Nuvo 8 aquarium opinions
 

Hi,

I'm looking at purchasing a Nuvo 8 gallon aquarium for my brother for Christmas. Has anyone used or heard anything about this brand of tank? Good or Bad. I'm also wondering about the LED lighting. Is 8 watts enough to keep soft coral and LPS?

Thanks
Josh

There's one set up at Aquarium Illusions in Edmonton. It had the stock light on it for a while and was growing corals okay but I wasn't happy with the color so it was switched out with a Kessil A150 deep ocean blue and now looks amazing.

*bump*

Anyone know where I can buy a Nuvo8 locally in Calgary?

Wai's on 16th Ave had one left this weekend, it was unboxed and sitting on the check-out counter. I almost bought it, so hurry up or it won't last long ;)

I've never seen their lights turned on before, but from their specs I'm underwhelmed. I've upgraded the lights on my 4 gallon pico twice, with the most recent iteration being a Kessil A150 Ocean Blue (around 1500K). It might actually be a bit too bright for such a small tank, but it would be perfect for an 8 gallon.

I love tiny tanks. The Nuvo is beautiful, and there's plenty of space in the back compared to most other all-in ones. I think the 8 is too small for the skimmer that you can get for the bigger versions, but there's definitely enough room for some media. If you're not planning on keeping any fish, or want some very very small fish, the Nuvo is probably the sexiest thing out there.

If you haven't read it before, check out the Reefbuilders article on 'ecoreef one' (http://reefbuilders.com/2010/04/22/e...ano-reef-tank/). I would never have attempted a pico tank without having read that. I use the 'ecoreef' philosophy on this pico, and the one I had before it, and they thrive. My current Pico doesn't have any corals that are particularly sensitive in in it, so to be honest I'm not even really matching temperature that much. I mix 20 gallons of salt water at the right specific gravity, keep it in my garage (in slab heating keeps the water at 20 degrees), and once a week I completely drain and refill my 4 gallon tank. 20 gallons lasts me more than a month, so maintenance is literally less than 5 minutes/week, unless I want to take the rock structure/pump/filter media out and really scrub down the inside of the tank in the sink.

This is what the A150 looks like over a 4 gallon tank:

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1b2b336b.jpg
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...ps51c008e7.jpg

(the left and right brain corals were badly bleached when they were added to this tank, they're starting to noticeably recover under the Kessil)

I bought my nuvo 8 from picses. They usually have one or two on the shelf when I visit there. Haven't been there in a few weeks though.

Anybody remember the pricing at Wai's and Pisces??

Wai's was between 200 and 300. Sorry I don't remember more specifically. I had a $200 limit that day, so I stopped listening after the first number ;)

dont remember exact number. i bought mine on sale, and i definitely didnt spend over $200 on mine.

DO you have any pics of yours? I reeeeally want one

i can take a few tonight, when i get home from work.

I just got home from Pisces and the Nuvo8 is $240. The Nuvo16 is regular $399 but on sale for $299. I would love to get the Nuvo16 but the space I want the tank for just wouldn't be able to accomodate it. Maybe I will wait for a sale on the Nuvo8...

Would an AI Sol or Vega be overkill (actually, I know it will be overkill lol)? I want a good light that I can use on my big tank once I move into my house in about a year. I feel like the nano would obviously be the best choice for this tank but it seems like a waste if I won't be able to use it on my future tank. Can I dial down a Sol or Vega enough to make it an 'OK' lighting fixture for a Nuvo8??

funny you ask. i use an AI nano on mine. i had the stock light on it, and it worked well for what i had it in. but i do notice a difference after switching to the AI. zoas are now starting to multiply, when they weren't before. i have it dialed down to about 30% intensity. and its plenty bright.

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/pic...pictureid=6002

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/pic...pictureid=6003

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/pic...pictureid=6004

Yup, imma get me one of those.

I think its just over 250, pisces has the 16 on sale right now