What kind on nano tank is the best!

[Carrera75]

I am looking to purchase the best 12-14 gallon nano tank and the best options seem to be:

Option # 1
14 Gallon Oceanic Bio Cube. Includes: Integrated Wet-Dry bio-filter. Dual action cartridge and pump included. Built in surface skimmer Coralife Lighting 24 watt 10,000K & 24 watt Actinic 03 2- 3/4 watt Blue LED moon lights

Option # 2
Aquapod 24 Gallon 2 - 27W Power Compact, Lighting system-has one 27 watt Dual SunPaq Daylight, one 27 watt Dual SunPaq Actinic and two Nocturnal Blube Lunar lights, cooling fan. Integrated filtration system-submersible pump, mechanical sponge filter, ceramic media, bioballs, activated carbon.

Option # 3
JBJ 2 x 24 Watt CFL Lighting
50/50 (10k/Actinic) Bulbs Included
Nite-Vu LED Moon Lights
Remote Electronic Ballast w/ Disconnect
Includes Dual Cooling Fans
Built-in 3 Stage Filtration
Improved Modular Surface Skimmer Intake
Directional Return Nozzle
Flip Top Canopy for Easy Maintenance

All these tanks sell for about the same price.
I would like to keep a 2 or 3 small fish and some low light corals. I currently have 2 freshwater tanks but Im totally new to saltwater fish tanks. I would really appreciate to get some advice from you guys. I think there are some very knowledgeable people on this site.

Looking forward to receiving advice from you guys.
cheers

[nanoreefer]

hello i have the boicube 8g and like it quite a bit(i wish i would have gotten the 14g though) witch ever tank you get you will need to mod it some, for my biocube i took out the bioballs and filter cartrige(bad for SW tanks)i then used a razor and cut off some of the black paint on the back so i could put a light on it and keep macro algea in the second chamber with some LR rubbel, you will also need to repace the pump that comes with any of those tank sence it wont be enough flow realy for SW tanks(iam replaceing mine with a maxie jet 600 i think)or add another powerhead if you want, on the aquapod i heard that they can get quite hot and that fans arent that good plus they have only a small opening on the top so you will have to open the entire lid to work on the tank witch can be annoying for you and corals, i think the JBJ nanocube is pretty mutch the same as the BC 14g but i think the lights cords are all one so you cant put them on diffrent timers but i could be wrong, also there was an issue with the nano cubes cracking!!.

personaly for the 200$ i would get the biocube 14 and do some mods too it and get the extra water volume but thats just me

a good place to look for info is nano-reef.com

[i have crabs]

i bought the 29g biocube and its sweet sofar had a stornger pump and blulbs from the 8g or 14g modles

[zanew33]

u should skip those and go for the bio cube 29gal its awsome for what u pay a the pump u dont need to change.

[Pan]

i like cadlights nano tanks personally....should take a look at em.

[Carrera75]

Thanks for sharing all your knowledge and opinion with me. I have been doing a lot of research trying to find out nano tank works best for me. It is a very hard decision as there are so many options out there. All your opinions/advice are welcome.

cheers

[Flusher]

I'd say forget the pre-built nanos. A lot of them need to be modified anyway, which is a waste of money, IMO.

You could buy a 20-25 gallon tank for pretty cheap, drill it, and add a sump/'fuge using another tank (like a 5 gallon).

I built my own "cubes" and they turned out pretty good. I'm going to drill my smaller cube in two places so I can get rid of the overflow tube and the powerhead hose. mops.ca sells decent glass drill bits for pretty cheap, and they work.

Here are some pics. They're a bit dated, so my tanks look a bit different now. (Don't bother with the Lee's skimmer or the Current USA Nano skimmer.)

13.5 gallon display w/ 4 gallon sump:









6 gallon display w/ 2 gallon sump:



Pieces I used instead of drilling the tanks:


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EXPERT INSURANCE

[Farrmanchu]

There you are Flusher! Flusher-built Nanos ROCK, SW or FW. But if you're not a DIY type, the Biocube is great, with the mods mentioned above. A box of water is all you need, the lighting and flow are the important parts. My Wife's Nano is a 10 Gal. with a Whisper Mini HOB filter(LR rubble only), and two mini powerheads in tank. 2 Coralife 50/50s (20 Watt each) screw right in to the stock canopy. There's also a 50 Watt heater. Total cost of all her equip. was around $200.

[Flusher]

Originally Posted by Farrmanchu

There you are Flusher! Flusher-built Nanos ROCK, SW or FW.

Thanks. I've been busy lately with other hobbies...
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LIST OF PENNY STOCKS

[Carrera75]

Your tanks is awesome man, I wish I had the skills to build one but Im not. Originally I wanted to buy a 10 or 15 gallon tank to start my own tank from scratch. Although, when I found out how expensive the lighting can be I thought that it would be easier to buy a nano deluxe or biocube as these 2 come with the right lighting and look pretty sleek. Buying just the tank would about 10/15 dlls and then the lighting would be over 100dlls and I don't think it would look as nice as the nano deluxe or biocube.

I know some of you guys have made some changes to these tanks but I wonder if the original equipment that comes with these tanks is good enough to set up a saltwater tank. I looked at somebody else's nano on saltwaterfish.com and all she has is the original older model 12 gallon nano deluxe with only 36 watts. She didn't change anything and her tank looks amazing. Her tank has been running for over a year and I was glad to see that a simple set up like the nano deluxe can work well.

check this girl's nano:
http://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/show...0&page=1&pp=50

let me know what you guys think.
cheers