Innovative marine INT-100 setup worth it?
- Thread starter Dan1979e
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crabgrass
Well-Known Member
I have one - love the setup. Couple thigns to note:
1. Total water volume, (including sump) and rocks/sand for me is only about 85 gallons. The back of the tank takes a lot of volume
2. Sump is huge - which is really nice, but takes all of the room in the stand. Very tough to fit anything down there. I had the room beside the tank to have a separate controller box.
3. No room for reefmat in sump. Some folks have had success with other types of roller mats. I did not, but maybe not patient enough.
1. Total water volume, (including sump) and rocks/sand for me is only about 85 gallons. The back of the tank takes a lot of volume
2. Sump is huge - which is really nice, but takes all of the room in the stand. Very tough to fit anything down there. I had the room beside the tank to have a separate controller box.
3. No room for reefmat in sump. Some folks have had success with other types of roller mats. I did not, but maybe not patient enough.
i would LOVE one. IM would be the company i'd go with.
personally i'd get the EXT to have more internal room for rocks/corals/fish. its negligible space, but just my 2c.
personally i'd get the EXT to have more internal room for rocks/corals/fish. its negligible space, but just my 2c.
crabgrass
Well-Known Member
Yeah, the 100 EXT probably nets out to a lot more room, and additional water capacity as well. if you had room for it (an additiona extra 4-8 inches of space behind the tank, beyond what you had planned for the INT), i would go that route
Dan1979e
Community Member
Ty for the advice… What you pointed out about the Back of the tank takes up lots of space is where I’m torn between buying the INT or the
Dan1979e
Community Member
I do like how the INT looks and how the bulk heads for the return come through the tank… The space I have is not the issue I’m having with pulling the trigger. The INT has a full rim skim and slots down the front for lower debris in the tank so I would think it performs much better then the EXT. Am I wrong I just want the best performance I can get. If it wasn’t for that I would definitely hands down buy the EXT. This is why I figured I’d ask around cause once I order it I’m stuck with it and I’m New to larger tanks… I’ve had a bio cub that’s just way over run. These tanks are not cheap and I have the funds to do it. Personally I think IM NUvio all in one tanks are way better though out the the red see reefers that’s also in my price rang. The Max S 500 was the tank I wanted. Then I started reading how everyone is ditching there red see and going IM
performance wise, both function the same. the only difference is design/look. the difference in an external or internal overflow is marginal at best. go with what works best for you
KStatefan
2500 Club Member
I debated quite a while between the two prior to purchasing my ext. I bought tank only so can not help you with that but i did fill the bottom with sump and all my stuff is in the closet behind the tank.
crabgrass
Well-Known Member
If your just looking for performance / maximum capacity go with the ext. if space is a concern, go int.
I did the same - went back and forth with the Red Sea. Eventually the stream of seam failures turned me off (although S- series seems pretty good - just paying a premium for what the IM has as the baseline in terms of reliability).
When they go on sale, the larger IM tanks are almost the same cost as the 100. I almost did the 200, but space was a problem (with my family)
I did the same - went back and forth with the Red Sea. Eventually the stream of seam failures turned me off (although S- series seems pretty good - just paying a premium for what the IM has as the baseline in terms of reliability).
When they go on sale, the larger IM tanks are almost the same cost as the 100. I almost did the 200, but space was a problem (with my family)
Dan1979e
Community Member
lol yeah I can’t convince the wife to let me have a 200 G tank. Trust me like you said they are on sale right now 40% off the lager ones. Only a few hundred more for almost double the tank size. If the wife had her way I’d be only getting 50 G tank so we compromised and can be no longer then 48” haha I love the looks of the EXT way better then the INT I was only considering the INT cause I thought it out performed the INT cause of the full surface skim with middle cutouts as well. But I decided to go with the EXT cause it looks so much sharper with the 2 returns or the sides I instead of that double bulky thing coming out the front. IM would have nailed it if they did the same on the INT tank. I’m not understanding why with that kind of return rate they only put one, 3/4 return… SOLD one new IM nuvo EXT-100 on its way!
nickng
Active Member
I am in the same situation, I was keen on max s400 or s500 because I didn’t see any tank failures after asking around on various forums. However a few people who had the tank for more than five years mentioned a few cons… the build in ATO is impossible to clean. The way the tank is built the back space with the recirculating pumps is also next to impossible to clean and acts as an aptasia grow area. They also said the eurobrace is only partial not completely around the tank and there’s salt creep over the plastic top trim that eventually will cause water to drip down the sides. It’s not a leak but unsightly.
Right now the tanks I am considering are:
Innovative marine int100
Eshopps mariner100
crabgrass
Well-Known Member
I did the same s500 vs IM100+ debate. I never put my hands on the s- series, but I think build quality is about the same as an IM tank. The S- has a nicer stand layout and obviously is reefmat compatible. The IM sump is huge - which is really nice, but organizing anything (reactors, UV, CO2 scrubbers) is difficult. And if you plan on running a controller you will need a separate stand. There is just not enough room below with the sump.
I ultimately went with the IM and very happy I did. It was considerably cheaper, and I think the same quality as the s- series. The only thing I wish it had was work better with a roller. Obviously I could do some major work on the sump and retrofit something in, but at that point I would probably just get rid of the rsf and go for a custom sump.
nickng
Active Member
yeah, I'm still debating on the IM100 vs the Mariner100 Both the same size but the Mariner 100 has a bottom brace and armored seams (i can get the kids too scrap the tank glass without worrying about scrapping off the edge of the silicone on the side seams)
If I go with the IM100 my plan is to add some glass pieces to the corners to protect the silicon edge and ditch the IM sump and go with something custom.
Going with the Mariner - I'll probably ditch the cabinet/stand and get an aluminum/metal one.
Both the Mariner and the Innovative marine have bean animal drains. None of the Red Sea tanks have that so the tank flow rate will never be that high ie less surface skimming and also a herbie drain requires more tuning.
Mariner Series | ESHOPPS
Mariner Dream, Explore, Discover Ultra Low Iron Glass Ultra clear low iron glass on all 3 sides. Corner Guards All corner seems are equipped with corner gua ...
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crabgrass
Well-Known Member
If you can go bigger, you can get the Display and Stand, then purchase a sump on your own. Unfortunately I don’t think they offer the 100 int by itself without getting the pump and sump with it. This would give you the most flexibility. I was going to go this route and get the 170 or 200 but wife shot it down (length was ok, but they are deep).
nickng
Active Member
Ok… after back and forth, I placed an order for the IM100 ext. Going to see if it’s possible to fit a roller mat in there. The Fiji-cube one or a heavily modified version of the Klir-7 could work. Will do the measurements when tank arrives
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