dfwaquarium.com/Products/Planet-Aquariums/

I let my wife pick out the cabinet and it looks very nice in our home. I also like the canopy to hide the lights and other **** up top

Good luck!

 

[Dragen Fiend]

I know its a tough decision. RedSea is one of the nicest looking setups by far. But their seam failures is not something I would be willing to spend on. Even if they have a higher volume. You barely here anyone talk about seam failures on other brands.

Probably one of IMs biggest shortcomings is their sump design. They need to get with the times.

Personally I would buy the IM 100, toss the sump and add a customized one of your liking. Yes its more but you get what you pay for.

Now if your really wanting a easy to work with sump.

You have other options like WB Marine X 110.4 or Infinia Reef 150.4 both 4ft wide and cheaper. Plus

Also have the UNS R120. I really like this lineup.

​

 

[Bruttall]

Oceanic made the best tanks, (Extremely Biased Opinion!)
Planet Aquarium is 2 guys formerly of Oceanic and they make nice really tanks.
@Joe Glass Cages also has a good reputation for making nice tanks.

My 30+ yr old Oceanic Tank, with my 2 year old reef.

 

[Steamreefer]

I appreciate the suggestions and I have yet to check, but generally our options are alot more limited than in the usa.

I just got off the phone with aquarium depot in Ontario Canada and they have 1 100 ext in stock and in white and ready to ship on Monday to me 3 provinces over. Only thing is now it's about an extra $500 just for shipping bringing this tank to $1000 more than the red sea.

I understand the rsr seams, but they also must sell tanks at like 20:1 of other brands.

The spot i have for the tank is 59 inches wide with a wall on 1 side and my TV stand on the other so accessing both side doors probably wouldn't work. Which also leaves like less than 10 inches for a seperate cabinet (which i prefer not to have)

Does anyone have pictures for how the mounted everything under the stand?
I may need to totally replace the i.m sump for something more practical if I went this route. The sump just kills the whole tank for me and they should offer to sell tanks without their giant unfunctional sumps.

I'm going to check these other suggestions and see if they even ship to Canada or have suppliers here.

 

[Steamreefer]

Wow! That infinia 150.4 looks excellent. Only down side i see is 12mm glass instead of 15 on the i.m

Hardest decision of my life up to this point haha

 

[BryanM]

I appreciate the suggestions and I have yet to check, but generally our options are alot more limited than in the usa.

I just got off the phone with aquarium depot in Ontario Canada and they have 1 100 ext in stock and in white and ready to ship on Monday to me 3 provinces over. Only thing is now it's about an extra $500 just for shipping bringing this tank to $1000 more than the red sea.

I understand the rsr seams, but they also must sell tanks at like 20:1 of other brands.

The spot i have for the tank is 59 inches wide with a wall on 1 side and my TV stand on the other so accessing both side doors probably wouldn't work. Which also leaves like less than 10 inches for a seperate cabinet (which i prefer not to have)

Does anyone have pictures for how the mounted everything under the stand?
I may need to totally replace the i.m sump for something more practical if I went this route. The sump just kills the whole tank for me and they should offer to sell tanks without their giant unfunctional sumps.

I'm going to check these other suggestions and see if they even ship to Canada or have suppliers here.

I'll just say that $500 is a drop in the bucket to:

1). Catastrophic seam failure
2). Home damage
3). Replacement 2nd tank
4). Dealing with getting rid of the redsea

Yep, I know about 3 and 4 personally, opted NOT to wait on 1 and 2. While it feels like a bit of a bitter pill to swallow initially, I spent $7000 on a new tank plus things to support it (I did upgrade to a larger tank as well).

 

[X-37B]

I have the ext 170, ext 50, and a rs 170. I prefer the IM tank for larger systems. I wanted an rs for some time and went with the 170 as it fit my space. Nice small system for my nems but I still built a 8020 cabinet.
The gate valve is junk on the rs but I plan to replace it soon.
On my ext 170 I built a 8020 that is behind the system.
For me the only thing I don't like about the IM sump is the heater overflow area. There is no way to clean the small area without removing the plumbing.
My 170 has 2 skimmers, a no3 reactor, and a Geo 818 carx.

 

[Steamreefer]

Appears i have access to waterbox and nyos here in canada still haven't checked cade.

Any preferences from waterbox to nyos?

 

[DrkNMighty]

The sump just kills the whole tank for me and they should offer to sell tanks without their giant unfunctional sumps.

They do offer this on their website. They will list it as complete vs tank and stand.

 

[mboley]

I have the ext 170, ext 50, and a rs 170. I prefer the IM tank for larger systems. I wanted an rs for some time and went with the 170 as it fit my space. Nice small system for my nems but I still built a 8020 cabinet.
The gate valve is junk on the rs but I plan to replace it soon.
On my ext 170 I built a 8020 that is behind the system.
For me the only thing I don't like about the IM sump is the heater overflow area. There is no way to clean the small area without removing the plumbing.
My 170 has 2 skimmers, a no3 reactor, and a Geo 818 carx.

Your set up is awesome but I gotta ask, why no height on your rock structure?

 

[charleydavis]

I'd personally go get a Planet Aquarium 186, with one of their tall stand/canopy options and do your own sump.

https://www.dfwaquarium.com/Products/Planet-Aquariums/

I let my wife pick out the cabinet and it looks very nice in our home. I also like the canopy to hide the lights and other **** up top

Good luck!

 

[Steamreefer]

They do offer this on their website. They will list it as complete vs tank and stand.

I wish. I asked aquarium depot and they only sell the kits with sump and he won't trade it out for me.

Looks like the nyos is out, clear silicone is a no from me, it always shows algae eventually.

About to call waterbox about the infinia 150.4

 

[BryanM]

I wish. I asked aquarium depot and they only sell the kits with sump and he won't trade it out for me.

Looks like the nyos is out, clear silicone is a no from me, it always shows algae eventually.

About to call waterbox about the infinia 150.4

I have an infinia 230.6 and am enjoying it :)

 

[charleydavis]

Planet Aquariums has many good reviews and a good reputation from what I have read. But their website is frustrating. The section entitled "Tideline Crystalline Specs" is blank. And no prices are shown. Are specs and prices to be found somewhere else? This makes it impossible to compare products and causes no end of frustration (at least for me). There is nothing found for Planet Aquariums 186. What is a Planet 186?

 

[DiscoStuart]

Nice small system for my nems but I still built a 8020 cabinet.

Slick looking cabinet - love the power setup. What did you use for the top/sides?