What tank to buy...

[gatorbait26]

Hi guys...newbie to the forum here...been lurking around and reading about different setups to do...I'm trying to narrow it down between the aquaeurousa 34 gallon,bio cube 29 gallon hqi or the Red Sea 130d...which would be the best choice of the three?...from what I see you can't set up a uv sterilizer on the Red Sea right...does it really need one...thanks in advance

 

[reeferman]

out of those three,i would go for the red sea and no,a uv is not necessary.good to have but not a must.

 

[jef4y]

I had a biocube split on me. After I did and posted about it, I found I was not alone.

After that I have not been a fan of "bent" glass tanks. Acrylic? Sure. Glass? No thanks.

 

[glxtrix]

Red Sea. No exp with them, but I think they look amazing. Eventually I'll have one

 

[frantz]

For the price of the red sea 130d I got a 28 cube drilled on sale with the stand, LEDS, sand, LR, heater, and pump. I made a sump outta plastic bins till I decided to just pump it into my 120 system. I had to buy the skimmer later. It is a much more formal look, but I like it and I love the flexibility of the drilled tank.

 

[tbryan]

Personally I would never own another all in one tank. Just too aggravating getting good equipment to fit.I would shoot for a standard drilled cube with a sump setup.

 

[jef4y]

tbryan;809421 wrote: Personally I would never own another all in one tank. Just too aggravating getting good equipment to fit.I would shoot for a standard drilled cube with a sump setup.

This is absolute truth as well.

The AIOs are neat & convenient, but can be VERY limiting.

 

[jimmystephens]

+1

 

[kilralpine]

The fish your going to be housing in something that small likely wont need a UV sterilizer. Rather than UV just make sure you quarantine and observe the specimens you introduce; its way overkill having UV on a 30g.

 

[gatorbait26]

Yeah...I already have a 93 gallon cube setup...I just want something simple to go in my bedroom..

 

[kf2008]

Can't speak for RS130 but I've owned a BC29 HQI and it was fine. No issues and relatively quiet for bedroom application. I've also used the BC mini uv sterilizer and noticed slightly better water clarity and less free floating algae.

Good luck with your search...

 

[gatorbait26]

Thanks...I was just wanting something simple...not something u gotta dump another grand in after I buy it trying to mod it out...just wanna plug it up and enjoy

 

[dustin]

I will chime in here. Mostly due to the price (used) I picked up the redsea 130d. All the stock equipment, heater and skimmer in particular, are crap. I run a sump with an overflow kit and a tunze 9002, in the sump, as my skimmer.

Ive gotten the tank dialed in and I really like it. I do have some questions for you. Can you run an open top? Meaning that a big reason why I looked into the biocube and redsea was the look and the fact that they have tight hoods that can be modified.

If you can run an open top and can afford a really nice t5 fixture I would go that route. Find a nice tank and stand and spend your money on a good fixture. I wouldnt reccommend these tanks to someone thats not buying used with plans to modify and have fun with, if that makes sense.

Also, I would never buy one new. Way too expensive in my opinion. But again I love mine now, its been alot of fun making mods and it looks freakin awesome in my opinion. Very Clean. Feel free to ask any questions you have about the redsea. Good luck

 

[gatorbait26]

Like I said before...I already have an open top 93 gallon cube... Just looking for something to plug and play...not doin any modding or buying extra stuff for...thanks for the info though

 

[reef coffee & curly hair]

Both the Biocube 29 and Red Sea 130D could make great additions for what they are. I know several people who run both of them in there offices and have had great success. Resale on the Red Sea systems seem to be faster and depreciate less. Some of the more important differences for me is the extra width(even though its only 4 inches) of the tank which might help with your aquascaping choices and the height of the biocube is a little short for me. At 6'1" I have to crouch a little to view the biocube (stands may vary) but with the Red Sea I do not. Lastly the Red Sea seems a little more solid. Thicker materials in overall build. I like both for what they are. I hope this helps. Good luck on your future purchase.

 

[dustin]

"Just looking for something to plug and play"

For the Red Sea:
For FOWLR and maybe a few softies, then yes its plug and play. Plan to replace the timer, heater, fans, and possible pumps within a year or two. Go read the Reef Sanctuarys thread dedicated to the Red Sea tanks. If you run the stock skimmer, plan to clean it once a week to keep it functioning.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[KrisDeitz]

I had a biocubr for a long time. I recently got a nano cube and I must say its so much better!

Easier to work with. Hood is better Back is open for skimmers and such