Just ordered an Innovative Marine SR Pro 2 80 AIO and I need advice on associated equipment

[FishPureLuck]

I currently have an RSM 130d and I'm upgrading to the Nuvo SR 80. What skimmer is the best for this? Also, I'm running a 24" T5 hybrid with two 16HD reefs on it. I would like to do similar on the new tank. Should I get the 36" AL Hybrid and add another 16hd or 48" AL Hybrid and add two more 16hd? Also, is it worth getting the G3? The tank is primarily Acro with lobos, torches and zoas on the sand. The display dimensions are Length: 46.46” Width: 17.88” Height: 16.14”. I'm also thinking of adding a gyre on each end to compliment the return pumps. Anything else that you guys can think of would be of great help. I went from a 300 gallon with 120 gallon sump SPS tank with 400 lbs of fiji rock "taken down 6 years ago" to this. I like the AIO's due to how quiet they are and in my mind easier to maintain. I guess after the 300 sps with a bunch of basketball sized colonies, anything would be easier. Smaller water changes, less dosing amount and less food. I currently have what they call an NSA scaped tank, and I'm just going to create the almost exact same as I have for the other side of the tank. Thanks for reading and any assistance. Here's a pic of the 130d when I started it. I'm going to mirror that rock for the other half of the 80.


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[FishPureLuck]

Any one?

 

[flashsmith]

I have an SR80. Been up and running for a year now. As far as skimmers I actually use 2 tunze 9004s. They fit perfect in the back chambers. Is it needed? Maybe not but I wanted the extra filtration and really made a difference in helping keep the back chambers clean. I'm using 3 maxspect jump lights on the tank. Mixed reef with some sps. One reef breeders wave maker. Switched out the stock returns with a current eflux 1200 gph plumbed into all four returns. I didn't want to mess with 2 pumps and controllers. Again personal preference. I used those pumps to run a uv sterilizer on my other tank. Overall a great tank.

 

[reefiniteasy]

Look at lights on CoralVue’s Outlet Store. They have all the Maxspect lights on clearance. Pretty sure there are gyres on clearance too. Great prices. Check it out.

Light Fixtures - Aquarium Lighting - Outlet | CoralVue

CoralVue is one of North America's largest distributors of marine and freshwater aquaria products and represents a wide range of industry-leading brands including Reef Octopus, Abyzz, Fauna Marin, IceCap, and more. CoralVue also manufactures the HYDROS Control, which is the fastest-growing...

www.coralvue.com

 

[FishPureLuck]

I have a 9004 on the tank that I'm switching out, I considered getting another one and running 2 on the SR80 but it doesn't seem like enough size spec wise. How do you like the tank after a year? It seems awesome on paper, not sure real world.

 

[FishPureLuck]

Look at lights on CoralVue’s Outlet Store. They have all the Maxspect lights on clearance.

Light Fixtures - Aquarium Lighting - Outlet | CoralVue

CoralVue is one of North America's largest distributors of marine and freshwater aquaria products and represents a wide range of industry-leading brands including Reef Octopus, Abyzz, Fauna Marin, IceCap, and more. CoralVue also manufactures the HYDROS Control, which is the fastest-growing...

www.coralvue.com

I ended up ordering a 36" T5 hybrid fixture and a hydra 32 to go with the 16hd's. 16hd on the ends, hydra 32 in the middle. That should be plenty of light for everything. I'm just stuck on what skimmer to use. Any ideas?

 

[reefiniteasy]

I ended up ordering a 36" T5 hybrid fixture and a hydra 32 to go with the 16hd's. 16hd on the ends, hydra 32 in the middle. That should be plenty of light for everything. I'm just stuck on what skimmer to use. Any ideas?

Let me check out the dimensions and I’ll get back to you.

 

[flashsmith]

I have a 9004 on the tank that I'm switching out, I considered getting another one and running 2 on the SR80 but it doesn't seem like enough size spec wise. How do you like the tank after a year? It seems awesome on paper, not sure real world.

Honestly my reefer 625 is easier to clean than the aio to me. It's hard keeping those back chambers clean. I've owned other IM tanks as well. Both a 25 and 50 lagoon and a 30 long. They are well built tanks and the aluminum stands are great. I went with 2 skimmers and it helped alot with keeping them clean. Never had algae in the tank at all but I always get this pink/brown slime buildup in the back chambers. Im assuming from not being able to really deep clean the chambers. It doesn't affect a thing in the tank just looks nasty.

 

[reefiniteasy]

For internal in an aio, Tunze. Their controllable skimmers are amazing. I had a 9001 DC at one point. For HOB I’d go Aquamaxx or maybe the new IceCap HOB models. I also know Bubble Magus has a few space saver models that might fit in your return chamber.

 

[FishPureLuck]

Honestly my reefer 625 is easier to clean than the aio to me. It's hard keeping those back chambers clean. I've owned other IM tanks as well. Both a 25 and 50 lagoon and a 30 long. They are well built tanks and the aluminum stands are great. I went with 2 skimmers and it helped alot with keeping them clean. Never had algae in the tank at all but I always get this pink/brown slime buildup in the back chambers. Im assuming from not being able to really deep clean the chambers. It doesn't affect a thing in the tank just looks nasty.

I run a tiny powerhead at the bottom of the chambers and it seems to keep them pretty clean. I also put the hose in those chambers when I do water changes. Hopefully that works on the new tank. All of my tanks have had sumps except my RSM130 and this new tank. They are a lot quieter AIO. My 300 with 120 gallon sump is still set up with peacock cichlids, and I can hear that tank across the house, all that I can hear on the AIO a foot from me in my living room is the big fan I put in the hood to suck out heat. Who knows, if I end up hating it, I could always sell it and get one of their EXT tanks. I figured I'd give it a try. At $1600 shipped complete with pumps and stand, I'm not out a ton of money if I don't like it. So do you think that I should run two 9004 DC's or one 9012 DC?

 

[flashsmith]

I went with another 9004 because I already had one I was using on a 50 lagoon. That and I didn't want to spend $429 on a 9012 for that tank. I did have a uv in one of the chambers but the tiny pump was always clogging up and made it pretty much useless. So I got another 9004 to drop in there. Knowing what I know now I wouldn't go with anything over 50g for aio. With these as the size goes up theres no improvement in filtration and equipment options are limited unless you want externals hanging everywhere and then that defeats the purpose of why we bought them. The only thing I haven't done is try a fuge.

 

[NASAGeek]

Icecap K1 nano. Fantastic mini skimmer.