I was thinking about buying an Innovative Marine 25 Gallon Fusion Lagoon Aquarium for my first tank since the process of setting it up seemed simple. As I did more research, I found that most experienced hobbyists recommended larger tanks for beginners. That led to a sleepless night looking at a number of options...Please follow along about how I came to the remaining options.
I want to keep the size to about 40 gallons. So the first tank I found was the Nuvo 40. The size looked great but the dimensions were a bit funky. I like the cube but the filtration takes up a lot of space. But I also have some remaining plywood to build a nice stand for this which would cut down costs. My only gripe is the sump in the back (which most say is not ideal compared to a real sump) and the weird footprint due to the filtration. So...now I went looking for a similar sized tank with a sump. ~$2000
Then I found the Red Sea tanks. I think the 170 is a cool tank. The dimensions are similar (almost identical) to the Nuvo 40 but there is a sump beneath the tank and the tank just looks great overall. The only downside is that this would end up costing $400 more than the Nuvo 40. But there is a sump and I don't really have to do much work. ~$2400
Then I started to think..."hmmm...the tank is kind of big but then feels somewhat small". Then I did a very bad thing and got serious about the Red Sea 250. I love this. It does feel very big but it's kind of like a 40 Breeder with just 2 inches added to depth and 4 inches added to height. When I tell myself this, the tank suddenly seems ok lol. The only downside is that the operating costs would be $300 more than the Red Sea 170. ~$2700
So, next came the 40 breeder which would be drilled and plumbed. I avoided this initially even after reading a ton of people recommend this but then now the process doesnt seem too bad. I would buy an eshopps overflow, 1 inch for the drains, 3/4 inch for the return, put 2 unions on each pipe, put on a gate valve on one drain, and buy a sump (just lazy to do so much DIY). The only thing that keeps bugging me about this is the look of the tank. For sure, it doesn't look as nice as a fancy Red Sea. But I found a thread where the owner made the tank look super nice so now I'm leaning towards this option which is the same price as the Red Sea 170. ~$2300
What do I do!
The Red Sea 250 is the best (in my opinion) but a lot more expensive. Although I have a bit to spend, keeping costs down is always the way to go. The 40 breeder is probably the best bang for the buck given the size is great and the cost is lower but the looks of the tank are not the best. The Red Sea 170 is cool but I wonder if I'll regret the size later lol. The Nuvo 40 is "cheap" but is it really the best?
I want to keep the size to about 40 gallons. So the first tank I found was the Nuvo 40. The size looked great but the dimensions were a bit funky. I like the cube but the filtration takes up a lot of space. But I also have some remaining plywood to build a nice stand for this which would cut down costs. My only gripe is the sump in the back (which most say is not ideal compared to a real sump) and the weird footprint due to the filtration. So...now I went looking for a similar sized tank with a sump. ~$2000
Then I found the Red Sea tanks. I think the 170 is a cool tank. The dimensions are similar (almost identical) to the Nuvo 40 but there is a sump beneath the tank and the tank just looks great overall. The only downside is that this would end up costing $400 more than the Nuvo 40. But there is a sump and I don't really have to do much work. ~$2400
Then I started to think..."hmmm...the tank is kind of big but then feels somewhat small". Then I did a very bad thing and got serious about the Red Sea 250. I love this. It does feel very big but it's kind of like a 40 Breeder with just 2 inches added to depth and 4 inches added to height. When I tell myself this, the tank suddenly seems ok lol. The only downside is that the operating costs would be $300 more than the Red Sea 170. ~$2700
So, next came the 40 breeder which would be drilled and plumbed. I avoided this initially even after reading a ton of people recommend this but then now the process doesnt seem too bad. I would buy an eshopps overflow, 1 inch for the drains, 3/4 inch for the return, put 2 unions on each pipe, put on a gate valve on one drain, and buy a sump (just lazy to do so much DIY). The only thing that keeps bugging me about this is the look of the tank. For sure, it doesn't look as nice as a fancy Red Sea. But I found a thread where the owner made the tank look super nice so now I'm leaning towards this option which is the same price as the Red Sea 170. ~$2300
What do I do!
The Red Sea 250 is the best (in my opinion) but a lot more expensive. Although I have a bit to spend, keeping costs down is always the way to go. The 40 breeder is probably the best bang for the buck given the size is great and the cost is lower but the looks of the tank are not the best. The Red Sea 170 is cool but I wonder if I'll regret the size later lol. The Nuvo 40 is "cheap" but is it really the best?
