New IM 25g Lagoon Setup

[GoodSoup]

Setting up a new tank here soon. New to the hobby so don’t want anything crazy right off the bat, pair of clownfish and some soft corals then practice taking care of the tank and keeping it healthy and clean. Getting the IM 25g Lagoon. What else should I get for it? Lights, filtration, skimmer, whatever I would need for a good filtration system and good flow etc. Help me out.

 

[littlefoxx]

Its usually advised to wait at least 3 months after the cycle to add corals (for best success). Reef Breeders has some good nano lights for corals and stuff. I currently use a smaller kessil on my biocube. Its been up 4 months now and i just added some mushroom corals.

Is the tank an AIO (all in one) by chance?

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

I have the IM 25 Lagoon AIO, and it's a great tank; great dimensions.

Here's what I've done with mine, though there's lots of ways to setup this tank:

I run two Kessil A360we lights over mine, but likely two Kessil A160's would do it, otherwise two Noopsyche K7 Mini would be a good choice, I believe.

I replaced the stock return pump, I'm using two IM Mighty Jet 326 gph pumps now, but I had been using a single IM Mighty Jet 538 gph pump; both setups worked well. I also have the inexpensive Jebao return pump in am IM 15 gallon AIO, that pump works great too. For soft corals, you probably don't need two Mighty Jet 326's, one would be a nice upgrade, or try the equivalent Jebao pump.

I added some Random Flow Generators (RFG's) to the returns on my tank for better flow. I like the ones from Vivid Creative Aquatics (VCA) who's an R2R sponsor. I did not care for the IM Spin Stream that I tried on a different tank; quite noisy and bulky, though some say the noise quiets down in time. If you're just looking to keep some easy soft corals, an upgraded return pump and these RFA's may be all you need for flow.

I do run two EcoTach Vortech MP-10 circ pumps.

I have a BRS Titanium heating element and an InkBird heater controller. I would strongly recommend the InkBird heater controller no matter what heater you choose, these protect your tank from dangerous overheating in the not so rare event a heater gets stuck "on".

I prefer media baskets to the included filter socks, I have baskets from InTank, which are nice but pricey. The less expensive AquaGadget baskets work just as well.

I have the IM 9 watt UV sterilizer, though I wish I got their 10 watt version. I don't believe everyone needs a UV sterilizer, but my tank is something of a quarantine tank, so I thought why not.

I don't believe you need a protein skimmer on this sized tank, but I added one to help with carbon dosing. I tried the IM NovoSkim, and hated it. I'm going to run without a skimmer, or I may try the Bubble Magus Mini Q I have read good things about.

I think you'll absolutely want an Auto Top Off (ATO) system to replace evaporated freshwater. This goes a long way to keeping your salinity stable, which is important, especially on smaller tanks. Popular choices include the Tunze Osmolators and the AquaDuette I believe is popular. I have a Robo-Tank controller system that handles my ATO and much more.

I think that's about it, but if you have questions please let me know

Have you thought about what you want to do for rock and sand? I would encourage you to consider live rock and sand from Tampa Bay Saltwater, and if not, from a trusted Local Fish Store (LFS).

Good luck with your new tank!