ReeferInThe801
New Member
- Joined
- May 20, 2020
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Hi everyone, I'm new to the group but not new to reefing. I've been in the hobby off and on for about 10 years, but have really only gotten serious in the last couple of years. I've been maintaining a NUVO 14 Peninsula nano mixed reef (pictured below) for about a year and am now ready to step up to the big leagues and get a much bigger tank. While my 14-gallon nano has gone well and I've had very few hiccups, I've outgrown it and am transferring most of it to my new Nuvo 75 EXT.
So...moving up to the 75-gallon tank is a big step for me. I've never had a tank this big and even though I know that keeping parameters in check in a smaller nano is harder than doing the same in a much bigger tank, there's a slight intimidation factor going on in my head. I waffled for a couple of months on what tank to upgrade to...everything from IM NUVO EXT and INT options to the Red Sea Reefers and Waterbox offerings.
Ultimately, I decided on the IM NUVO 75 EXT. I have been very pleased with my NUVO nano and I figured that the larger EXT would come with the same quality assurance. Plus, it allowed me a more DIY approach to picking and choosing most of my components. Probably the biggest reason for going with IM is that they offer an aluminum stand. For some reason, that just gives me warm fuzzies. Throughout my life, I've had particleboard and compressed wood furniture and the biggest concern was always moisture and water damage. As beautiful as the Red Sea Reefers and Waterbox tanks are, I had reservations about the stands, regardless of the marine epoxy coating.
Taking a look at my pics below of the NUVO 75 EXT below, you can see that there is no stand currently. For some odd reason, IM decided to ship out a tank to my LFS but left the stand out of the delivery. Oh well, it just gives me more time to plan and execute on how I will eventually get everything moved over from my existing nano. The APS stand should arrive sometime early next week.
In the meantime, this is what I've purchased (or plan to purchase) so far:
- Fiji Cube 24 Sump (v.2). I've heard great things about these sumps even though the Triggers are considered the Cadillac sumps of mid-size aquariums. The Fiji Cube looks awesome though...so many options how to flow water through it. The build quality is excellent. I'm really excited to get water pumping.
- Red Sea 300XT Skimmer. I just felt this was the best bang for the buck for a $300 skimmer. I love that it has the scrubber part in the top area. Whether I end up using that feature much, who knows.
- Kessil AP700 Light Fixture. I've been using a single AI Prime puck in my nano and have been really happy with it. The app works great and I've really noticed how much my softie and LPS corals enjoy it. I leaned toward going with an AI Hydra 64 and a Radion XR30, but Kessil has such a great reputation for build, durability, and (most importantly) intensity, that I made up my mind on the AP700. The only complaint so far after firing it up is that the mobile app is not very intuitive or user friendly (compared to the AI app). Other than that, I love the color and spread it puts out.
- Pump. Still undecided. I'm going back and forth on the AC vs. DC thing but leaning towards AC because I'd really only like to spend about $200. I want something durable and relatively quiet. I'm leaning towards the Sicce Syncra 5.0. Unless someone can talk me into spending another $100 on a DC pump that is just as good and reliable, I'll consider it. Noise isn't the ultimate factor in this decision.
- Internal Flow. Still undecided. Dang, this hobby is expensive!! I love the look and idea of the IceCap Gyre 4K and thinking of mounting it vertically on one side and allowing the 2 built-in return nozzles to handle the rest. I'm considering dual EcoTech Vortex pumps on both ends, but geez, those things are pricey for two.
That's about it for now...As you can see, my display tank and sump are still sitting on the floor, waiting for the stand to show up. I picked out a really nice piece of dry rock and plan to add the live rock from my existing aquarium when I start the new cycle. I should have about 55-65 lbs when it's all said and done. I like the more minimalist look with aquascaping, but still having enough room to put lots of mixed corals all over. Did I mention, I love the dimensions of this 75 EXT?? 36 x 24. Nice and deep front to back but wide enough though to place a small tang or two in there without them feeling cramped.
I welcome any suggestions or comments!
So...moving up to the 75-gallon tank is a big step for me. I've never had a tank this big and even though I know that keeping parameters in check in a smaller nano is harder than doing the same in a much bigger tank, there's a slight intimidation factor going on in my head. I waffled for a couple of months on what tank to upgrade to...everything from IM NUVO EXT and INT options to the Red Sea Reefers and Waterbox offerings.
Ultimately, I decided on the IM NUVO 75 EXT. I have been very pleased with my NUVO nano and I figured that the larger EXT would come with the same quality assurance. Plus, it allowed me a more DIY approach to picking and choosing most of my components. Probably the biggest reason for going with IM is that they offer an aluminum stand. For some reason, that just gives me warm fuzzies. Throughout my life, I've had particleboard and compressed wood furniture and the biggest concern was always moisture and water damage. As beautiful as the Red Sea Reefers and Waterbox tanks are, I had reservations about the stands, regardless of the marine epoxy coating.
Taking a look at my pics below of the NUVO 75 EXT below, you can see that there is no stand currently. For some odd reason, IM decided to ship out a tank to my LFS but left the stand out of the delivery. Oh well, it just gives me more time to plan and execute on how I will eventually get everything moved over from my existing nano. The APS stand should arrive sometime early next week.
In the meantime, this is what I've purchased (or plan to purchase) so far:
- Fiji Cube 24 Sump (v.2). I've heard great things about these sumps even though the Triggers are considered the Cadillac sumps of mid-size aquariums. The Fiji Cube looks awesome though...so many options how to flow water through it. The build quality is excellent. I'm really excited to get water pumping.
- Red Sea 300XT Skimmer. I just felt this was the best bang for the buck for a $300 skimmer. I love that it has the scrubber part in the top area. Whether I end up using that feature much, who knows.
- Kessil AP700 Light Fixture. I've been using a single AI Prime puck in my nano and have been really happy with it. The app works great and I've really noticed how much my softie and LPS corals enjoy it. I leaned toward going with an AI Hydra 64 and a Radion XR30, but Kessil has such a great reputation for build, durability, and (most importantly) intensity, that I made up my mind on the AP700. The only complaint so far after firing it up is that the mobile app is not very intuitive or user friendly (compared to the AI app). Other than that, I love the color and spread it puts out.
- Pump. Still undecided. I'm going back and forth on the AC vs. DC thing but leaning towards AC because I'd really only like to spend about $200. I want something durable and relatively quiet. I'm leaning towards the Sicce Syncra 5.0. Unless someone can talk me into spending another $100 on a DC pump that is just as good and reliable, I'll consider it. Noise isn't the ultimate factor in this decision.
- Internal Flow. Still undecided. Dang, this hobby is expensive!! I love the look and idea of the IceCap Gyre 4K and thinking of mounting it vertically on one side and allowing the 2 built-in return nozzles to handle the rest. I'm considering dual EcoTech Vortex pumps on both ends, but geez, those things are pricey for two.
That's about it for now...As you can see, my display tank and sump are still sitting on the floor, waiting for the stand to show up. I picked out a really nice piece of dry rock and plan to add the live rock from my existing aquarium when I start the new cycle. I should have about 55-65 lbs when it's all said and done. I like the more minimalist look with aquascaping, but still having enough room to put lots of mixed corals all over. Did I mention, I love the dimensions of this 75 EXT?? 36 x 24. Nice and deep front to back but wide enough though to place a small tang or two in there without them feeling cramped.
I welcome any suggestions or comments!
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